Rating: 
Summary: This Is Not An Oxymoron. Honest!
Review: After I bought this cookbook, it sat on my shelf for a few months before I got around to looking through it. I was surprised to find out just how much information it contained and how appropriate it is for these busy times. Written in a friendly and conversational tone, Mrs. Anderson uses examples of her own life and cooking needs to show how she's created her techniques.Her book is full of common sense and fun in the kitchen. Does "How to Cook Without a Book" accomplish what it set out to do? It does that and a lot more. I can't say that I remembered a single rhyme, but I did find myself shopping without a list and easily whipping up meals with what I had on hand. To call this a cookbook is incorrect. Yes, it contains recipes but it's really much more than that. It's thought provoking. Eggs become a meal when turned into omelets and frittatas. Eggs for dinner? Why not? In the mood for something more than spaghetti but don't have a lot of time? "Quick Ravioli" and "Quick Lasagna" use wonton wrappers found in most grocery stores instead of pasta. Yes, it really works. I found this a very useful book that I can see myself referring to often. The concepts are so easy that even a novice cook should feel comfortable. I plan on buying a few of these as presents. If you don't feel comfortable cooking without a recipe, this cookbook might change your mind.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I love this book. Some reviewers lament this style of book because it preaches simplicity and because the author actually uses canned broth. That's the point of this book! I like to cook and when I have a chance to pore over the cookbooks and make something really special, I do it. But in the general course of life, I needed somone to point to the things she points to in this book. First, everyone should learn to cook with what they have, not the other way around. Too many people shop for the ingredients to match the recipe rather than what looks good. Second, too many people rely on 'prepared foods'(frozen dinners, etc.) every night of the week because they are busy - but how hard is it to fire up a pan and saute some chicken? Once you get that far, a pan sauce is pretty easy work (and she has a lot of great ideas in that area). Finally, this is good food. No, you will not see a recipe for rabbit livers simmered in cognac, but is that what you really want to make and eat every day? If so, go elsewhere. If you want a book to give you confidence and direction in becoming a good home cook (and I mean better than most people remember their moms to be) then buy this book. If you think you will not have any 'gourmet' flair with a simple book like this, I believe you may be surprised. I was talking to someone about a recipe I was making one time, and they commented that 'when you start talking about sauces, you start talking about gourmet food.' That is certainly a wild overstatement, but the confidence you will build with saucing your entrees will certainly raise the bar above what most people are eating in their houses these days.
Rating: 
Summary: without a book...but with a LOT of fat
Review: If you are remotely concerned about fat in your diet, don't bother with this book. I was excited to get it, especially given the glowing reviews here. I failed to consider that it made no claim to health conciousness. It's been frustrating to use this book because I love the idea and I'm sick of using recipes for everything--but a meal of salad, meat with sauce, and side dish made from this cookbook would include at least a quarter cup of added fat per serving! And that doesn't include the fat in meat, eggs, and cheese, all liberally used in these recipes. Yikes. She does include a lot of vegetables, which is great, but it would be helpful if Anderson gave some suggestions on lower fat approaches to these foods. Instead she says (for example) that using less than 3 tbsp of fat in pasta sauce will make it "taste like warmed-up tomatoes" and suggests that you add oil to soup if you are going to use reduced fat sausage.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The irony of the title is that the ratio of editorial/descriptive text pages to recipe pages is pretty. There are a number of chapters, each with a general 2-3 page introduction and then 5-10 pages of recipies that can be modified to suit your taste. I think a much better investment is Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. It has just as much on the tips/techniques side (and I think better quality) and far more on the recipies (if you're interested in them).
Rating:
Summary: A Teaching Guide Instead of a Reference Book
Review: This book is far superior to all others in my large cookbook collection. This one actually teaches skills which cooks of any level can use daily. Instead of simply copying recipes, readers actually learn HOW to cook. Read this book and you gain back to the basics cooking skills.
Rating:
Summary: The Only Cookbook You'll Ever Need!
Review: I checked this book out at the local library and renewed it until they MADE me return it! Now, I've come to buy it...it's that good. Every sample recipe we tried, we loved and in the process, I am becoming more and more confident just "whipping up a little something" for dinner. Chock full of techniques, kitchen tips and fabulous recipes, this book could easily replace your entire cookbook collection!
Rating:
Summary: I wouldn't have gone to cooking school if I'd read this
Review: The overall lesson about cooking in this book is THE BEST OUT THERE. She tells you the truth. I can't imagine anyone not knowing what to cook for dinner if they had this book. It breaks everything down, gives you the big picture, so you realize what those recipes you've been following blindly were trying to do. It's true she has you get pre-made sauces and chicken broth (some Asian sauces should be bought pre-made anyway) and if you actually have time to make them you'll have to open up another book for those things if you're a beginner (who has time these days anyway?). On the other hand, I am so sick of reading cookbooks where the cook writes as if they are performing on stage, which has no relevance whatsoever to what I'm doing in the kitchen. This book doesn't waste your time, gets right down to business.
Rating:
Summary: A How-to-Cook book -- NOT a recipe book
Review: I generally consider myself to be a good cook, but what I had never realized until I got this book is that what I can do is follow a recipe. I would have NO idea how to make a meal if I didn't have the recipes right in front of me. This book is changing all of that. I actually read the entire book from cover to cover. This would be an EXCELLENT wedding or house-warming gift.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Cookbook in my collection
Review: I have probably 50 or 60 cookbooks not including cooking magazines. This cookbook is far and away the best one I own. As much as I know about cooking, this really teaches the basics. My only reservation is the shortcuts for the desserts. Either do desserts right or buy a half gallon of ice cream at the store. Also, some of the recipes use more butter or oil than I think is necessary so use your judgment in knowing when to cut back. It's a must have for the beginner and the experienced.
Rating:
Summary: The best book possible for new family cooks
Review: I am a well trained cook with many years of experience and cookbooks. The simplicity and technique is very profound. It incorporates many old or ancient cooking techniques in a new way. The results are astounding and the prep time is minimal for producing a great meal. I have given copies of this book to my children who are now young adults. I have given this book as a wedding gift. The pan sauces, in particular, are brilliant and a great launching pad for your own creativity. I only disagree with the use of spaghetti instead of Chinese noodles in the Lo Mein dishes. The steam/saute technique for vegetables is so easy. This book is a must in every kitchen because of its phiposophy. Following its philosophy you can be as sohpisticated as can be with any ingredients.
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