How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food
by Mark Bittman
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
Those who do not have much experience cooking but want to learn and dreams of becoming good.
There are many different types of cookbooks. The most basic type is a collection of recipes, presumably built around some theme. Another type is the picture book, filled with pages of pictures of beautiful gourmet dishes. Then there are the celebrity chefs, with books that promise something akin to what you can get from their restaurants, or results like their TV shows. I have one cookbook that is basically a travelogue, beckoning the reader to distant exotic lands. But the one that every househ...more
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Read in October, 2006
Okay, so, October is National Book Month, and there's a meme going around: what book do you want everyone to read, fiction and non-fiction. And why. So, this was my non-fiction book.
Why I want you to read this:
I know so many people who tell me they can't cook, they don't know how, it's too hard, and it's not. If I could teach all the people I know and love how easy it is to have real, good, actual food, I'd be a very happy woman. Since I can't come into your kitchens and show you ...more
Why I want you to read this:
I know so many people who tell me they can't cook, they don't know how, it's too hard, and it's not. If I could teach all the people I know and love how easy it is to have real, good, actual food, I'd be a very happy woman. Since I can't come into your kitchens and show you ...more
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Read in January, 2004
recommends it for:
butter lovers, people who need a general reference cookbook
I first saw this cookbook in the kitchen of one of my favorite families, the Gambells, in New Haven, and the pages were falling out of the binding from extensive use - a pretty good recommendation. The reviews that say, "hm, these recipes are simple... almost minimalist" are funny... what did they expect from the author of "The Minimalist" column in the New York Times? Many friends of mine have complained about this, that the book doesn't go far enough beyond three-ingredien...more
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Read in February, 2008
This is less of a cookbook than a textbook on cooking, but a very useful textbook to have around. In the intro, Bittman makes the claim that in our quest for fast, convenient food, we've given up way too much in flavor and nutrition, and really haven't saved much time in return. His goal with this book is to teach the basics of cooking, so you feel confident making any basic home-cooked meal. In this, I think he succeeds.
And for time-pressed families, his quick meals strike me as more nutri...more
And for time-pressed families, his quick meals strike me as more nutri...more
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Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
college students
This is an omnibus in the Joy of Cooking tradition; you'll notice it's the same size and thinckness as the Joy, sells for about as much, and is clearly targeted at the same market segment. Both books purport to briefly cover every kind of food that Americans used to cook, cook now or ought to cook.
However, while the sizes of the two books are the same, the type in Bittman's book is much larger. His recipies are actually quite good, but HTCE simply lacks the depth of the Joy ... and who nee...more
However, while the sizes of the two books are the same, the type in Bittman's book is much larger. His recipies are actually quite good, but HTCE simply lacks the depth of the Joy ... and who nee...more
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This book is a great reference, but for some reason, I really can't cook from it. Maybe it's the paradox of choice at work. The book just doesn't jive with how I think about food.
It's set up like an encyclopedia or a taxonomic guide (like you would find for identifying birds or plants). It is impressive in that it's such a broad sweep of food, but it's hard to find entry points. For me it's usually a specific take on a dish or a picture that inspires me to try making something. This book is...more
It's set up like an encyclopedia or a taxonomic guide (like you would find for identifying birds or plants). It is impressive in that it's such a broad sweep of food, but it's hard to find entry points. For me it's usually a specific take on a dish or a picture that inspires me to try making something. This book is...more
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Bittman's book is my go-to guide for recipes. You're not going to find a large amount of gourmet, difficult to master ideas here - what you will find is the basics, and a list of ways to vary them.
A good example of how to use this book came to me a couple of weeks ago. I'm the cook in my family, and so my mother called to ask me for my best asparagus recipe. Please note: I do not, nor have I ever enjoyed asparagus. I have never once cooked it. I consulted my big yellow book and found three ...more
A good example of how to use this book came to me a couple of weeks ago. I'm the cook in my family, and so my mother called to ask me for my best asparagus recipe. Please note: I do not, nor have I ever enjoyed asparagus. I have never once cooked it. I consulted my big yellow book and found three ...more
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Read in September, 1998
recommends it for:
all humans who consume food
Hands down the single most useful cookbook I own. I bought this in 1998 shortly after the first edition came out, and have since given copies to many people. If you cook, you need this book. If you don't cook and want to begin, this is (in my opinion) the best place to start.
This book is noteworthy in that it's useful for both total novices and experienced cooks. Bittman writes in an informative, down to earth style. No "gourmet" pretension here. At the same time, he's very o...more
This book is noteworthy in that it's useful for both total novices and experienced cooks. Bittman writes in an informative, down to earth style. No "gourmet" pretension here. At the same time, he's very o...more
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Read in January, 2008
Wow. This is the ultimate cookbook for good, general, tasty food. Bittman covers - as the cover states - everything. There are many recipes, but the best part, the reason to buy this hefty (940+ page) book is that Bittman goes into delightfully succinct detail about the hows and whys and whats of the ingredients.
Why red wine vinegar? Can I make my own vinegar? What are the various types of beans? I don't have buttermilk - what can substitute? How, exactly, does one scale fish?
The answers t...more
Why red wine vinegar? Can I make my own vinegar? What are the various types of beans? I don't have buttermilk - what can substitute? How, exactly, does one scale fish?
The answers t...more
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recommends it for:
people who are boring
I found this book totally boring, I've only looked at it a few times and those few times angered me. This guy doesn't seem to like a lot of food, odd for someone writing a definitive guide to cooking. I was looking up turkey cooking basics and there was a passage about how- 'No one really likes turkey.' Well that may be, but I need to cook one, so please dispense with the knowledge and hold off on the negative opinions. There was another time when I needed to look up cooking brussel sprouts, or ...more
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Read in January, 2004
i can't believe i bought this, even though i bought it at a reduced price at the strand. ugh. rarely do the baked goods featured in this book turn out. other recipes require quite a bit of tweaking to achieve something i consider guest-worthy. at times i've wanted to set this book on the curb and be rid of it forever, but i didn't feel like cursing anyone else with its presence. however, the beginning of each sections does feature worthwhile prose peppered with explanations of the scienc...more
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My Aunt and Uncle gave me this book for Hannukah, just after it was first published. For several years it was my indispensable kitchen go-to book, and although I don't use it much anymore I still think it's an excellent cookbook. The recipes are well constructed and thorough, and Mark Bittman's philosophy and distinct attitude toward food really come through. The recipes are simple and the book really is encyclopedic. It isn't a good source for gourmet cuisine, but it is an excellent book for si...more
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recommends it for:
people who can only make mac n cheese
i haven't read this entire book, but does that count if its a cookbook ? i need to hire a goodreads consultant.
this cookbook is pretty much awesome. not only is it packed with recipes but it also explains how to shop for and prepare the main ingredients in each recipe. do you know what is the best kind of scallop for cooking? or how to kill a lobster (for eating)? or what to look for when buying lamb? this book has the secret.
if you are already an experience cookologist then this book...more
this cookbook is pretty much awesome. not only is it packed with recipes but it also explains how to shop for and prepare the main ingredients in each recipe. do you know what is the best kind of scallop for cooking? or how to kill a lobster (for eating)? or what to look for when buying lamb? this book has the secret.
if you are already an experience cookologist then this book...more
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2 comments
recommends it for:
new cooks
This thick book lives up to its name. It allowed me to grow from someone who enjoyed food but didn't really know how to prepare anything beyond the basics into a confident chef. Although I now won't be able to use most of his recipes as-is (I recently became vegan and he LOVES butter), I'm still giving it five stars because of all that it gave me over the last year (and by the way, there are various meat sections, but it worked great for me as an ovo-lacto vegetarian). I haven't tried adapti...more
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recommends it for:
People who don't really know how to cook.
Have I read the whole thing? No.
As someone who sort-of stinks at cooking, and someone who needs a lot of things explained to them (what's the deal with crockpots, or teflon, or egg noodles?), this is a great book.
I am not an adventurous eater. I like bacon. I like baked-goods. I like tater tots.
Recently, I have discovered this is probably not the greatest diet. So, I thought I'd learn to cook. Everything from meatballs to pork stuff to lamb-i-kins...sides, desserts, breads--the wh...more
As someone who sort-of stinks at cooking, and someone who needs a lot of things explained to them (what's the deal with crockpots, or teflon, or egg noodles?), this is a great book.
I am not an adventurous eater. I like bacon. I like baked-goods. I like tater tots.
Recently, I have discovered this is probably not the greatest diet. So, I thought I'd learn to cook. Everything from meatballs to pork stuff to lamb-i-kins...sides, desserts, breads--the wh...more
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A birthday gift from someone after I told them I had no idea how to cook but wanted to, and picked this out for me after deciding it was better than Help I Have a Kitchen, I'm very glad I own this. So far, it has provided an excellent mix of basic instructions (for example, how the hell to bake sweet potatoes), cocktail mixes, descriptions of different types of foods, step-by-step instructions, and more complicated recipes that I feel I will work my way up to. In fact, this is an excellent coo...more
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recommends it for:
Everyone (we all eat, right?)
This is sort of the new Joy of Cooking which is really expansive, but in a different way (the difference being that JOC is into the WHOLE dining experience - that is, "were your utencils placed appropriately on the table - whereas How to Cook Everyting is more about the tools and ingredients that you use to get the food where it needs to be). If you had JoC and this, you'd have a blueprint to cook everything American there is and then some, generously. Don't expect lavish talk-show pictur...more
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recommends it for:
people looking for a gift for a new cook
Among the mainstay references in my kitchen. Bittman can be an opininated jerk, but the book is a good for basic home cooking. A good place to start looking for a recipe when trying a new vegetable or cut of meat. Practical advice about equipment and techniques. I have two tween/teen daughters that find it useful for learning basic dishes. An excellent housewarming gift for someone moving into a first apartment or home.
I have not tried many of the baking recipes, since I have other sources...more
I have not tried many of the baking recipes, since I have other sources...more
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Read in January, 1997
recommends it for:
anyone with a kitchen who requires food for survival
i know many will expound upon the virtues of the "joy of cooking" or anything written by julia child, but bittman--who has a weekly column in the nyt called "the minimalist"--breaks down food to its simplest foundation. simple, honest ingredients and simple, honest food. he even covers kitchen techniques and equipment in a straightforward manner that provides comfort to anyone who may not assume they are a kitchen goddess (or god). our copy is so well-worn (and destroyed) ...more
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A great introduction to cooking. I am a very instictive cook, and I love the simple recipes that tell me exactly what I can change and can't while still getting a good result. I tend to add cayenne and extra garlic to everything, these recipes allow me to. I also love that he gives you the WHY's of everything, so that I understand why I can't change certain things.
A beginner cook would probably love the simple recipes that are hard to mess up, and more advanced cooks can love the framework t...more
A beginner cook would probably love the simple recipes that are hard to mess up, and more advanced cooks can love the framework t...more
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