Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food” as Want to Read:
How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food
(How to Cook Everything)
by
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 co
...moreGet A Copy
Hardcover, 960 pages
Published
August 28th 1998
by John Wiley & Sons
(first published January 1st 1998)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
How to Cook Everything,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food

Jun 18, 2007
Missy
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
cookbooks,
non-fiction
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 ...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 how few steps i ...more

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 ...more
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 ...more

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
...more

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...
...more

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

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

Jul 28, 2012
Jonathan Peto
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nonfiction,
cookbooks
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

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 ...more
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 ...more

Nov 17, 2018
Ivonne Rovira
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
every, single cook
Recommended to Ivonne by:
Amazon Kindle Daily Deal
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 ...more
For the truly adventurous (not ...more

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

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

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
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

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
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

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
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

Great book for beginners to intermediate chefs. It is an essential guide to working a kitchen, grill, wok, stove, rotisserie, dutch oven, an oven, you name it! Leads you through all the ingredients you can imagine and what you should imagine as kitchen staples.
A must have, read, keep and pass on. :)
A must have, read, keep and pass on. :)

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.
Shoes? Monkey wang? No recipes for those.
Still, a very good reference book and the recipes are pretty easy.

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 ...more
However, the recipes in this book are almost totally uninspi ...more

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

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

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.
...more

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 ...more
Now, after two kids and seei ...more

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

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
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

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. ...more
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. ...more

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 ...more
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 ...more

There is about everything under the sun in this book. It's thick and filled with a wide variety of foods and their offspring in almost every category. Some of it is a bit fancy and complicated but if it were all kept super-simple, it'd become super-boring pretty quickly.
...more

Dang this book is good as heck for new cooks like me. This book has everything from beginner recipes like salad to complicated French desserts. The recipes are basic, but almost every recipe has suggestions to spice up the original. You could spend weeks re-making the same dish with all of Bittman's ideas.
Super clutch for me is the quick, easy recipe section for when I'm feeling lazy (often). The 100 Essential recipes is for when I'm feeling ambitious and want to add to my repertoire. Another fe ...more
Super clutch for me is the quick, easy recipe section for when I'm feeling lazy (often). The 100 Essential recipes is for when I'm feeling ambitious and want to add to my repertoire. Another fe ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cách Nấu Tokbokki Tại Nhà | 1 | 3 | Oct 20, 2020 09:24PM | |
ShipDone | 1 | 1 | Sep 24, 2020 06:06AM | |
Wedding Caterers In Los Angeles: Read This Before Going Into The Kitchen | 4 | 12 | Sep 14, 2020 08:31AM | |
WA 0818-260-783 Babi Panggang di Jogja | 1 | 1 | Oct 27, 2017 08:09PM | |
Easy recipes | 1 | 4 | Jul 18, 2017 10:17PM | |
The Downside Concerning The Best Vegetable Noodle Machine | 1 | 2 | Jul 18, 2016 11:28PM | |
Nothing But Readi...: Cookbooks: How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food by Mark Bittman | 82 | 97 | Nov 09, 2013 07:55PM |
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
Other books in the series
How to Cook Everything
(1 - 10 of 13 books)
News & Interviews
Happy Women's History Month! One of the undisputedly good things about modern scholarship is that women’s history is finally getting its due....
28 likes · 4 comments
2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“[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
More quotes…