<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: The Title Says It All
Review: I bought two copies two years ago, as a gift and the other for myself. I wish I had been smart enough to look for a book like this in 1990, when I began to take cooking seriously. Now that I've got a small library of cookbooks (30+), I tend to rate cookbooks' usefulness on two criteria: the writing and the instructions. This one should be read for both. The Introduction and First Steps in Cooking alone are worth the price of the book. I've now realized that the best cookbooks are those that convey to the reader that cooking is really a simple undertaking. Some recipes simply take more muscle or thought, but fundamentally, it's just cooking and cooking well is about organization, understanding food, and community. That is, you don't just cook for yourself; you cook for others, too, so you might as well learn how to do it confidently. Claiborne shows you that cooking is just cooking and you can still produce food that tastes good. He never talks down to you. His instruction is that of a relaxed teacher, someone who seems to assume that you've been too busy to focus on other things to learn how to cook. Therefore, his tone IMHO is that of a person who understands the reader is intelligent but just hasn't had the time or inclination to cook. The novice and the expert will learn from this little gem.
Rating:
Summary: The Title Says It All
Review: I bought two copies two years ago, as a gift and the other for myself. I wish I had been smart enough to look for a book like this in 1990, when I began to take cooking seriously. Now that I've got a small library of cookbooks (30+), I tend to rate cookbooks' usefulness on two criteria: the writing and the instructions. This one should be read for both. The Introduction and First Steps in Cooking alone are worth the price of the book. I've now realized that the best cookbooks are those that convey to the reader that cooking is really a simple undertaking. Some recipes simply take more muscle or thought, but fundamentally, it's just cooking and cooking well is about organization, understanding food, and community. That is, you don't just cook for yourself; you cook for others, too, so you might as well learn how to do it confidently. Claiborne shows you that cooking is just cooking and you can still produce food that tastes good. He never talks down to you. His instruction is that of a relaxed teacher, someone who seems to assume that you've been too busy to focus on other things to learn how to cook. Therefore, his tone IMHO is that of a person who understands the reader is intelligent but just hasn't had the time or inclination to cook. The novice and the expert will learn from this little gem.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Little Cookbook.
Review: This is one of my favorite cookbooks. I bought this book in 1980 and still have my original copy. That the pages are stained and tattered is testiomny to the many good meals I've cooked using Craig Claiborne's recipies. This book is an excellent first cookbook as it explains things very well without getting too technical. It would also make a great addition to the library of any casual cook.
Rating:
Summary: The best beginners cookbook around
Review: When I was (heck, I still am) learning how to cook, I ransacked bookstores and yard sales for the book that could give me the basics without a lot of fluff. I have everything from Cooking for Dummies to Jane Brody's Good Food Book (even Kids Cooking from Klutz Press). And, with all of those books, I find myself referencing this book before any other. Simple, clear writing, and about the right size (I found the hardback version that was reprinted in 1996). Size is pretty important, after all -- when you're cooking, it's hard to flip through pages of a tiny paperback or lug around a massive binder...but I digress. If you are new to cooking and can't boil an egg (much less water!) or figure out what pot to use, this book is for you.
<< 1 >>
| 
