I can Thomas Keller the hell out when I feel like it, but when I'm trying to figure out what to do with a jar of egg whites, a pint of homemade mayo, some leeks and the whole fish I bought at the market on impulse; or when I'm brain-dead after work or in one of those odd depressive fits that occasionally move through my brainscape like a storm front, when just remembering to feed myself feels like a small victory; this reminds me how to turn stuff into food, reliably and with minimal fuss. Since I'm pretty experienced with cooking, I use it more as a reference for cooking times and techniques than anything else, but this book could take you from nuking dinner to dinner party over just a couple months. Now my cookbook collection has been streamlined down to this, a couple books on ethnic cuisines, a bunch of M.F.K. Fisher I keep around because I like the words more than the recipes, and some wonderfully, cantankerously aspirational/inspirational/biographical books like Mission Street Food: Recipes and Ideas from an Improbable Restaurant.

Also, I sort of love the obstinate chapter on seafood, which basically says "No way am I giving you detailed instructions that vary according to fish species. This stuff is easy and you shouldn't be scared of it because really, fish is fish, and you're smart enough to figure out how to handle it, so stop freaking out."

I have the iPad app, not the regular book, but the contents are the same, with plenty of great perks. It has a built-in timer I never use! And a shopping list function I don't bother with! And you can fave stuff! Even though they're great features, I like my old stove timer and scraps of paper with illegible scrawls on them. I do love having it for the iPad, though: It lies flat, it's searchable and If I get food all over it, I can wipe it down with a damp cloth.

The title is no hyperbole: author and cooking expert Mark Bittman has included 2,000 recipes covering everything you would ever possibly want to cook, from the mundane to the exotic. Whether it’s everyday coleslaw, deviled eggs, fritters, chocolate cake and roasted chicken to recipes or the more exotic recipes using plantains, lychees, fresh sardines, chickpea flour, chayote, miso, lemongrass, sweetbreads, daikon, queso fresco, jícama, persimmons, quince and more.

For the truly adventurous (not me), Bittman includes recipes for making your own ketchup, mayonnaise, grainy mustard, chapatis, flavored oils, vinegars, chili and curry powders, garam masala and chile pastes. Serious foodies can make their own pasta, ravioli, tortellini, gnocchi and other convenience food from scratch. And Bittman recreates a lot restaurant favorites, some accessible to novice cooks, others recommended only for the experienced. Newbies will benefit from Bittman’s step-by-step directions for all of the basics, while advanced cooks will find plenty to love, as well. Highly recommended for all cooks.

I learned to cook using the James Beard Cookbook published in 1957. I consult Mark Bittman more often than James Beard now and have thoroughly enjoyed his charts of beans, peppers, mustards etc. I also appreciate simpler techniques ofered. I iked this cookbook so much that I bought it for my granddaughter too.

In one year this book turned me from someone who felt totally overwhelmed and helpless about cooking, to someone who genuinely enjoys it and always wants to learn more. Feeding myself used to feel like a giant chore. Now I know that there’s few things that feel so empowering as knowing how to make great food.

Another reviewer said that they should really keep this permanently on their “Reading” shelf, and I agree. I’m constantly opening this book, not just to learn how to make something new, but to answer my questions about food. It’s a reference book as much as it is a cookbook. And I can honestly say it’s one of my favorite books, ever.

Loved this book. I am trying to deliver restaurant quality food to the table in my home. This book has taught me some of the secrets.
I learned an interested portfolio of techniques to cook 'Everything'. Enjoyed the read so far. Thanks.
Sam
Food Blogger
www.buzzreviews.com

Rose suggested Mark Bittman's book to me and I use it regularly. This man is a smart eater and writer.

I read somewhere this book is like a more hip version of The Joy of Cooking. I’ve been cooking for a long time, so I haven’t referred to it much, but for anyone who wants to learn how to cook or needs to make it less of a chore this would be an excellent fit

This is like a modern Joy of Cooking. Whenever I want to make something new, I turn to this, and it's there. Lots of line drawings are included to show how to do various things.

ALSO, Bittman is a minimalist, which I love, at least in recipe books. If you have a decently-stocked kitchen and spice collection, you'll likely be able to make most of what you'll find here, without needing to substitute for ingredients you don't have.

It's like a mini-encyclopedia, approx. 2" thick, with educational content throughout. I highly recommend it as a gift for guys (it'll be the only cookbook they need for a long time) and newlyweds (new editions are red, and it'll also become a go-to book for them).

My bible for cooking. Just about every recipe you'd ever need, plus some. Bittman has easy to follow instructions, and best of all, includes "alternatives" to almost every recipe so you can change it according to what fresh ingredients or pantry items you have on hand. The (only) big drawback of the book -- the section on baking is much weaker. Use this cookbook for cooking!

This was the first cookbook I bought myself when I moved out on my own. My copy is now falling apart and is covered in spatters, but decades later I'm still using this book despite having grown a bookshelf full of fantastic cookbooks over the years. It's still one of my go-tos if I have a new ingredient or want to cook something I haven't made before. It clearly describes how to prep produce and meat, explains cooking techniques, and is a great all-purpose resource.

I bought it on iPad years ago as an app, but to be honest, this isn't what I turn to when I need to know how to cook something; that's what the internet is for. This is a solid reference book for people who don't have internet access or prefer to use only one source that is well known. Great for beginners who really have no idea where to start.

This is the heaviest cookbook ever and the print is too small. I tried looking for recipes I needed for the holidays and got so frustrated. This is obviously not a review of the content but of the presentation.