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Summary: The proof is in my cousin........
Review: .....who never really liked cooking. She actually received this gift from co-workers as a joke! Recently, while visting her city, I spent several days with her and she decided to show off her new cooking skills, telling me that I'd be the "guinea pig". With this she held up her copy of Cooking for Dummies and explained how she came to possess it. This book starts very simply apparently, explaining such things as the difference between "boil" and "broil" and how to tell if meat is cooked. It's perfect for those who've really never done a day of cooking in their lives or those who are still in the fairly early stages of learning cooking basics. It proceeds slowly until the point where the reader is actually ready to put together a dish and can follow the book's recipes. Well, my cousin wowed me over the next several days and really put together some quite tasty meals! I recommend this book for all novice cooks!!! If she can do it, you can too!!!
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Summary: Great book for neophytes
Review: A great little book for those who are kitchen-phobic. Tells you what to buy in terms of ingredients and equipment, with great starter recipes
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Summary: A Dummies' Guide on how to Get it Done in the Kitchen.
Review: Cooking for Dummies is funny, informative, and like all it's "For Dummies" cousins, immediately hands on.I'll take away one star, only because the opening can be intimidating to a rank beginner who doesn't know the difference between a soufle or a sauce pan. Moreover, as has been pointed out earlier, "Cooking for Dummies" seems to say that one must have or obtain a kitchen far beyond the reach of most new cooks. If that's overly intimidating, it's made up for later, as the book gives simple steps that are all but foolproof. If the beginner cannot afford the costly equipment recommended, the beginner should make do with what can be obtained. However, cooking is like any other craft--the better the equipment, the better the results. But the recipes and techniques are the highlight and soul of the book. Written with humor, insight, and a firm remembering of the intended audience (e.g. "dummies in the kitchen"), "Cooking for Dummies" is sure to please. The recipes are complete and easy to follow; the techniques are explained so that even a klutz like myself won't lose his fingers while chopping herbs or hard vegetables; and the results are uniformly satisfying. "Cooking for Dummies" is great reading, easy to use, and will be a favorite for many new cooks learning to use the kitchen for more than storage of beer and chips.
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Summary: The Perfect Present...Almost
Review: I bought this for my cooking-challenged spouse Bessie and she was not amused. In fact, the last time I saw this supposedly useful book was when it bounced off the top of my head. Be careful who you give this to.
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Summary: The Perfect Present...Almost
Review: I bought this for my cooking-challenged spouse Bessie and she was not amused. In fact, the last time I saw this supposedly useful book was when it bounced off the top of my head. Be careful who you give this to.
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Summary: Great Advice in Easy Steps
Review: I greatly enjoy all of the "Dummies" books. Not that I consider myself a dummy, but I have found this book series to offer good advice on the basics on whatever you want to do. This guide is no exception. My only complaint would be discussions regarding equipment. I feel that too much attention was given to this necessary but individual segment of cooking. Cooks need tools, but good tools don't make good cooks. But the book still has many merits and certainly makes for fun reading.
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Summary: You can cook!
Review: My sister, whom moved out and had never cooked a thing in her life, really enjoyed the benefits from this book! The moment she saw it on my shelf, she snatched it up and took it home and I haven't seen it since. I hear she's cooking some great meals and hope she'll invite me over for dinner sometime soon! ;)
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Summary: An excellent book for beginners and a nice basic reference
Review: Of all the cooking books out there, this would be the one book I would recommend for anyone who wants to learn to cook, but has no kitchen experience at all. It explains basic kitchen terminology and methods in very basic terms....even a child could understand them. If you have much kitchen experience at all, you probably won't learn a whole lot from this book, but it does serve me well as a reference book. For example, if I can't remember exactly how long or how hot to bake a potato, I turn to Cooking for Dummies. It's recipes also serve as a wonderful jumping off point for developing your own cooking creativity. The recipes are very basic, and can always be changed or doctored up to your own tastes.
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Summary: Disorganized, badly edited
Review: There is alot of good information and good simple recipes in this book but the key word is *simple*... Anyone past a novice is going to already know alot of this information. Not that everyone cant use the occasional booster or reference guide. Its just that if you have any knowledge of cooking basics alot of this will be redundant. If you are looking for a general knowledge cook book there are better ones. I can see this being a good book for the beginning teen cook, someone going away to college, getting a first apartment (or dorm room) or even a shower gift for the very uninitiated to cooking.
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Summary: Bachelor(cooking clueless) finds help and guidence with book
Review: This book has helped me so incredibly much.
Mainly because i didnt even know the basics.. Terms in such..
The last straw for me was when I screwed up burger helper. I thought "simmer" on the instructions ment high heat. Then 2nd attempt forgot to "drain the meat" which didnt make for very good Fettuchini Alfredo helper :( This book talks in low level terms.. Explaining Simmer among others. Before I bought this book, i recieved a cookbook for Xmas.. Which was no use to me because I didnt even understand half the instructions. So I was screwing up burger helpers and didnt even know how to make good scrambled eggs.. *sigh* NOW!! I make probably some of the best breakfast you ever had. My scrambled eggs are nice, soft fluffy just right.. I mix in Chorizo and heat up some tortillas for some Migas.. OH THATS NOT ALL! I have impressed my mother greatly with hommade stew.. Started off with the recipe in this book (Which is very good BTW).. Then migrated from the stove to a slow cooker(crock pot) and now MY MOTHER asks for me to bring her some of my stew(which is sorta developed into a custome recipe of mine). Pot Roasts.. Tacos...Grilling fish.. ect ect... My kitchen never had the right tools in it to cook with. This books gives you a nice basic economical listing of things that you must have to cook. VERY GOOD INFO.. Also the listings of spices to have on hand, herbs and other stuff. Also even explains how to properly use knives and what knife to use for what! Again but $ wise its reasonable.. it doesnt ask you to go out and spend 300.00 on junk you will hardly use. Its very common sense... And then safety. Book goes over proper cooking times and temp for various meats and cautions on cooking chicken. It also gives you a very nice chart on how long various foods, leftovers, meats can be stored in Fridge and stay edible. THIS WAS VERY HELPFUL! Again.. Great book for person who is cooking clueless and needs it.. Like me ;-)
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