Rating: 
Summary: a cookbook for the do-it-yourselfer set, by Pam Anderson
Review: This book is recommended to those who don't think they know how to cook, and also to people who like to experiment and take simple recipes to a higher level.
Pam Anderson (the Baywatch babe? Surely not!) takes simple recipe outlines and makes suggestions about creative changes that will lift a simple dinner to true "comfort food" level. A wonderful book for those of us who don't like to be nailed down to a book all the time as we cook.
Rating:
Summary: Deceptively Simple
Review: I use this book all the time and while yes, it is a cookbook, and it is strange for a book to tell you to cook without a book -- it is meant to teach basic easy to remember techniques for a wide range of foods. There are no fancy ingredient recipes just ways to cook stuff and then apply that same technique to other stuff.It is perfect for someone who knows a bit about cooking and wants to make quick meals that taste like more. It also invites you to experiment and play rather than make you adhere to a step by step recipe. Well, worth having right next to your stove!
Rating:
Summary: Best Book for a Non-Cook and for Chefs
Review: I am cooking challenged but this book has changed me in just a few short weeks! I now can cook with confidence and am able to substitute items in recipes, add things willy nilly -- just like a real chef. My sister is attending culinary school and bought the book after reading it at my house. She loves it too! The best is the suggestions for pantry, refrigerator and freezer items to stock. I always was missing something when I wanted to make a recipe, but this book solves that.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent, simple
Review: Nothing incredibly earth shattering from this book, but hey, it's supposed to be full of simple recipes. Grab a copy of this if you're looking for some quickie weeknight meals that don't require you turning the kitchen into a disaster area to make the meals. Oh, and the best part of all, after you make the meal you really can wing it without the book the next time and hopefully get something to the table before you starve yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Love it!
Review: This book is great for putting together great meals quickly. You can vary the ingredients on her simple techniques and your guests will think you've been cooking for hours!
Rating:
Summary: My most used cookbook....
Review: I got this book more than a year ago and I use it ALL the time. I don't have all the methods memorized, but that hardly matters...the food is so good and easy to prepare. I haven't made anything that wasn't great. Especially love the section on pan sauces, the wonton wrapper ravioli, the rice pilaf (which i make at least 1 time a week!), and the stir-fry section.
Rating:
Summary: I got rid of 20+ cookbooks when I acquired this one!
Review: This book is, simply, a boon to someone like me who was never taught how to cook. Now that I have a family it has become important to me to be able to make great tasting homecooked meals--and Pam Anderson's book lights the way. She doesn't just give you recipes and tell you how to make things; she inspires confidence, even in a novice such as I! I hadn't had this book for very long when I made a wonderful stir-fry dinner for my sister and her husband, both of whom were dutifully impressed by what they thought were my culinary skills (but I give all credit--at least for now!--to Pam Anderson). My husband is a picky Pad Thai eater, but even he had to admit that Pam Anderson's quick "weeknight" Pad Thai was flavorful. I could go on and on ... I feel grateful for this book and the impact it has (and will continue to have) on my family's life.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE this Book!
Review: Of the 50 books in my cookbook collection, this is the one I pick up most often...by a long shot. It is also my husband's favorite and he's a pretty experienced cook. The pan sauce section is my favorite...you'll never get sick of eating chicken again.
Rating:
Summary: The basic formulas for perfect results every time
Review: This is a wonderful book! While previous reviews claim that the book states the obvious (oil and vinegar make a good dressing), this book gives the correct formula for dressings, sauces, soups, omelettes, etc. While I have cooked for years, this book has renewed my confidence in experimenting myself, following her basic formulas. The truth is, most of us have a limited amount of time to cook during the week. This book is just for that - a quick way to use what you already have to serve delicious, healthy meals quickly. This is a sharp contrast to "quick-cook" books that either (1) have you use a jar of grape jelly and the microwave or are (2) quick only if you already have the heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil available. I attended a class taught by Ms. Anderson where she demonstrated her techniques from this book and found that she seems to have used her wealth of experience as a test kitchen chef and editor to reduce a lot of information down to these simple formulas and techniques. My meals from this book have turned out perfect every time - thank you Pam Anderson!
Rating:
Summary: This is a MUST for new OR experienced cooks!
Review: Wow, I loved this book! I first picked it up at the library then realized I HAD to get my own copy because I was using it every night and didn't want to get the library's copy dirty! Now I am getting one for every one of my friends that loves to cook. Recipes are basic, practical, delicious and fun. Definitely the 1 + 1 = 3 approach to making great meals. And once you get the hang of the cooking hints, you DON'T need the book.
| 
