Now You're Cooking: Everything a Beginner Needs to Know to Start Cooking Today

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Summary: Now You're Cooking: Everything a Beginner Needs to Know to
Review: I bought this book after I graduated from college and got my first apartment. My homemade meals up to this point consisted of spaghetti and sauce from a packet. I enjoyed learning to cook from Elaine's tips. The egg salad continues to be the best I have ever had.

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Summary: Great book for beginners and experienced cooks alike!
Review: I loved this book. I had been cooking for years, but this book offered a lot of practical advice and great recipes. For beginners, you delve right into preparing delicious meals right from the start. I intend to buy this book for my daughter.

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Summary: The BEST!!!!
Review: I picked this book out of the bargain books bin and it has been the BEST cookbook I've every used. It explains things well, but the recipes show you that you CAN have simple food that tastes outstanding. I will buy every book this woman writes!

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Summary: For beginners AND the "well-seasoned"
Review: I've been cooking for almost 20 years (in university, I lived with two guys who couldn't boil water without detailed instructions, so I did all the cooking), and I've successfully pulled off small-scale dinner parties (up to 8 people). So I know which end of a melon-baller to use.

I still found this book helpful - it demystified some things, and gave me a few new ideas - and a few more rave reviews at Easter dinner!

The only thing this book lacks (and it's probably too big a topic to cover) would be a brief examination of some of the more popular spices, what flavours they impart, and what foods they go best in/with.

VERY strongly recommended!!!

Rating:
Summary: fantastic
Review: This is the best cookbook I have ever owned. It was one of the first cookbooks I bought, and my experience with it (rave reviews) convinced me cooking was not hard and I could master this art and really go to town for guests. I have just emerged exhausted and humiliated after exploring the high end, fancy, haute-cuisine cookbooks in an attempt to impress, and after disastrous attempts at bistro cuisine, realize that its back to the basics with Elaine for me- her recipes are delicious, foolproof, and because I grew up refusing to learn how to cook, a true lifesaver.

Rating:
Summary: Great book for beginners and experienced cooks alike!
Review: This year I taught seven teenagers to cook using Now You're Cooking. The recipes were delicious and clearly explained. One of the best things about Elaine Corn is that she is so practical. She explains how to be organized during the cooking process. Even with seven kids in the kitchen, we never had a mess because the book instructed the student to clean up while the food cooks. I did not expect a "learn to cook" book to have such yummy recipes. We were successful with every single meal. I will order another stack of these books for next year.