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How to Cook for Beginners: An Easy Cookbook for Learning the Basics
You’ll never say “I can’t cook” again.
If recipes look like secret codes and boiling an egg might as well be rocket science, How to Cook for Beginners is for you. Easy lessons and delicious recipes teach you everything you need to know to get started in the kitchen. Cooking seems daunting, but with this practical choice in cookbooks for beginners—and a little practice—you can become a skilled home chef.
Begin with guides to must-have equipment, a well-stocked pantry, and kitchen safety. Master fundamental techniques with recipes designed to teach you dicing, pan cooking, broiling, and more. Unlike other cookbooks for beginners, this system builds your skills from mixing a simple seasoning blend to roasting a whole chicken (with gravy!). Then, enjoy over 30 other recipes like Speedy Shrimp Sauté, Pasta Bolognese, and Mexican-Style Street Corn Salad.
It’s everything cookbooks for beginners should
Cooking 101—Learn how to store your food, care for your knives, prep your work station, and even talk like a chef. Tools and tips—Each recipe lists the tools you’ll need, and many go beyond other cookbooks for beginners with ideas to customize flavors or make prep even easier. For every meal—Create quick breakfasts, mouthwatering mains, and delicious desserts—plus snacks, sides, and veggies. When you’re not sure which cookbooks for beginners to start with, let How to Cook for Beginners open the door and show you can cook!
If recipes look like secret codes and boiling an egg might as well be rocket science, How to Cook for Beginners is for you. Easy lessons and delicious recipes teach you everything you need to know to get started in the kitchen. Cooking seems daunting, but with this practical choice in cookbooks for beginners—and a little practice—you can become a skilled home chef.
Begin with guides to must-have equipment, a well-stocked pantry, and kitchen safety. Master fundamental techniques with recipes designed to teach you dicing, pan cooking, broiling, and more. Unlike other cookbooks for beginners, this system builds your skills from mixing a simple seasoning blend to roasting a whole chicken (with gravy!). Then, enjoy over 30 other recipes like Speedy Shrimp Sauté, Pasta Bolognese, and Mexican-Style Street Corn Salad.
It’s everything cookbooks for beginners should
Cooking 101—Learn how to store your food, care for your knives, prep your work station, and even talk like a chef. Tools and tips—Each recipe lists the tools you’ll need, and many go beyond other cookbooks for beginners with ideas to customize flavors or make prep even easier. For every meal—Create quick breakfasts, mouthwatering mains, and delicious desserts—plus snacks, sides, and veggies. When you’re not sure which cookbooks for beginners to start with, let How to Cook for Beginners open the door and show you can cook!
209 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2019
211 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 24, 2020
The author of this book states that it is truly for beginning cooks so don't be afraid to engage with it, even if you do not think that you are a kitchen whiz. The writer begins by letting you know what you need to have in your kitchen. She then moves on to skills including boiling, pan cooking and baking. The last part of the book includes a number of recipes that are described as easy.
The author explained concepts very clearly as for example the differences between sell by date, use by date and expiration date. There is also a section on "cooking lingo" which includes definitions that are quite helpful. Readers will also learn what it means to whisk, fold, and stir and also how to rough chop, dice and more.
The recipes themselves are presented very clearly. For example the recipe for Pasta Bolognese first describes what the dish is. Next the tools that are needed are listed, followed by the ingredients and the recipe. The recipe itself is easy to follow as are the other recipes in the book.
This cookbook has many beautiful photographs and also pictures that show techniques. These very much enhance the text.
I rate this cookbook highly. It would make a perfect gift for anyone who is starting to live on their own or who needs to boost their kitchen confidence.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
The author explained concepts very clearly as for example the differences between sell by date, use by date and expiration date. There is also a section on "cooking lingo" which includes definitions that are quite helpful. Readers will also learn what it means to whisk, fold, and stir and also how to rough chop, dice and more.
The recipes themselves are presented very clearly. For example the recipe for Pasta Bolognese first describes what the dish is. Next the tools that are needed are listed, followed by the ingredients and the recipe. The recipe itself is easy to follow as are the other recipes in the book.
This cookbook has many beautiful photographs and also pictures that show techniques. These very much enhance the text.
I rate this cookbook highly. It would make a perfect gift for anyone who is starting to live on their own or who needs to boost their kitchen confidence.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2023
⭐4/5 stars⭐
read this for my library's reading challenge and bc my new years resolution is to learn how to cook so here we are. did i comprehend any of this? eh we'll see
read this for my library's reading challenge and bc my new years resolution is to learn how to cook so here we are. did i comprehend any of this? eh we'll see
November 8, 2019
Are you intimidated by the idea of cooking yourself a meal? Or is it someone you know, someone you secretly think about turning in to that Food Network show about the worst cooks? Those who do go on that show get put through a culinary boot camp, a way to learn basic skills and then build on them to become home cooks with a handful of recipes they’re comfortable with and the confidence to take on new recipes on their own.
But if you can’t get yourself or your friend/family member onto the show, you could just buy this book. How to Cook for Beginners is a great starting point for anyone who needs someone to take their hand and walk them through the most basic of kitchen skills to slowly build an understanding of cooking.
This book starts truly at the beginning, with a list of the most essential tools and pantry staples that are needed for a home cook. From there, you start to learn knife skills as well as how to measure ingredients, how to prep for cooking, how to plan for the grocery store and the cooking process, and how to mix ingredients. There are lessons on kitchen safety, so you’ll know what to do in case of a fire or a cut and how to prevent cross-contamination.
Once those basics are down, you start the cooking process. The first recipe is a simple spice mix that can be used in later recipes. A Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette is next, in anticipation of dressing salads that will come later with more knife skills. From there, cooking techniques are introduced with simple recipes to build courage and tasty dishes. Boiling comes with lessons on Hardboiled Eggs and a simple pasta, Cacio e Pepe.
Pan Cooking offers Stir-Fried Green Beans and a Cast-Iron Rib Eye Steak. Oven cooking brings recipes for Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables and Banana Bread. The last chapter on technique is about building flavors, from using salt and herbs to adding oil and acid. These flavoring tips come in handy for the Roasted Chicken and Chicken Gravy.
The rest of the book is filled with recipes for breakfast, snacks and small bites, salad and veggies, mains, and (of course) desserts. You have all the skills by this point to tackle any of these recipes, so you could make yourself or your friends an Apple Berry Dutch Baby, homemade Guacamole, a Greek Salad, Roasted Sweet Potato Fries, Maple-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples, Garlic and Tomato Steamed Mussels, and Chocolate-Chipotle Brownies, just to name a few.
Author Gwyn Novak grew up around great cooks but was never all that interested in it herself, not until she was in graduate school, pursuing a political degree and started using cooking as a way to relieve stress. It wasn’t long until she was trading in her grad school classes for culinary school, going on from there to be a professional caterer and a personal chef. Now she teaches others how to cook, and she brings all her experience and wisdom to the pages of How to Cook for Beginners.
This really is a wonderful resource for those just starting out and who feel intimidated by the idea of cooking for themselves. There are lots of photos to help along the way and detailed instructions on every step of the path to a warm, homemade dinner. An ideal gift for anyone scared to cook or just starting out in their own place!
A copy of How to Cook for Beginners was provided to me by Rockridge Press through Callisto Publishing, with many thanks.
But if you can’t get yourself or your friend/family member onto the show, you could just buy this book. How to Cook for Beginners is a great starting point for anyone who needs someone to take their hand and walk them through the most basic of kitchen skills to slowly build an understanding of cooking.
This book starts truly at the beginning, with a list of the most essential tools and pantry staples that are needed for a home cook. From there, you start to learn knife skills as well as how to measure ingredients, how to prep for cooking, how to plan for the grocery store and the cooking process, and how to mix ingredients. There are lessons on kitchen safety, so you’ll know what to do in case of a fire or a cut and how to prevent cross-contamination.
Once those basics are down, you start the cooking process. The first recipe is a simple spice mix that can be used in later recipes. A Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette is next, in anticipation of dressing salads that will come later with more knife skills. From there, cooking techniques are introduced with simple recipes to build courage and tasty dishes. Boiling comes with lessons on Hardboiled Eggs and a simple pasta, Cacio e Pepe.
Pan Cooking offers Stir-Fried Green Beans and a Cast-Iron Rib Eye Steak. Oven cooking brings recipes for Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables and Banana Bread. The last chapter on technique is about building flavors, from using salt and herbs to adding oil and acid. These flavoring tips come in handy for the Roasted Chicken and Chicken Gravy.
The rest of the book is filled with recipes for breakfast, snacks and small bites, salad and veggies, mains, and (of course) desserts. You have all the skills by this point to tackle any of these recipes, so you could make yourself or your friends an Apple Berry Dutch Baby, homemade Guacamole, a Greek Salad, Roasted Sweet Potato Fries, Maple-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples, Garlic and Tomato Steamed Mussels, and Chocolate-Chipotle Brownies, just to name a few.
Author Gwyn Novak grew up around great cooks but was never all that interested in it herself, not until she was in graduate school, pursuing a political degree and started using cooking as a way to relieve stress. It wasn’t long until she was trading in her grad school classes for culinary school, going on from there to be a professional caterer and a personal chef. Now she teaches others how to cook, and she brings all her experience and wisdom to the pages of How to Cook for Beginners.
This really is a wonderful resource for those just starting out and who feel intimidated by the idea of cooking for themselves. There are lots of photos to help along the way and detailed instructions on every step of the path to a warm, homemade dinner. An ideal gift for anyone scared to cook or just starting out in their own place!
A copy of How to Cook for Beginners was provided to me by Rockridge Press through Callisto Publishing, with many thanks.
November 8, 2019
"How to Cook for Beginners: An Easy Cookbook for Learning the Basics" offers simple lessons and delicious recipes to teach you everything you need to know to get started in the kitchen. Author Gwyn Novak is a chef, culinary instructor, and the owner of the cooking school "No Thyme to Cook". Cooking is a time-honored tradition in her family: her grandmother ran a well-known seafood restaurant on Solomons Island, MD; her mother taught home economics for over thirty years; and Gwyn herself has been cooking and writing about food for more than twenty-five years. "How to Cook for Beginners" is presented in three sections: Part One, "Getting Started", covers "Welcome to Your Kitchen" and "Best Practices"; Part Two, "Basic Techniques + Recipes", includes "Measuring + Mixing", "Knife Skills", "Boiling", "Pan Cooking", "Oven Cooking", and "Building Flavor"; in Part Three, "Recipes That Bring It All Together", you'll find delicious dishes to serve for "Breakfast". "Snacks + Small Bites", "Salads + Veggies", Main Dishes", and "Desserts". Here are some of the recipes that you can try with your new cooking skills: "Cinnamon Crunch Muffins"; "Sweet and Spicy Popcorn"; "Roasted Sweet Potato Fries"; "Maple-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples"; "Best Ever Oatmeal-Cranberry Cookies"; "Speedy Shrimp Saute"; "Stir-Fried Green Beans"; "Banana Bread"; "Roasted Chicken"; and "Chicken Gravy".
Book Copy Gratis Callisto Publishers
Book Copy Gratis Callisto Publishers
August 8, 2022
It's a good book for someone that hasn't had a kitchen before and has never cooked anything. I mean, if you just moved into a house, are single and you really have never cooked before, this would be a great addition to your reading log.
This goes from what knifes to get, how to take care of them, pans, types of pans, tools, oils, and even recipes at the end of the book. This is a good book, but for you to enjoy it, you must absolutely be a beginner. It's in the tittle.
This goes from what knifes to get, how to take care of them, pans, types of pans, tools, oils, and even recipes at the end of the book. This is a good book, but for you to enjoy it, you must absolutely be a beginner. It's in the tittle.
November 10, 2019
Good Buy
This is a fantastic book for not only beginners, but for people who like to eat but not interested in cooking. Simple and straight forward. It's on sale right now at amazon.com and amazon.uk. It's well worth the buy.
This is a fantastic book for not only beginners, but for people who like to eat but not interested in cooking. Simple and straight forward. It's on sale right now at amazon.com and amazon.uk. It's well worth the buy.
January 26, 2020
Excellent resource for cooking. This book has many helpful hints for food preparation; whether your a beginner cook or have been cooking awhile.
June 3, 2020
This is a great book! I am NOT a cook and this taught me a lot of new things without making me feel stupid. This is a great book and would make a great gift for young or old learning to cook!
December 20, 2020
Delightful book that makes cooking good food approachable. As a novice cook, I can’t wait to dig into these recipes.
November 30, 2022
Great starting guide to cooking; telling you how to do cooking basic, with fun, easy recipes
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews