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How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food

(How to Cook Everything)

Mark Bittman (Goodreads Author)

4.02 · Rating details · 66,825 Ratings · 693 Reviews

Great Food Made Simple

Here's the breakthrough one-stop cooking reference for today's generation of cooks! Nationally known cooking authority Mark Bittman shows you how to prepare great food for all occasions using simple techniques, fresh ingredients, and basic kitchen equipment. Just as important, How to Cook Everything takes a relaxed, straightforward approach to cook

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Hardcover, 960 pages

Published August 28th 1998 by John Wiley & Sons (first published January 1st 1998)

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Jun 18, 2007 Missy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, cookbooks

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 how few steps i 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 how few steps it takes to make something that tastes fifteen times better than takeout and is so much better for you and costs half as much, I'll point you to Mark Bittman, who wrote the Minimalist column for the New York Times.

One of the good things about Bittman is that he doesn't cook the way your mother cooked. (If your mother *did* cook this way? Contact me immediately; I'm not too old for adoption.) He's clear and easy to read and he explains things and he generally makes me way less crazy than the Joy of Cooking (I own four copies of three different editions of that one, because people keep buying it for me, and I never use it. I don't even pick it up and read it. Yes. I read cookbooks for fun, but that's an entirely different post.)

Pick something that sounds too delicious, just one thing, and make it. And then pick something else. Put a post-it note on the ones that actually do turn out to be yummy. Write in the margins. Leave yourself notes that you really can't stand capers but everything else in this recipe rocked. Don't worry if the butter splatters on the page or the tomatoes drip. Brush it off, let it dry and see how many more pages you can get dirty.

Do I still eat take-out? Oh, hell, yes. But it's usually something I love but that the rest of the family is ambivalent about--curry or sushi or pesto (THERE'S GREEN STUFF ON YOUR SPAGHETTI, MOM, WOW THAT'S NASTY.) And most of the time, when I'm dead-tired from work, it's still faster to make soup and muffins than it is to call out for delivery, or stop somewhere and get something.

And yeah, I subscribe to the Food Is Love way of life, but not in that psychotic, OMG, if you don't eat 5 helpings of everything she's slaved in the kitchen to make, you hate your mother/grandmother/crazy Aunt Sally way. It's love in the way that you're important and valuable enough to deserve something that tastes fabulous and nourishes you.

/rant
...more

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Nov 18, 2008 Martin Earl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cookbooks

This could go on my "reading" shelf because I'm ALWAYS reading it. It is my standard starting point for any recipe search that I do. It is true that I don't always find everything I want (yes, we all know the title is hyperbole), but what I find is just great.

This book is the "Joy of Cooking" for a new generation. It has supplanted that venerable old institution, and presents the world of cooking in a way that can both engage the neophyte and interest the adept. And the fact that the recipes an This could go on my "reading" shelf because I'm ALWAYS reading it. It is my standard starting point for any recipe search that I do. It is true that I don't always find everything I want (yes, we all know the title is hyperbole), but what I find is just great.

This book is the "Joy of Cooking" for a new generation. It has supplanted that venerable old institution, and presents the world of cooking in a way that can both engage the neophyte and interest the adept. And the fact that the recipes and ideas contained within it are simple food makes it all the better. As the Minimalist, Bittman has practice making good food simply. If you want to make it more extravagant, you can; but these recipes act as a guide on the route to culinary self sufficiency.

Part of what I like so much is the pedagogic stance Bittman takes. Say I've avoided...oh, maybe...beans for years, but now want to cook them myself; he doesn't just throw a bunch of recipes at me, he talks about how to work with beans in general, noting specific exceptions and sticking points. He tells me about different types of beans and their flavors and "behaviors." This makes it an indispensable reference tool.

Another part of what I like is what has driven many people away form this book: its lack of glossy color pictures. Well done, I say! Though I love my Williams-Sonoma New American Cooking, with its close-up pictures of well presented delectibles, I find the photos can be distracting. So many cookbooks now are becoming photographic show ponies rather than culinary work horses. Where Bittman presents a technique that is hard to visualize, there are small, well drawn and useful illustrations. I think that's how it should be. If there are going to be photos, let them really show what's going on, like in Time-Life's The Good Cook series, or (if I remember correctly)the Culinary Institue of America's Garde Manger . Heck, even Cook's Illustrated only uses one postage stamp size color picture for each dish.
I guess what I mean to say is that I not only don't mind, but rather like the lack of pictures in this cookbook.

I love this book and will always keep it. Even though I am certainly no longer a novice in the kitchen, it still comes through for me all the time. ...more

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Apr 02, 2008 Louis rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Those who do not have much experience cooking but want to learn and dreams of becoming good.

Shelves: food

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 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 household is supposed to have, is the big, basic cookbook. The one that has a general range and, more importantly, general instructions on cooking technique and everything that has to do with a kitchen, without assuming that the reader has learned everything at her grandmother's knee (especially the readers that are not a 'her'). This latter type includes classics like The Joy of Cooking and the Betty Crocker's Cookbook. And Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (HTCE): Simple Recipes for Great Food.

Mark Bittman opens the book with a general statement of philosophy which identifies his audience. In this case, his audience are precisely those who are starting from nothing, new households of people who did not grow up learning from their mothers and grandmothers on how to cook. Second, it is aimed at those who desire to cook, not necessarily gourmet, but food that is good, and not complicated. And because his readers are assumed to be starting from no base, Bittman takes on the role of teacher, not just a publisher. And as a professor (lit. one who professes) he has opinions that he shares, based on his philosophy that cooking can be done, and there is no value in making things harder, more complicated, more fancy, then necessary. The assumption is that people who want something like this, will also know how to find it elsewhere. The first section is basically a tour through the kitchen, equipment, basic ingredients, and basic techniques. All this with advice on what was necessary, and what was optional. No doubt there is room for disagreement. But for someone starting from nothing, the opinions given are useful. And once people learn more and gain more skills, they can form their own opinions starting from what he gives.

So, how are the recipes? There are many cookbooks that I avoid because their too complicated, many due to the shear number of ingredients required. HTCE does not have this problem. It does not go as far as a 5 ingredient list, but the ingredients are constrained to a number that someone without a full spice rack could conceivably have. Throughout the book, there are tips on how to work with various ingredients. In addition, there would be a small essay for major meat and vegetables.

So far, I've probably done a couple dozen recipes over the past couple years. Some for myself, some just me and my fiancee, some for a group. I have found the recipes to be complex enough to be interesting and worthy of something nice, but easy enough so I can gauge difficulty and effort from reading alone, (I only have limited background in cooking). In contrast, I find most cookbooks on the market to be way to simple (and just a list of recipes) or overly complicated and impractical (especially for someone who lives alone and would end up throwing out most of the purchased ingredients as they spoiled.)

I think HTCE a very good baseline cookbook. For the starter, Bittman teaches without intimidation, the recipes are complex enough to impress (if that is the goal), but basic enough to be achievable. The advice and options given are enough that the reader can understand how to adapt and experiment, and thus learn how to cook to a level that should satisfy anyone, and a jumping off point to learn in the future. ...more

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Jul 03, 2007 Leslie rated it really liked it

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-ingredient recipes. But from m ...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Jonathan Peto rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cookbooks, nonfiction

I've had this for a few years (Thanks Santa) and have done more reading than cooking, my fault, probably a crime. I've renamed it How to Cook Nothing, but now that my wife is returning to work soon I'll be trying out many more recipes. I expect success. I already know the little food essays that dot the pages and open the chapters are excellent, because the writing is clear, learned, and vivid. Like familiar ingredients that combine to create something scrumptious or surprising, the simple chapt ...more

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Nov 29, 2016 Mischenko rated it it was amazing

I absolutely love this book. It's never let me down. We keep it on our kitchen cookbook shelf and that's where it's staying! Highly recommend, especially for the younger ones just starting out...

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Aug 25, 2009 Steven Peterson rated it really liked it

On page xi, Mark Bittman lays things out: "Anyone can cook, and most everyone should. It's a sorry sign that many people consider cooking 'from scratch' an unusual and even rare talent. In fact, cooking is a simple and rewarding craft, one that anyone can learn and even succeed at from the get-go."

There are the usual features in this cookbook (and welcome for all that): ingredients that ought to be in your kitchen (page xiii),equipment, techniques (such as grilling, broiling, roasting, sauteing On page xi, Mark Bittman lays things out: "Anyone can cook, and most everyone should. It's a sorry sign that many people consider cooking 'from scratch' an unusual and even rare talent. In fact, cooking is a simple and rewarding craft, one that anyone can learn and even succeed at from the get-go."

There are the usual features in this cookbook (and welcome for all that): ingredients that ought to be in your kitchen (page xiii),equipment, techniques (such as grilling, broiling, roasting, sauteing, etc.).

Then, to the recipes. . . . The first section here focuses (as one might guess) on appetizers. One of these is stuffed mushrooms, which provides a recipe close to that of my wife's family. I can say that the end result is delicious (the key: making sure that it does not get too dry when being cooked). Next, soups. The section starts out nicely with a description of how to make stock. You use bouillon cubes? Bittman says (page 44): "As for bouillon cubes, forget it. You're better off with water and a few extra vegetables." Late on, he addresses meats.

He begins by nicely identifying where the different cuts of beef and pork are, and the characteristics of each (with beef, from chuck to round, from brisket to loin). The recipes for beef are straightforward. This is not Emeril Lagasse or Martha Stewart (each of whom plays a useful role in providing information on cooking). The recipes are "everyday" stuff. For example, his "Grilled steak, American-style" could not be easier to make. Pork chops? On page 457 and after, he describes how to sautee pork chops eight different ways. With apples or with sherry and garlic or with dried fruit or. . . . He discusses stir frying and how to make it work.

Vegetables? He describes the different ways of cooking them and then provides recipes. I have come to really enjoy veggies, after spending my first two decades resisting eating them. There are a series of nice recipes for, to illustrate, asparagus, which is one of my favorites.

All in all, then, a nice cookbook for people who want to cook for themselves and may not be interested in more complicated recipes and cooking. ...more

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Oct 31, 2009 Jennifer rated it really liked it

When I got this book, it was being billed as the new Joy of Cooking (maybe it still is), a basic cookbook that covers everything from how to cook to what to cook. And, for the most part, it is. The directions are simple, Bittman clearly explains everything from the type of pots and pans you should have to the basics of cooking meat. At the same time, I find that I rarely use this book, unless I'm looking for a simple recipe for vegetables or salad dressing or something else that is to serve as a ...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Joey Comeau rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is exactly what it promises! It's a huge block of a book, and walks you through the very basics of almost everything. Which is exactly what I needed.

I've eaten out almost every single meal since 2006 or so, and this book made a daunting task seem manageable. Not only was I starting to cook again, but I also had to buy dishes, pots, measuring cups. This book was very clear about what a person needed and what they could do without at first.

There is also the "How to cook everything vegeta ...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Caitlin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I am a person who gives books as presents. It's fortunate that my son loves reading as much as everyone else in my family because he's gotten many books as presents over the years. When he was here to see me this summer he expressed an interest in some cookbooks. He's living in a dorm that is set up like an apartment so cooking is a new necessity. I gave me the copy of The Joy of Cooking that my father gave me (this was probably the second or third copy - for awhile there I tended to walk away f ...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Jean rated it liked it

Simple breakdowns of classics with very interesting twists. We did the "Adult's Birthday Dinner." Here's the breakdown of the recipes I've eaten and the cookbook club cooks who cooked them.

Molly - Spicy Lentil Soup: Definitely one to recreate on a chilly Sunday. I love hearty vegetarian fare.

Molly - Sicilian Onion Pizza: Great crust, better than I expected toppings Surprisingly mellow considering the volume of onions involved.

Sheela - Catfish with Brown Butter: (was supposed to be Skate but Sk ...more

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Jan 28, 2017 Jude Watson rated it liked it

This book has a purpose: to introduce home cooks to the most basic cooking techniques for a wide variety of ingredients through simple recipes. It accomplishes this goal handily. The cooking techniques in this book are well explained and largely foolproof, and give a great starting point for situations like the one I'm finding myself in today, a classic case of "WTF do I do with these sunchokes I impulse-bought at the farmer's market?!"

However, the recipes in this book are almost totally uninspi This book has a purpose: to introduce home cooks to the most basic cooking techniques for a wide variety of ingredients through simple recipes. It accomplishes this goal handily. The cooking techniques in this book are well explained and largely foolproof, and give a great starting point for situations like the one I'm finding myself in today, a classic case of "WTF do I do with these sunchokes I impulse-bought at the farmer's market?!"

However, the recipes in this book are almost totally uninspiring to me as someone with above-average cooking skill and interest. In my kitchen, this book functions as a reference textbook. Let's stick with sunchokes as an example. Today, I looked them up in How to Cook Everything and, lo and behold, there's an entry for them. Bittman recommends scrubbing instead of peeling for better yield, and suggests sauteeing or braising as cooking techniques. Great info! However, the recipe suggested is simply sauteeing them with salt, pepper and garlic or onion. GOOD GOD SO BORING TASTEBUDS DYING. No interesting pairings with other ingredients, no suggestions for herbs/spices, basically just an explanation of how to sautee anything with "sunchoke" copy-pasted in to replace "[insert vegetable here]". Yikes.

So my next step is to go to the New York Times Cooking website or Epicurious and find a recipe that's actually inspiring. Today's winner is Sunchoke Soup with Pumpkin Seeds (thanks Epicurious!). Now there's a pairing I wouldn't necessarily of thought of myself - still a simple recipe, but with so much more interest! However, the soup recipe instructs me to peel the sunchokes, something that I now know that I can skip thanks to Bittman's instructions in HTCE.

This is the crux of HTCE's usefulness. Generally, the recipes are not so much recipes as basic cooking techniques. This is useful too! But it's not what inspires me to get my ass off the internet and turn on my stove. I think this book is a fantastic starting point for basic ingredient information, but for food that will actually move you, take the information Bittman offers and then apply it to recipes from other sources. ...more

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Mar 23, 2008 Mykle rated it liked it

Recommends it for: college students

Shelves: can-t-decide

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 needs two ...more

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Oct 18, 2013 Kristie rated it really liked it

This is a great cookbook for anyone that is just starting out. The recipes are fairly simple and use ingredients that are generally readily available. There are many explanations as to how to do things - eg. how to shape a pizza or fillet a fish. Many of these explanations are not necessary, since you will probably buy your fish already filleted, etc. However, it is good to have instructions available for anyone that wants to try something new. For the most part, I thought the recipes were foods ...more

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Dec 28, 2009 Books Ring Mah Bell rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: what-s-cookin-hot-stuff

Does NOT tell you how to cook EVERYTHING

Shoes? Monkey wang? No recipes for those.

Still, a very good reference book and the recipes are pretty easy.

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Jul 11, 2012 Arlette rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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 ...more

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Sep 03, 2013 Chase DuBois rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When you don't know how to cook, you are especially dependent on recipes, and many recipes are intimidating/daunting because they're complex --they have many ingredients and/or many steps. Because you're a newbie, you don't know which ingredients are crucial, which means you may think you have to go to the store when you didn't really need to, which means you may abandon cooking for the night when you didn't really need to.

Bittman's column in the New York Times is called "The Minimalist," and it ...more

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Dec 28, 2008 Dianna rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Dianna by: Julia S

Truly simple recipes. Julia turned me on to this guy, and this book is full of the kind of recipes you can read once and remember without having to keep referring back. I have a shelf full of cookbooks (really the only type of book I still buy), but in two weeks I've cooked more things out of this one book than all the rest combined.

I cooked brussel sprouts for the first time in my life: loved them! Bittman suggests that brussel sprouts were made for bacon... I have to agree. He gives a chart ( ...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Cynthia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cookbooks

Mark Bittman's are the first and only cookbooks I have had where I felt like I was learning how to cook and not just follow a recipe. I love how he gives the basic recipe and then variations, e.g. here's chicken soup, now change a couple of ingredients and it's Asian chicken soup, or substitute this for that and it's Mexican chicken soup. So you start to understand what the fundamental elements of a dish are, and what can you play with. As someone who needs structure and is somewhat fearful of e ...more

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Jul 16, 2008 Tiffany rated it it was amazing

Best all around cookbook ever! This is my go to book when I need information and a recipe for a new ingredient, or a recipe for an old classic, or to find something to make with what I have on hand. This would be the perfect gift for someone just setting up their own place. Bittman's clear, concise writing and simple approach to good food make it easy for the novice cook to read and use.

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Oct 06, 2011 Merinda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is amazing. I borrowed it from the library, and after having it in my home for less than a week I decided we needed to own it.

Nearly everything I can think of to cook I can find here. Everything. And every recipe is simple and teaches basic concepts of cooking and variations that you can take and run with. Some of my favorites so far are fried rice with pork and shrimp, biscuits made with yogurt (better than our old family recipe), gazpacho and olive oil salt bread (so fast!). He does This book is amazing. I borrowed it from the library, and after having it in my home for less than a week I decided we needed to own it.

Nearly everything I can think of to cook I can find here. Everything. And every recipe is simple and teaches basic concepts of cooking and variations that you can take and run with. Some of my favorites so far are fried rice with pork and shrimp, biscuits made with yogurt (better than our old family recipe), gazpacho and olive oil salt bread (so fast!). He does have a conspicuous lack of good Mexican recipes (the fajita recipe is just plain wrong!), but he more than makes up for it in a bounty of great Asian and Mediterranean recipes, breads, bean and salad recipes. He even tells you how to cook a duck simply!

When I got married 12 years ago, my husband brought "The Joy of Cooking" to the marriage and referred to it often. We recently got rid of that book because everything in it was so stuffy and complicated, so useless for a busy family. This book provides what we hoped "The Joy of Cooking" would provide us, showing us how joyful cooking can be when you keep it simple.

I think his mantra he writes about in the NY Times and elsewhere—the idea that our culture has gotten away from cooking simply because we complicate it—is spot on. In this book he practices what he preaches, giving every person the know-how to make pretty much everything they can think of, simply.

My favorite quotes from the introduction:

"Everyday cooking is not about striving for brilliance but about preparing good, wholesome, tasty, varied meals for the ones you love. This is a fundamentally satisfying pleasure. Your results need not be perfect to give you this gift, to which all humans are entitled."

"Convenience foods supposedly attest to how busy we are: 'I don't have time to cook.' My job, my quest, is to demonstrate the opposite: that you DO have time to cook and that the rewards are so great that you'll never regret the time spent doing it. Though we may gain marginal amounts of time by buying and eating prepared and take-out foods, we lose the delights of working in the kitchen, the wonders of creating, the pleasures of time spent in the honest pursuit of tradition and the nourishment of our bodies and those of our family."

Well done, Mr. Bittman. Here's to hoping your book will change our world. ...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Jennifer Kim rated it it was amazing

Before I had kids, I used to say - if it takes me more than 10 minutes to make, it's not worth it. Also, I was so horrible and clueless about cooking (baking and anything else to do with food included) that when my husband ran to the kitchen because the cookies were burning, I calmly told him - "it's OK. Don't worry. Just flip them over!" I was completely ignorant about how cookies baked in the oven. And making a garden salad brought me to tears. This was my baseline.

Now, after two kids and seei Before I had kids, I used to say - if it takes me more than 10 minutes to make, it's not worth it. Also, I was so horrible and clueless about cooking (baking and anything else to do with food included) that when my husband ran to the kitchen because the cookies were burning, I calmly told him - "it's OK. Don't worry. Just flip them over!" I was completely ignorant about how cookies baked in the oven. And making a garden salad brought me to tears. This was my baseline.

Now, after two kids and seeing what horrible choices kids had when we ate out (it really didn't matter which restaurant and of course, we didn't have to order it from the kids menu, but why should it be that way?), I decided that I must learn to cook for our kids sake (my husband jokes that my love for him didn't induce me to cook, but my love my kids did. To that which I've answered, you can cook something for yourself. They can't). I was trying to stick to my old 10 minute rule, but with two young kids, it might take me 10 minutes to take the eggs out from the refrigerator let alone crack it and beat it. So, when I came across this book, I was intrigued by the title. How to cook EVERYTHING?

Well, even though I've bought about a dozen of cookbooks in the last ten years or so(remember, I don't like cooking), this is the cookbook I keep going back to. It's got great recipes for pancakes and waffles (no more mixes for us) as well as all kinds of soups. I also need to venture out more. This cookbook has whole menus for special days. I started photocopying my favorite recipes from other books and pasting it on to this book (because I might get rid of all the others, but I KNOW this is the one I'm going to keep). So, as a person who really doesn't like cooking and who is easily intimidated by cooking (I'm still very intimidated by yeast. I love baking breads, but all un-yeasted breads. For some reason, yeast, water temp, rising, etc. really intimidate the fledgeling cook within me), I love this book because it makes me feel like I can cook. ...more

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Feb 01, 2009 Becca rated it liked it

Shelves: food

I went to the used book store the other day with some cast-off hard-backs to trade in. I shoved several lounging cats aside, and found all 944 pages of this tome. The shiny "Julia Child Cookbook Award" and "James Beard Foundation Cookbook Award Winner" stickers intrigued me. So did the Washington Post quote, "Think of it as a more hip Joy of Cooking"
Them's fightin' words. I'm a Joy devotee. But flipping through, I was intrigued. I like the illustrations, the larger print, the informative lists a ...more

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Sep 06, 2007 Jonathan rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: all humans who consume food

Shelves: 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 opinionated, and I to ...more

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Feb 16, 2014 Diana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cookbooks

No secrets here, the title gives it away. This book literally walks you through how to use a kitchen and prepare food for human consumption. Often with very good results, even if you are a reluctant cook, like myself. (Don't let the number of cookbook reviews on here fool you - I love eating good food, I just find the daily preparation of it a drag.) I use this book often, evidenced by the fact that it opens to many favorite recipes automatically. This is a great book for anyone wanting to learn ...more

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Jan 17, 2010 Laura rated it it was amazing

This (and it's companion, HTCE Vegetarian) quickly became two of my go-to cookbooks last year and helped me explore outside my usual cooking realms. I'd set HTCE (and HTCEV) aside and fallen back into a cooking rut. Last weekend I pulled HTCE back out, and was reminded again how great it is. I love the format of the basic recipe followed by adaptations that can be made to the basic one - for me, those get me thinking about other variations that might be excellent as well. Plus, HTCE *finally* he ...more

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Oct 24, 2016 Brad Barbour rated it it was amazing

I can't recommend this cookbook enough for anyone wanting to get more serious about cooking, and and as a general, extremely comprehensive primer. A masterstroke of culinary utilitarianism: this book could make even the most dedicated recipe Googlers consult its written instructions instead. Bittman writes in a clear and readable style, and excels in instructing the reader on various basic techniques and the function of ingredients. There is also a lot of information on locating and selecting gr ...more

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Dec 06, 2015 LOL_BOOKS added it

Shelves: nonfiction, cookbook, reference

I WANT TO GET A COOKBOOK FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO "EAT HEALTHIER", BUT THEY ARE KIND OF PICKY AND NOT MUCH OF A COOK, THOUGH THEY HAVE A LOT OF FREE TIME. DO YOU HAVE ANY GOOD SUGGESTIONS? I AM TRYING TO STAY AWAY FROM ANYTHING THAT CALLS ITSELF VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN ON THE COVER, BUT ITS OK IF THE COOKBOOK IS STEALTHILY VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN.

ONE OF MARK BITTMAN'S HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING BOOKS MIGHT BE A GOOD CHOICE. THEY COVER ALL THE BASICS, AND AS SOMEONE WHO IS KIND OF PICKY MYSELF, I'D RATHER HA ...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Michelle Gerry

Shelves: cookbook, own, favorite

Everyone should own a goto reference cookbook. For a long time this was my betty crocker cookbook i got when i got married. but that book has died from over use (was once even used as a trivet). This book is my new goto cookbook. Bittman has lots of opinions and sound advice on everything. I don't always agree with everything, but it's a terrific starting place.

One item of note for those of us at higher altitude, beware the chocolate chip cookie recipes need adjustment. (I've finally just wrote ...more

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Dec 19, 2007 Amanda rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: reference

This book was useful back when I really didn't know how to cook anything. I bought it based on the recipe for alfredo sauce.

Now that I know how to cook (and enjoy food), I've upgraded to the Best Recipes books and find myself being offended by what Mark Bittman thinks of some of my favorite foods. (Pasta and cheese don't go together? Muffins shouldn't be sweet? Brownies shouldn't be too fudgey?)

I donated this one to the library after 8 years of oftentimes frustrating reference.

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About Mark Bittman

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MARK BITTMAN is one of the country's best-known and most widely respected food writers. His How to Cook Everything books, with one million copies in print, are a mainstay of the modern kitchen. Bittman writes for the Opinion section of New York Times on food policy and cooking, and is a columnist for the New York Times Magazine. His "The Minimalist" cooking show, based on his popular NYT column, ...more

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“[C]onvenience is one of the two dirty words of American cooking, reflecting the part of our national character that is easily bored; the other is 'gourmet.' Convenience foods demonstrate our supposed disdain for the routine and the mundane: 'I don't have time to cook.' The gourmet phase, which peaked in the eighties, when food was seen as art, showed our ability to obsess about aspects of daily life that most other cultures take for granted. You might only cook once a week, but wow, what a meal.” — 4 likes

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