Rating: 
Summary: amateur chef
Review: I love this book, but there is one major problem - the binding is awful! It is falling apart and I am afraid that I might start to lose some of the pages. My recommendation is that you buy this book - which has easy recipes that will wow your friends - and take it to a copy place and have them put in a ringed spine (as I plan to do).
Rating: 
Summary: Shame about the binding
Review: This is a wonderful cookbook. I love the tone, the clear instructions, the many variations for recipes. I think it's the best general purpose cookbook since Joy of Cooking (in fact I've started using some Bittman recipes in place of old Joy favorites because they're easier and more flexible). HOWEVER, the publishing company really did this excellent book a disservice when they put it in such a cruddy binding. After about a year of normal use, my copy is falling to pieces -- another reviewer has noted the same, so it's not just a fluke. If the publisher would rectify this situation or release a new and improved version, I'd be happy to give this book 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: My most used cookbook
Review: I have about 25 cookbooks, and I find that this is the one that I go to most often. Not only for recipes, but for a better understanding of cooking concepts. A must for every amateur chef!
Rating:
Summary: How to Cook Everything--Simple Recipes for Great Food
Review: I can't say enough great things about this cook book! Easy to follow recipes that are health conscious and completely delicious. I haven't found 1 recipe that didn't turn out just the way I'd hoped it would. Mark Bittman is the new chef of the 21st century. I'm a cookbook-aholic and I consider this a "must" for every chef whether you're a casual, in a hurry, gotta get the kids to soccer cook, or have the free time to really enjoy the fun of preparing great tasting meals. I find I am constantly given information I can use when I want to experiment. Buy it--you won't be sorry!
Rating:
Summary: Call me crazy...who doesn't know how to cook basic veggies?
Review: I was anxiously anticipating the arrival of this cookbook in the mail, only to be disappointed when it finally did arrive. I found nearly all of the recipes in this cookbook to be WAY too simple! I wish that more people would have mentioned this in their reviews.
Rating:
Summary: Great, Simple Recipes
Review: I love this cookbook! I got it on the recommendation of a close friend who let me sample some of the dishes she made from it. Everything I've made has been an enormous success. No hard-to-find ingredients, and it's written in an easy-to-follow style. I highly recommend this to anyone --- even if you're a novice in the kitchen.
Rating:
Summary: Makes a great gift
Review: I absolutely love this cookbook! Every recipe I have used truly comes out just as it should. Great for beginning cooks. Each section has a "basics of..." discussion to help anyone discover the finer points of everything from cream pies to cornmeal. Excellent refrence with tasty recipes!
Rating:
Summary: Finally!!!!!
Review: Finally a cookbook that can be used! I get this book for anyone I know who is starting out or who needs to learn how to cook. I use mine constantly, and find that the results are always as stated- people rave about my cookies, brownies...all staight out of the book. Buy this and you will never need another general purpose cookbook or technique reference.
Rating:
Summary: Transformed me from one who cooks into a COOK!
Review: I enjoy cooking, and I follow recipes well, although not everything I cook turns out perfectly. I have a repertoire of recipes that my family likes. So, people think I'm a decent cook.But, this book made me see cooking in an entirely new way! By learning the basics of HOW to cook, this book taught me that recipes are merely a starting place. I now have the confidence to adapt and improvise, and I'm starting to think I may end up an excellent cook, not just a decent one! Here's an example of how comprehensive this book is. The appetizer chapter contains over 40 recipes of foods as simple as "Real Buttered Popcorn" to as elegant as "Plum Tomato Tart with Pesto." AND, as a bonus, includes a section titled "23 Other Dishes You can Serve as Sit-Down Appetizers" and "19 Other Ideas for Finger Foods," referencing other recipes in the book. I mean, how much better can you get than THAT!? Along with the recipes are lots of tips and hints for variations. For example, the simple recipe for "Deviled (Stuffed) Eggs" also includes: "Anchovied Eggs," "Herb-Stuffed Eggs," and "Eggs Stuffed with Spinach." This would be an excellent gift for anyone who wants to become a better cook as well as someone who is just beginning to cook. I think anyone would be delighted to receive it.
Rating: 
Summary: A good solid cookbook
Review: This is a good book. The recipes are easy to follow and prepare. The food is quite tasty. I agree with the reviewer who said the book falls apart with usage. Since this book is likely to be used a lot, the publisher should do a better job with the binding. Even with that problem, this is a book worth having since you will use it again and again.
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