READER'S DIGEST SECRETS OF BETTER COOKING

by Unknown Author

Contents Nutrition The Key To Health Good Shopping Comes First The Kitchen Where the Action Is Science and Seasoning Herbs and Spices Marinades and Stocks Sauces and Salad Dressings Eggs and Egg Dishes Meat and Meat Cookery Chicken and Other Poultry Fish and Shellfish Be Kind to Vegetables Working with Flour Cold Cookery Freezing Foods Cheese and Nuts A Guide to Wines and Spirits When You Entertain

Genres: Cooking, Cookbooks

Hardcover

First published April 1, 1972

About the author

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Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My hubby and oldest child brought me this book from the recycling center because it was left there with a lot of other old books when they cleaned out an elderly lady's house in town and they know I love old cookbooks. While it was written in 1977, too late to be fun for historic purposes and in the prime of some pretty awful dietary advice, it was a surprisingly good read and is full of helpful diagrams and information (along with some seriously outdated photos, recipes and information). I love the little sketches and diagrams.

This sounds like sacrilege but I'm using it for an altered cookbook now that I've read it all. Since we don't eat meat or gluten and I'm not a fan of things like aspic, there are lots of areas that aren't really relevant (not to mention the 1970's photographs, which manage to make any food look pretty wretched). I've ripped out some of the more outdated, unhelpful and ugly sections and am leaving and highlighting some of the really cool ones, while adding artwork, recipes and such to personalize it.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the oldest cookbook in my library, but it is the cookbook I have had the longest. It was a wedding gift and it was new in 1974, now it's worn and some pages are loose. That is because I used it so much. Think it is still available at Amazon. My mom taught me some things about cooking and sometime in the 1950s I got a boy scout merit badge in cooking. But this book is my primer. It taught me more about cooking than any other cookbook. My wife, of course, taught me more about cooking than this book. But, this book taught me about meats -- how to cut them, what the cuts are, how to truss, and not just how to braise, but how to roast, saute, stew, grill and more. Yeah, I know what a court bouillon is and how to make three of them. I've poached salmon in a court bouillon, but I would not have done that were it not for this book. It doesn't have fancy pictures, it doesn't need them, it has schematics. Want a coffee table cook book, buy crap from food network or iron chefs. Want a real cookbook that will explain things thoroughly and that you will use, buy this one.