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Summary: If You Cook, Buy This Book
Review: I have a passion about cooking and an even greater one for eating. This cookbook more than satisfies both passions. "Simple Recipes for Great Food" is the subtitle of this excellent cookbook. No more accurate subtitle could have been found.I always loved "The Joy of Cooking" primarily because it made an invaluable reference book on the techniques of cooking. But, I have always felt the recipes dated, old fashioned, complicated & lacking. Enter Mark Bittman's book, "How to Cook Everything." It has what "Joy" doesn't - Great, fun, simple recipes. What makes this book stand out from so many others is that each chapter contains not just techniques & recipes, but numerous simple variations on those recipes. These variations make it very easy to find a recipe that steps outside the norm. "Twenty-Nine Crowd-Pleasing Thanksgiving Side Dishes You May Not Have Thought Of," was a wonderful index that gave me some great ways of making Thanksgiving just a little more special. "Four Simple Ways to Flavor Roast Chicken," made plain old roast chicken different and unique. Every chapter contains pages of these wonderful one-liner recipes. And perhaps the king of variation recipes, "Thirty-One Pasta Sauces and Dishes You Can Make in The Time It Takes to Boil Water and Cook the Pasta," had my family screaming for mercy after a few weeks. When I use this book, I feel like Mark Bittman is standing next to me, coaching me, chatting to me, guiding me through the recipes. The tone of his book, of his voice through it, makes me feel confident and capable of preparing simply great food. "How to Cook" should be in every new cook's kitchen and is invaluable as a beginners cookbook, and yet it's so much more than that. It encourages the intermediate and advanced cook to experiment and to extend their cooking style - to see the infinite variations of their own recipes. Some of my favorite recipes include: Cornbread - a dead ringer for my Oklahoma grandmother's. Basic Pizza Dough - tender and delicious. Chili Con Carne - with numerous variations all pleasing to the palette. Banana Bread - quicker, easier and a cut above any others I've found. The philosophy that pervades this book, is that fast food isn't, and cooking "from scratch" is not only so much better, but can be easier and faster. The point he makes is that "...it takes no more time to cook many meals than it does to call for a pizza and pick it up." This book is so large (over 1,500 recipes), so comprehensive (over 900 pages), it is difficult to do it justice in one review. The techniques are invaluable, the recipes simple and fun, and the tone helpful and encouraging. To say it simply, if you cook, buy this book. It makes cooking a "Joy".
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Summary: Unlike Any Other Book You've Seen
Review: I have struggled my entire adult life with my lack of cooking skills. All of my attempts to follow even the simplest recipe would fail. I used many cookbooks to no avail. Even the ones that were not too complicated were no good because they had very few or undesirable recipes. Honestly, I hated cooking and became very discouraged. Since I have bought this book I have successfully made several things. Not only did they come out "o.k.", but they were awesome! I am still not an ace at cooking, but I finally was rewarded with many compliments and it made me so happy. People even have asked me for my recipes, which until I bought this book would have been a complete joke. I never thought I would be making things like soup, lasagna, appetizers, etc. The best thing about this book is that unlike other cookbooks, it does not assume that the reader has been cooking for 30 years. The instructions are clear, and even author gives directions in the most simple language, even for the harder recipes. It is never condescending in its tone, and the food comes out fabulous. If you are afraid to cook PLEASE buy this book. You won't be sorry.
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Summary: The best allround cookbook I have found
Review: As a long-time user of my mom's Joy of Cooking, I had expected that I would buy a copy of it once I moved out. I decided to go to the bookstore and see what else might have come out, and found Bittman's book. After test-driving the book for a month (I borrowed a copy from the library), I found it to be an excellent general cookbook -- it is a *cookbook*, not a recipe compilation. Additionally, it is much easier to use than Joy, which sometimes contains so much information (granted, interesting stuff) that it is hard to find the core fact you are looking for (like the internal temperature of a pork roast). The Joy of Cooking is great, but its recipes tend to have too many superfluous ingredients -- How to Cook Everything is nice because it focuses on the foods, not the recipes, leaving the "design" of a dish up to the reader, while providing guidelines and useful tips. Bittman's title of "minimalist" works to the book's advantage. I will definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a general cookbook..
Rating: 
Summary: How to Cook Everything
Review: I agree with Doris Hayner. It does not have everything and very few recipes that I've wanted to try - almost none repeated. I think I would simplify it more. The variations should be more user friendly - see chicken. If I didn't have to feed a picky family I might try more recipes. The binding is already broken. Put it in a cookbook holder to avoid splashes but it is too big by half for the holder. I'm not fond of the old Joy of Cooking either for a first cookbook. Would probably prefer Good Housekeeping, if I had it.
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Summary: Outstanding reference and recipe guide
Review: You simply can't go wrong with this book. While the recipes are excellent, the brilliance of the book is in the support information. For those beginner to intermediate cooks, this book gives all the basics on food selection and preparation. Most importantly, it gives you the WHY we do what we do when we cook. Once one can understand WHY it can be applied to a variety of different foods. And that is when you begin to make the transformation from recipe follower to creative cook. Bittman not only encourages this process, but makes it possible. If you love food and love to cook buy this book.
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Summary: This book delivers !
Review: I just picked up this book over the weekend .. partly because of other reviews I have read. I must say I was very pleased. The layout and format is easy to follow, and although the recipes are simple - they are not simplistic. I am more than just a "everynight home cook". Cooking is a passion of mine and with a cookbook collection of over 500 titles, I was pleasantly suprised to find my enthusiasm level for this book was is as high as it is. I tried the Garlic-Basil Scallops last night and I now plan on serving it to my friends. Great job !
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Summary: Heart & Soul Of My Creations
Review: Every cookbook I have ever owned combined could not be as complete as this one. A must for all people (Especially Men) who have just begun to cook or those who have created culinary masterpieces for ages. This cookbook helped get me back to cooking for myself again and provided simple recipes that are easily expanded upon and customizable.
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Summary: But nothing...
Review: It was intended to be a book about how to cook EVERYTHING...but nothing I wanted to cook or eat.
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Summary: This is where you start
Review: If you're just starting to cook or is you're an experienced cook who wants to have the recipes for *everything* handy, this book should be in the most reachable part of your kitchen shelves. It dwells less on classic recipes (puff pastry and so forth) than the Joy of Cooking, but is much better on recipes for all the different ethnic foods you've been going to restaurants for. Also, it's very handy when you have, say, a piece of chicken and a few spices and are looking for ideas on what to do with them. And there are several useful lists (types of recipes, recipes for certain occasions) in the back of the book. Finally, there is sufficient dicission of theory and the reasons for doing certain things in certain ways to be helpful, to give you a good grounding for when you decide to ptch the recipes and experiment on your own.
Rating: 
Summary: Great basic cookbook
Review: I love this cookbook. Don't let the large size intimidate you, it's chock full of recipes that are simple and easy to follow but delicious. Since buying the book, I've tried about a recipe a day and they've all turned out successfully. It even covers the basics, from how to select and buy specific foods, to what you tools you should have in the kitchen. Very useful to all cooks, novice or otherwise.
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