(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best quick & easy cooking books

I have some recipes (being pretty new myself) and a few cookbook recommendations..

A few tips: Vegan cheeses will never taste like the real thing. but some are good and some taste like rubber. being new to this I feel my pallet is still fairly descent still. (won't last much longer though I don't think) I like Violife brand vegan cheeses best for sliced and shredded, along with their cream cheese Best out there. for Parmesan I like Follow your heart brand. Coffee creamer (I used to use half and half in my coffee that is the flavor I like) so the closest one to that flavor I found is So Delicious coconut coffee creamer. The Original flavor.

Butters: I like best the Melt (say good bye to butter) and then I can't believe it's not butter Vegan.

My favorite meat replacers are:

Gardein Ultimate beefless ground, I use it in everything to replace ground meat.

Gardein Chick'n Scallopini, is a great replacement for boneless skinless chicken breast.

Gardein Porkless bites. Serve over rice

Gardein Turk'y Cutlets and gravy are Amazingly wonderful a little mashed

Gardein Italian Sau' Sages are Amazing. I use them in anything that calls for Sausage. Works GREAT! even just in a bowl of pasta with a little sauce and some vegan cheese.

Simple Truth has a lot of great stuff too. (they are kroger or fred meyer brand) they have a Great burger patty. Very tasty, a breaded chicken patty that is really good and their chick'n tenders are better than gardein's.

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I have taken my favorite recipes and revamped them to vegan/vegetarian. they can be made either way.

https://www.copymethat.com/r/fubAxjB/ms-vegetarian-dairy-free-sloppy-joes-sau/

these are pretty easy for those lazy days

https://www.copymethat.com/r/tA5HqQn/ms-easy-black-bean-and-corn-quesadillas/

this is pretty easy and a nice comforting soup

https://www.copymethat.com/r/0WKwq1w/ms-easy-white-bean-thyme-pot-pies/

this one has a Ton of seasoning because I added the seasonings that would be in Spicy Italian sausage and didn't add the meat. it is really good though.

https://www.copymethat.com/r/u1xQ5vk/ms-spicy-lentil-soup/

https://www.copymethat.com/r/7qob7LA/ms-quick-and-easy-veganvegetarian-black-/

https://www.copymethat.com/r/s7HBHBq/ms-pan-seared-cauliflower-and-gravy/

https://www.copymethat.com/r/JAqzkGs/ms-vegan-irish-shepherds-pie/

https://www.copymethat.com/r/oe3CAFm/ms-vegan-ranch-dressing/

https://www.copymethat.com/r/cArRtzU/ms-vegetarian-goulash/

this can be a bit dry I am still working on this one

https://www.copymethat.com/r/k5td3wN/ms-best-ever-meatless-dairy-free-meatloa/

Okay these are yummy! I used sweet baby rays hot wing or buffalo sauce.

https://www.copymethat.com/r/Erb0RD8/baked-buffalo-potato-wedges/

https://www.copymethat.com/r/3d3zNp0/cheesy-vegan-breakfast-potato-casserole/

​

My cookbook recommendations are

I have these

https://www.amazon.com/Fuss-Free-Vegan-Everyday-Favorites-Veganized/dp/0147530350/

this is also a really good one

https://www.amazon.com/30-Minute-Vegan-Dinners-Plant-Based-Meals/dp/1624147216/

Everyone raves about Isa's cookbooks but unfortunately I don't have one yet. but plan on getting one soon

https://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902/

sorry for the HUGE post. Hope the information helps you.

>How strongly do you recommend needing a sous vide setup to start? Can I make it work with just the Instant Pot or do you strongly recommend the sous vide?

So keep in mind that I started using the Instant Pot about 5 years ago (I have 4 of them now...3 I use on a regular basis, plus a jumbo 14-quart model for big cooks) & started doing Sous Vide about 3 years ago, so I've had a long time to save up & learn how to use the various tools that I use today for meal-prep, so don't feel rushed into anything!!

The first thing to discuss is a Mellow vs. an Anova. The Mellow has 2 primary benefits:

1. Has a chiller
   
2. Looks like an appliance (typical SV stick setups with tubs look more like science experiments, lol)
   
   The Mellow has 2 primary negatives:
   
   
3. It's fairly expensive
   
4. It has a limited space in which to cook
   
   Unless you specifically want a model with a chiller in it to suit your lifestyle, I typically recommend going with an Anova. This is the typical Anova setup I recommend:
   
   

• Anova Nano ($100)
  
• 12-quart tub ($20)
  
• Top lid ($12)
  
• Magnets ($20)
  
  This is roughly half the price of a Mellow, but has a much larger capacity for bigger items such as pork shoulders & babyback ribs, as well as a larger capacity for more food, so if you need to cook more than two or three steaks at a time, you've got a LOT more room!
  
  Second, let's talk about lifestyle integration. The Mellow is convenient because it can hold food in chilled water all day & then be scheduled to cook. So I can pre-chill the water, drop in a steak before I leave for work, and have it be ready to sear when I get home. As I typically meal-prep my breakfast & lunch (either muggle food or complete foods) because I work away from home, I prefer to have family dinner at the table, so I can walk in the door, throw some veggies or rice in the Instant Pot, throw my no-knead bread or rolls in the oven, and then sear my sous-vide protein.
  
  However, that is not the only approach! First, if you're not in a rush to eat when you get home, then you can get away with a stick sous-vide machine. I like to have dinner at 5pm, which is pretty early, so having thing ready to go is a really big benefit for me. Second, if you're willing to plan things out a little, you can actually pre-cook your food sous-vide & then sear it later to both reheat it & to give it a crust. I've been working with this book for some ideas:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Sous-Vide-Harness-Schedule-Cooking-dp-1466381280/dp/1466381280/
  
  Basically, for most proteins other than shrimp, you can cook the food sous-vide, then shock it in an ice bath (this quickly gets it out of the 40-140F "danger zone" for bacteria to grow), then stick it in the fridge. Most foods are safe for like 48 hours (time varies, I've done chicken up to 5 days in advance) in the fridge that way, so if you know you want chicken for dinner tomorrow, then you can grab some breasts from the freezer after work today, cook them for a couple hours, shock them, and stick them in the fridge for a quick meal tomorrow!
  
  I use both my Mellow & my Anova throughout the week. Like, if I'm having people over, I can cook up a dozen burgers in my Anova tub, shock them, and then all I have to do is throw them on the grill the next day & I have perfectly-cooked burgers in just minutes. Side note, I went to Five Guys the other day: one single-patty burger, one double-patty burger, one soda, one milkshake, and one large Cajun fry was $31. For comparison, 80/20 ground beef is $5 a pound at the grocery store...I could have bought 6 pounds of meat instead & made 12 (much more amazing) giant 8oz sous-vide burgers for the same price. SV burger reminder:
  
  http://i.imgur.com/fZsnPTm.jpg
  
  Anyway...lol. I make a wide variety of stuff as part of both my meal-prep approach & for my rotating family dinners, but most often, I use a combination of the sous-vide (mainly for protein, although it's good for so many other things like egg bites, dulce de leche, yogurt, tempering chocolate, etc.) & the Instant Pot for making perfect dinners on a regular basis. So if you an swing the cost of an Anova setup, it's a really nice way to go, and for most people, the cost-savings are easily realized within the first year, if not the first few months.
  
  >How do you sear a steak or burger? I know this is probably really basic, but cooking really isn’t my thing. Lol
  
  I literally didn't know how to boil water when I first started (I kid you not), so no worries! If you're not into cooking & don't plan on making it a hobby & view it as a necessary chore, then appliance-based cooking with freezer-storage is definitely an awesome way to go!
  
  So there are basically 3 ways to sear:
  
  

1. Searzall torch
   
2. Cast-iron pan
   
3. Gas grill
   
   I have a tiny, unventilated kitchen, which smokes out easily. The problem with searing is the smoke. If you have a ventilated kitchen, then great! If not, you'll have to get more creative. The Searzall torch is a decent option for searing one or two items indoors; the downside is that it's an expensive setup ($43 for the torch plus $75 for the head attachment, and then just pick up a green one-pound propane canister from Home Depot or wherever). It doesn't crust up as nicely as like a 600F cast-iron pan, but it also doesn't generate nearly as much smoke. Plus it's super fun to use (firepower!), can be used safely indoors, and is useful for a variety of other things. I use it for melting cheese all the time! (cast-iron skillet + Searzall = best, most gooiest grilled cheeses ever!)
   
   I have a high-wattage induction cooktop (basically a portable burner) that I use outdoors when the weather is nice. It heats up super quick (1800w Nuwave model that goes up to 575F). I use a 12" cast-iron skillet with it for searing stuff like burgers, steaks, porkchops, etc. Smokes a lot, but it's convenient that I can plug it in outside because it can smoke out like crazy. A grill can serve the same function, whether it's charcoal or gas (gas can be preheated fairly quickly, so that's a convenient "weekday" option).
   
   For most sous-vide'd meats, searing is an essential part of the process. I've tried just eating sous-vide burgers without searing & they're terrible, it's like eating mush. With a crust, however? Awesome! So you definitely want a good searing setup, which will depend on how many people you cook for (a Searzall may fit the bill if it's just two people & you don't mind spending 2-3 minutes per side to sear), if your kitchen has ventilation, if you have a gas grill available, if you have a plug available outside (or if you have an outside deck or patio available at all), etc.
   
   Side note, don't get discouraged by the wall of text above...the process is pretty simple. My setup is:
   
   
4. All meats are vac-sealed & frozen (flash-frozen on a Silpat-lined baking sheet first, to preserve the shape)
   
5. I drop the meat in the sous-vide & cook it
   
6. I sear it & then eat it
   
   Comes out perfect every time, once you nail down the formula for what you like!

I'm decent - saving money and eating healthy is huge motivation for learning how to cook! But I don't love it and I am proud to be a LAZY CHEF. Here's a quick list of things that helped me get started (several of my jobs were on the line in kitchens so this is all about efficiency):


The Basics:

1. Set some dietary guidelines and goals for yourself. This helps immensely with narrowing down your shopping list and recipe searches. Do you want to make sure you get 3 cups of veg a day? Eat clean? Always have ice cream in the fridge? Make pasta a few times a week? Master Cuban cuisine? Be a Sandwich Lord?
   
   
2. Set up your kitchen. All of these can be easily obtained from kind relatives / friends / goodwill. Ideally, you want your pots and pans to have nice, thick bottoms bc it will be easier to control the heat. If you go nonstick, make sure they don't have any scratches in the teflon:
   
   

• Frying pan (esp one that goes from stove to oven)
  
  
• Pot big enough for pasta / soup
  
  
• A baking / casserole dish - like a pyrex. Esp if you like lasagna.
  
  
• A baking sheet (for pizza and cookies)
  
  
• A cast iron skillet for frying (fried chicken) / baking (frittata, monkey bread). It can go from stove to oven, and is also easy to care for - no soap, just rinse w water, wipe out, and put it on a burner to bake the grease back into the pan.
  
  
• One spatula / turner, one large stirring spoon (I am partial to the standard wooden spoon), a pair of tongs (good for pasta, salad, and grabbing things out of pans), a can opener
  
  
• Spices - this really depends on how you cook. I don't find it necessary to get a fully-stocked spice cabinet in the beginning. Instead, buy as you go and figure out what you like. A roast chicken recipe that calls for thyme can easily be switched to roast chicken with oregano, garlic, and orange peel. You can buy loose spices at most co-ops so you don't have to commit to a whole jar of garam masala if you decide you won't cook Indian that often.
  
  THE SECRET TO COOKING
  
  
• Manage your heat. That's what it's all about. Most of what you're cooking should be done between low-med and med-high. Adjust your temp as you go (you can bring a soup to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer). Cranking the heat doesn't always cook food through faster, but it does burn things faster.
  
  
• If you are new to it, find a good book or blog. There are a lot of great books out there for new cooks.
  
  LAZY CHEF'ING aka How to Maximize Your Time in the Kitchen So Cooking Doesn't Feel Like a Chore
  
  
• Set aside one or two nights a week for prep and cooking and cook a few day's worth of food. Then you can just reheat leftovers or use them to throw together a quick meal. If you bake off a whole tray of chicken, you can have it over rice with lemon and olive oil the first night, make chicken salad the next day, chicken fried rice the third day, chicken alfredo the fourth day, etc. Having ready to eat food in the fridge at all times is the first line of defense against Grubhub!
  
  
• Get down with simmer cooking and cooking sauces. It's the same idea as Hamburger Helper. Get some jars of sauce you can simmer (e.g. pasta sauce, Indian simmer sauce, Coconut milk and curry paste), cook your aromatics, add your protein, add veg, throw in your sauce, simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Enjoy with bland food accompaniment (rice, pasta, bread, potato, veg). There are a ton of sauces at your local Asian market.
  
  
• Bake and Roast. This is my favorite way to cook. Take ten minutes to oil and season your protein and throw it in a baking dish. Add oiled and seasoned veg to roast alongside (depending on how long your protein takes to cook, you may have to add veg mid-bake). Or, take ten minutes to assemble a casserole. Set a timer and enjoy 40 minutes of doing WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO!!!!!
  
  Bonus Round:
  
  
• Freezing food is awesome. If you are a meat eater, keep an eye out for good deals on meat. You can freeze them til you are ready to use them. Frozen turkey after Thanksgiving is a great deal - massive birds for $13 total. Frozen veg has saved me from throwing out fresh veg that I didn't cook off in time. If you have leftovers and you're kind of sick of them, freeze them for a later date. If you have a night of making pizza, make a few extra to freeze for later.
  
  
• Save more money in the long run by eating whole foods. A decent frozen pizza is about 2.5 meals for $7.99 with some nutritional value. You can buy a pound of steaks for $5.99 on sale and a bag of frozen veg to roast off for $1.50. That's at least 3-4 meals. You'll also save on your health care bill in the future.
  
  
• Find the best deals at ethnic grocery stores that actual immigrants go to!!! The produce prices are sick. A fat bunch of cilantro will run you fifty cents vs $1.25 at a regular grocery store. You will also find all sorts of cool veg like japanese eggplant, enoki mushrooms, kobacha squash, baby bok choy, that you can't get at a standard store.

"breakfast" I eat light on the first meal. My favorites for the summer: watermelon/fruit and chocolate pie slice, bananas with whipped cream and chia-fruit-jelly on top, cereal and milk, toast and lentil gravy, breakfast tacos. Favorites in the winter: Miso soup, rice, and fish, miso with eggs and a spoonful of rice, cheesy toast, oatmeal

Lunch: I guess you could say this is a snack, and comes after dinner as I OMAD. Usually yogurt, some crackers and a cheese wedge, protein bar of some sort, something that's 100-200 calories worth that I can snack on.

Dinner: Almost anything! I linked below where I get inspiration, but I make room for an actual dinner using the concepts below. My favorite go-to meal is this: rice with cauliflower rice stirred in, steamed veggies, raw cabbage chopped and tossed in a mixture of hot sauce, soy sauce, sour cream, mayo, touch of dijon, wasabi or ginger, and a protein on top like eggs, chicken breast or chicken sausage, fish filets baked, etc.

Resources:

• https://www.skinnytaste.com/ My favorite website.
  
  
• https://www.justonecookbook.com/ Japanese cooking is notoriously healthy, I use this a lot.
  
  
• https://smile.amazon.com/Cook-Yourself-Thin-Skinny-Minutes/dp/1401341136?sa-no-redirect=1 I use these two cookbooks a lot as well, not every recipe is good, but it's a solid basis for learning how to marry the concept of "I want to eat Nachos! How do I make that happen?" You can watch the back episodes online and you can google any recipe for free so you don't need to buy the book itself. I just got them at the thrift shop for $1 each.
  
  My favorite concepts:
  
  
• CICO - This is, to me, the only true ringing science behind losing weight and maintaining it. TDEE, losing and maintaining numbers, you need to know these.
  
  
• IF - Intermittent fasting. This helps keep me from snacking like crazy. I use flavored sweet milks and teas when I want a 'snack' outside of my eating times, but mindless snacking was reduced day 1 because of this concept so I'm a huge fan. I eat from 1-9pm or 2-10pm.
  
  
• Substitution cooking - The idea of making healthier swaps (the old eat-this-not-that books were notorious for this) but still enjoying foods is really a godsend for me. Some people hate this and won't touch 'fake' nachos or a fake chocolate pie with a 10 foot pole, but for me, as long as the elements I love are there (cheesy lots of toppings with crunch for nachos and the richness and chocolate of the pie) I find I enjoy it just as much if not more to cook a healthier version of a recipe. Once I find a recipe I like that can 'replace' the original, I stick to it. If I want chocolate pie, cool no problem! I'll eat it everyday for my first meal, but I always use chocolatecoveredkatie's recipe with tofu as the base and guittard dark chocolate chips.
  
  
• OMAD. One meal a day. I follow this as well. I eat a light meal (~200-300 cal), a large meal (~500-1000 cal) and a snack (~100-200 cal) a day. This works well for me and makes the meal satisfying without feeling like I can't eat '3' meals a day.

Basically just count calories. Download the my fitness pal app and it will tell you how many you need to eat in order to lose certain amounts of weight a week. Shoot for about 1lb MAYBE 2 a week average. It will also come off pretty fast in the beginning because it will be mostly water weight so Dont get discouraged when you lose 5 lbs the first week and nothing the next.

What I like to do is think of my calories as banked credits almost. So I can see how many I have left to eat. I also work out a couple days a week so those calories add to my bank of calories I'm allowed to eat.

Dont get sucked into bullshit fad diets. You need a complete change of how you eat. You can get really involved in this, watching your fat intake protein intake etc. But by just counting calories it is a good start and really all you need. You will find yourself making those healthier choices just on the grounds that healthier food has less calories, so instead of eating one small sandwich from McDonald's for 600 calories, you could eat maybe some chicken, fruits, veggies, etc. And be much fuller for less calories and also much healthier.

Make sure to count EVERY calorie you eat. You will be surprised how many calories adding just some sugar and cream to your coffee or using butter on toast is. Not that you have to count these things out but you need to count every little thing going into your body because it all adds up fast.

That should get you started. I'm on my phone typing this so their may be spelling mistakes lol

Edit: On my computer now so I can give you some more tips. Counting calories is technically all you need to lose weight, as your body takes in less calories then it needs to function, it will take from storage(fat). This can help you too:

1. Alcohol is evil in weight loss. It slows down your metabolism dramatically(I heard one time up to 70% but not sure). Having said that, it can sometimes be hard to give up drinking, especially when there are a lot of social events going on. In this case, try to stick to clear liquor's or just liquor in general. If it's hard to drink it straight, mix it with a diet soda or low calorie fruit juice. Watch carefully how much you eat when drinking, THIS will make you gain a lot of weight. When you eat while drinking alcohol, your body focuses on getting rid of the alcohol, and puts little to no focus on your food you just ate, so it gets stored as fat.
   
   
2. Drink lots of water. This has been shown to increase your metabolism. It also helps keep your appetite down, as you can sometimes confuse dehydration with hunger. Stay away from sodas, even diet soda's when you can. Water is your best choice. I've read mixed reviews on diet soda causing increased appetite, leading to weight gain and some say it doesn't. Either way, water won't do this and is your best friend in this weight loss battle.
   
   
3. High protein foods. You will find that eating high protein foods and foods high in fiber help you stay fuller, longer. Protein shakes are great meal replacements or supplements, and can give you large amounts of protein for a small amount of calories. One of my favorite protein snacks is peanut butter. NOT some processed peanut butter though, all natural. The jar should say one ingredient only: Peanuts. This stuff tastes so much better then that processed jiffy shit too. Calories are slightly high, but I can eat a tablespoon as a snack, and it keeps those random hunger urges at bay for a long time.
   
   
4. Stick to the outside of the grocery store. This is where you will find all/most of the unprocessed shit. Stick to lean meats like turkey, and chicken. Steaks and red meat you will find have a lot higher fat and calorie content then turkey and chicken, so shoot to replace any beef recipes with turkey, you won't even tell that much if any of a difference.
   
   Remember, this is a LIFESTLYE CHANGE not a diet. Your not going to realistically drop 100 lbs in a month and become ripped. Don't try to follow one of these crazy fad diets, you might lose some weight, but unless you continue to do that crazy diet for the rest of your life, you will go back to how you ate before, and gain even more weight then you had before, in a very short time. Focus on becoming healthy, and eating choices that are good for you, and not processed shit. My girlfriend does most of the cooking in our apartment. She swears by this cookbook called "Cook Yourself Thin" http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Yourself-Thin-Skinny-Minutes/dp/1401341136 I can say, the recipes she makes are really good, and you will be surprised on the calorie content in some of these meals.
   
   That's pretty much everything I can remember for now. I'm not a nutritionist or anything, I've just done a lot of research and me and my girlfriend try to live a healthy lifestyle. I can tell you this though, I'm in a weight loss contest at work and I'm beating everyone else lol

I feel you on the STRUGGLE of vegan baking. My first batch of vegan brownies were a bit sad and when my father took his first bite said that they tasted odd. I told him that they were vegan and he spat them out immediately (since then we've made some glowing progress).

Minimalist Baker is a wonderful dive into a diverse array of vegan baked goods and stunning food photography! https://minimalistbaker.com

I have an instant pot and like to do some "baking" in there and highly recommend the cook book, Vegan Under Pressure - https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Under-Pressure-Jill-Nussinow-ebook/dp/B010KMOPI0

PERSONALLY - I have been able to surprise many of my friends and family members by veganizing popular and well known recipes. For instance, if you look up the ever so original Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe, it is SUPER EASY to make vegan and no one bats an eye!

For the butter, I replace it with Earth Balance (stick form is best, if you can find that for measuring). Earth Balance acts EXACTLY the same as regular butter, make sure it is softened and not melted through when adding it to the sugars. For eggs, I just started using Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer (https://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free-vegan-egg-replacer.html) and it is pretty darn awesome. Just make sure to fully incorporate it to the batter, it has a very "sticky" texture, which is great since that is the role it is fulfilling! Last replacement is using vegan chocolate chips instead of dairy chocolate chips, which there are quite a few brands for. AND BOOM. A super easy vegan spin on a classic recipe!

I’d recommend looking into a cook book. When I first moved out on my own at 19 I was already working full time so I was responsible for all my own meals. Breakfast and lunch were never as difficult as making a good dinner you would actually want to eat.

My mom gave me a cookbook with 5 ingredient meals. It will make it a lot easier to grocery shop for the items you really need. Especially because you can use the same ingredients in different meals.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1641520043/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_avcdBbQ08Q4P8

Check out this one. I no longer have the cookbook my mom got me. This one looked really familiar and I think it was it.

The food always turned out tasty and the meals were easy. Never took more than 45 minutes to cook.

I’ve never been a huge fan of food prep just because by the time you get down to your last day or two the food is 4-5 days old and never tastes as good.

In this book it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make a little bit larger of servings so that maybe you could eat the same meal for left overs the next day too. Then you would only be cooking every other day or so. I’ve always cooked for me and my girl, but if you’re just cooking for yourself, I’m sure the recipe they call for would probably provide you food for a couple nights at least.

The last thing to keep in mind is, practice, practice, practice.

You will become a better cook the more you do it. You will learn what ingredients work well with others and it will get easier the more you do it. I’ve always loved to cook and thought(been told by many) that I’m pretty good at it too. Eventually you won’t need a cook book anymore and you will “freestyle” as I like to say.

Good luck with it! Don’t be scared. Cooking shouldn’t be scary to you. Just like anything else in the world, the more you do it, the more comfortable you will become, the less intimidated you will be by the task!

Any of the America's Test Kitchen cookbooks are fantastic for people learning how to cook. My boyfriend, like you, was a sandwich-pasta-burrito guy before these cookbooks. Now he can turn out a mean baked ziti and a pan of brownies :)

They've tested recipes extensively to find the easiest ways to create the most delicious, flavorful, fail-free versions of favorite foods. For each recipe, they describe the most common pitfalls of a recipe and how they avoid them, provide helpful illustrations, and make suggestions for the best cookware and ingredients to purchase (if you don't already have them). They most often do not recommend the most expensive option ;)

I recommend the Skillet cookbook and the New Best Recipe for starters.

The first thing I thought about was a book that would explain how to boil an egg :-) . . . Sure enough there is a cookbook that is aimed for those that are just starting out called How to boil an egg: 184 Simple Recipes for One. The only thing I don't see is any nutritional information or pictures to show what the food should look like after its made. The recipes in the cookbook are for one, (but of course you can double, triple, etc. the amounts when making for more people). BTW, it doesn't just have egg recipes: It covers a range of standard ingredients (meat, chicken, vegetables, etc.). The reviews seem to be positive.

I also found this: Cookbook for Beginners. It has illustrations and has information about cooking (what utensils you should use and basic techniques). It doesn't seem to have nutritional information. Again, the reviews for this book are positive.

Delia also makes a basic cookbook for beginners called Delia's How to Cook - Book One. It has great reviews on Amazon. It has pictures of the food although no nutritional information.

My favorite cookbook which I always recommend is: Assyrian Cookbook. The recipes are not difficult and instructions are pretty easy to follow with full colour pictures of each recipe. The food is tasty and every recipe has cooking times and calorie information per serving (although not nutritional information in terms of fats, carbohydrates, etc.).

My recommendation for this person would be get one of the first two (I'd lean towards the second as it has pictures).

I couldn't find a basic cookbook that has full nutritional information. The ones that have this information seem to be categorised as Healthy Eating - dieting books, Muscle building cookbooks or those aimed at pregnant women.

My mother got me the Can't Cook Book a few years ago. Admittedly, I haven't used it much because, well, it felt like an insult gift (as I was already pretty competent in the kitchen) and the recipes are really basic- but if you are starting from square one it seems a good resource. Like I said, it does have some (very easy) recipes but most of the book is chapters about kitchen tools, meal preparation, basic techniques and definitions of kitchen terms. All stuff you'll want to know.

As far as a next step after that (because, of course, practice makes perfect) I can more enthusiastically recommend Cooking Comically which is full of easy recipes, with step by step picture instructions in a comic book format, with a decent number of explanations of how to do new techniques and why you'll want to do things a certain way. Many of those recipes and some others can be found online here to give you an idea whether or not you should purchase that book.

[RANT]GAH! Some of us men are the chief chief in the house - it's not all the moms![/RANT]

Personally, I like to cook meals fresh. The one thing my girlfriend got me to start doing is planning all my meals out in advance. Every Sunday, we sit down and figure out our schedule for the week, and plan which nights we will eat out, cook in, and what we will cook each night with at least one night for leftovers. Then we write all the things we need to buy in a notebook, and visit the grocery store - we're only allowed to buy things that are in the notebook - unless it's a necessity we forgot about like TP or something. We don't hit the sales all that often, but by sticking to our predetermined list, I've saved myself from all the impulse buys that then clutter my cabinet.

Also - for quick and good food, I HIGHLY recommend the Pillsbury Fast & Healthy Cookbook . Most of its meals take 20-40 minutes, and it's really useful for things that taste good and don't take a lot of time.

I keep getting new cookbooks so I don't go back all that often, but here are my thoughts on my most recent additions.

1. Autentico by Rolando Beramendi (https://www.amazon.com/Autentico-Cooking-Italian-Authentic-Way/dp/1250124972): This is an "authentic" Italian cookbook that definitely will provide you with new recipes and ways of thinking of Italian cuisine. However, the drawback is the editing and binding leave a lot to be desired. For a number of recipes I've had to write in my own amounts (noticeably how much oil is called for, usually less is needed) and the binding makes it so the book will not lay flat and open to the desired page. My review: 2/5
   
2. Dinner: Changing the Game by Melissa Clark (https://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Changing-Game-Melissa-Clark/dp/0553448234): My favorite new cookbook for recipes, this seems to have family recipes in mind. I say that because it covers a variety of cuisines and blends a couple so if you purchase this, you won't become a one trick pony. My review: 4/5
   
3. French Cooking at Home by Marianne Magnier Moreno (https://www.amazon.com/French-Cooking-Marianne-Magnier-Moreno/dp/0062641077): A must have, this book is amazing from the recipes to the editing. The pictures are fantastic and for many recipes provide pictures of the various steps to help you along. A large portion of the book is dedicated to providing education on techniques from simply cutting a potato to making chicken ballotines. My review: 5/5
   
4. Lidia's Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine by Lidia Matticchio Bastrianich (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/224734/lidias-mastering-the-art-of-italian-cuisine-by-lidia-matticchio-bastianich-and-tanya-bastianich-manuali/#): If you're looking for an Italian cookbook I couldn't recommend Lidia's more. It is filled with incredible recipes (both traditional and some things you'll find new) and educational material, but not quite as in depth as French Cooking at Home. It doesn't have any pictures inside which is disappointing, but either way it is an incredible book that you won't regret buying. My review: 4/5

Pillsbury Fast and Healthy I've had this book for about ten years, maybe eight? I've made a LOT of the recipes inside, from snacks and smoothies to salads and soups to sweets and desserts. Sloppy Joe tacos are my kids favorite, the chicken and apple pita sandwiches are mine, and my husband's is the chicken bacon ranch wrap mixture. There's a delicious and easy 110 calorie frappacino clone too.

Everything is fairly simple to make, and it turns out good enough to request seconds or make again. There are a handful of them that, while delicious, haven't made it into our regular dinner routine (like the caribbeann chicken with pineapple salsa or veggie tortillas) but others have become family favorites (like bbq pork fajitas or french bread pizza or the stuffed squash). You can grab a used copy on Amazon for five bucks and I say that's worth it. I noticed theres another version, similarly named but bigger, might also be good. And for what it's worth, the whole thing isn't full of brand pushing. I think twice they call for a name brand cereal but otherwise they don't cover the book with Pillsbury products.

http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Better-Homes-Gardens-Cookbooks/dp/0696212900/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

I bought this in college. It is simple, with basics mixed in. I love all the other mentioned cook books, and I don't claim the above to be a "Great" cook book. But prior to that cook book I never made much of anything.

The recipes won't win awards for creativity or innovation, but they will taste good and have ingredients you can get at any store near you. For a "Starter" cook book it is exactly what you described.

As for spending a lot of money, do not shop for one meal, it is very expensive to do that. You need to menu plan a few meals at least, that way you aren't buying flat leaf parsley, shallots, and fish sauce for only one meal.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-831/Jamie-Olivers-62-Pantry-Essentials-Shopping-List.html

Without a good bunch of staples for your pantry cooking can seem expensive, start by buying what's on there and you will find when you make dinner you mostly just buy fresh ingredients.

After you finish with the Better Homes and Garden book, the Joy of cooking will be a great "book" for the kitchen and a constant reference.

Sorry for the block of text.

> Do it in the next weekly thread, here it will get buried under our bakar.

Yes, I will share the pics of my experiments so far.

> Get a OTG down the line and learn todo some roasting/grilling/baking. If you are at a clear soup level, kudos. When did you start learning?

I am living in a rented place and it does have a Bajaj Oven. I marinated a chicken leg piece and was planning to grill it, plugged the oven in for the first time and the main circuit board got tripped. I am waiting for the electrician to check the house connections. After that, I am sorted.

> You know I am always glad when folks learn to cook. The initial cost is usually a bit high, what with wastage, but gradually your living expenses will see an appreciable decrease.

Yes, I think my initial investment so far has been a lot, because I purchased a lot of pasta and oils. I have also got all the herbs that I will use (Rosemary, Marjoram, Mint, Thyme etc) so I think I won't need them for some time.

> When did you start learning?

I started cooking myself last year when I realized it helped me de-stress after a very hectic day of work. I kind of enjoying cutting my own onions and tomatoes, every day trying to get better cuts. Soon I realized that it's very difficult to cook rotis and dal every day and clean up the mess afterward. (for a bachelor living alone like me). I did some backpacking trips to Thailand and Germany and that's when I realized that's there is so much more to cooking than I thought. It was then I started cooking new things that didn't involve rotis and dals. My job was still a problem, as there were no real timings and I was not able to form a routine.

Recently I have changed my job and relocated to Kochi. I got a very sweet place for myself with a beautiful kitchen. Now my aim is to cook daily and be an expert in cooking breakfast and making meals for office, that too in less time.

The books that I am using to cook now are:

1. Cooking for Beginners
   
   
2. Jamie's Dinners: The Essential Family Cookbook
   
   The second book was recommended to me by my friend from Germany and is a little difficult to follow as the cook is British and I haven't heard of any of the stuff in the book.
   
   Sorry for the long message, but I would like to thank you, kind stranger, for helping me out on my early struggle.
   
   Cheers.

We purchased the EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry cookbook about 3 years ago and it has been a great addition to our routine. There are some great quick and healthy recipes in there. Some take longer than 30min, but most are pretty close. Family favorites include:

• Wok-Seared Chicken Tenders with Asparagus & Pistachios Current Favorite
  
• Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers
  
• Sweet and Sour Tofu
  
• Vietnamese-Style Beef & Noodle Broth
  
• Portobello "Philly Cheese Steak" Sandwich
  
• Warm Quinoa Salad with Edamame & Tarragon
  
• Beer-Battered Tilapia with Mango Salsa
  
  We generally do at least one stir fry (with a Zojirushi rice cooker that cooks the rice before we get home--worth every penny!) every week. We also try to use the crockpot at least once a week, but that usually means you have to cook 2x in one night, but we usually manage after bedtime.
  
  Edit: Just for reference we both work full time and have a 6 year old and a 3 year old. We generally eat out at least once during the weeknights. To limit the complaints, we usually let each kid pick out a dinner (the cookbook has great pictures btw) for the week.

The Resistance is really fun, especially when you have a large group of people :)

Have you tried Fluxx or Munchkin at all? They're not exactly board games, but they're a blast to play, especially if you enjoy RPGs.

Not sure if you're into cookbooks or not, but both Grillhouse: Gastropub at Home and This is a Cookbook look like they'd be neat.

I agree that "How To Cook Everything" is a good reference guide for complete beginners and those with gaps in cooking knowledge.

It might be a bit over your head at this point, but if you truly want to understand cooking and what's happening when you do it try "On Food And Cooking" by Harold McGee.

For Asian you might like...

"Every Grain Of Rice" by Fuchsia Dunlop (or any of her books)

"Japanese Soul Cooking" by Tadashi Ono

"Ivan Ramen..." by Ivan Orkin (Good for ramen and other japanese-ish food.)

"Momofuku" by David Chang (Really good mix of general Asian flavors)

Other books that might interest you:

"Irish Pantry" by Noel McMeel

"The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern" - Matt Lee and Ted Lee

"Real Cajun" by Donald Link

"Authentic Mexican" by Rick Bayless

"Fabio's Italian Kitchen" by Fabio Viviani

For Vegetarian try anything by Alice Waters or David Tanis.

Some of my best sources are cookbooks that are not exclusively vegetarian, like Fuchsia Dunlop's Every Grain of Rice and Land of Plenty. Both do contain a large number of vegetable and tofu recipes, plus meat recipes that can be easily veganized (e.g., Gong Bao chicken which I replaced with eggplant, and Dan Dan noodles with minced mushroom.)

I love Ottolenghi's Plenty for his vibrant take on vegetarian Middle Eastern cuisine. He also has a long-running series on the Guardian .

Serious Eats has a great compendium of vegan recipes. His vegan baos are to-die-for.

Thank you. :)

I learned how to use mine from a book. This book! (tried to url it but Reddit wasn’t letting me). Good for basic guidelines. 😃 This Old Gal has great recipes too.

/r/mealprepsunday is a good place to start, but I found it becomes stale as there isn't much variety.

If you're looking for recipes, the ATK's Quick Family Cookbook. is pretty solid. These take anywhere from 15-45 minutes to make, but each recipe makes enough food for at least 4 meals (pasta ones up to 8-10). It also provides a lot of tips to speed up the cooking process.

You can find plenty of apps for cooking (my favorite for mobile apps is Paprika), but I mostly use OneNote to save all my cooking tips and recipes.

I would start with this book:

Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals

Dead simple, and years later I still have many of the recipes in my rotation. He really gets delicious easy cooking. The salmon tikka knocks people's socks off. Any of the stews are great. Something like this is good as well:

This is a Cookbook: Recipes For Real Life

I have this in e-book form and I have been very happy with it:
Sous Vide Help for the Busy Cook

If you really want the basic primer, the previous reference to douglas baldwin's guide should help you and is a perfect first read.

I bought a cook book for this that really helped. Here is the link to it - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01CIYURJE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493335553&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=instant+pot+cookbook. I've used it to also figure out my own recipes by finding one that is similar and then adjusting what I want to put into it. I've also found this site to be incredibly helpful - http://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/recipe-index/. Good luck and have fun exploring new recipes!

Oats with flax, chia, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds, and fresh fruit is probably the best bfast you can have.
Do yourself a solid and buy a vegan cookbook. I just bought Fuss-Free Vegan and it has some amazing recipes. But honestly, in 2018, 'having no idea' isn't really a valid excuse.

Digital food scale: This is a must for people trying to eat healthier - weighing your food and knowing exactly how much you're eating helps so much in not overeating.

Along the same vein, healthy cookbooks are awesome, such as this one.

I would also suggest a month's membership at a yoga studio or gym nearby, or a giftcard to healthy stores, exercise studios, or websites.

I love this cookbook - though I think one of his other books, The Best Recipes In The World, is even better.

If that's what you think of vegan recipe books then you haven't been looking

https://www.amazon.com/Thug-Kitchen-Official-Cookbook-Like/dp/1623363586

https://www.amazon.com/Minimalist-Bakers-Everyday-Cooking-Plant-based/dp/0735210969

https://www.amazon.com/Fuss-Free-Vegan-Everyday-Favorites-Veganized/dp/0147530350

My omnivore friends, who do NOT sugar coat their opinions, unanimously love everything I've made from those cookbooks. It ain't just kind words. Two of them have approached me and asked me to teach them how to cook like that all the time

Go buy one of these. and pick a few things to learn well and then expand.

i've seen a few people already mention stew...completely agree...but that gets old after a while. just take your time and learn. I do most of the cooking in my house (i'm the husband) and we tend to cook things that make good leftovers so we don't have to cook every day.

also...invest in some decent cookware when you can. cooking is fun, unless you don't have the right supplies.

https://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Changing-Game-Melissa-Clark/dp/0553448234


I think this is the best cookbook I've ever had for weeknight dinners.

Most of it only takes about 30 minutes and the food is awesome

Slow Cooker Comfort Foods is free on Kindle today and has some good food you can make and freeze if you have a slow cooker

i have a ton of books from the editors of Cooking Light magazine. They're awesome recipes and also include some side dish ideas as well. Once a year they come out with a compilation of all the recipes from the magazine and they have a few special editions. I highly recommend them. I've never been disappointed. My first and still favourite although it doesn't give the calories for the side dishes it recommends. However, the majority of their recipes are available online you can import them to MFP

I also recently picked up a couple of interesting cookbooks:
Betty Crockers' 1500 calories a day - it allows you to mix and match recipes to come up to 1500 calories (more or less depending how you choose) per day including dessert

Calories In Calories Out cookbook - this one not only tells you the calories, but how much walking/jogging it would take to burn off the calories from the meal

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

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I really like this book

also good for the holidays is alton brown's green bean casserole recipe note: buy backup fried onions for topping as backup... everyone (including me) always ends up burning them following the first few tries doing his method

If you're a fan of the "recipes from home cooks" approach, you may like Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World which is available on Amazon for $31. Pretty much the same concept but an enormous volume that covers many of the world's major cuisines and a few more regional ones.

Here ya go. It's in a nice 3-ring binder with pages you can take out, solid gift.

I think this is actually the one I used in college lol was helpful to get me started in cooking.


The Four Ingredient Cookbooks-Three Cookbooks in One! https://www.amazon.com/dp/0962855030/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_YV9FDbK030CG2

Have a look at Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World It's an international cookbook that isn't centered on any one cuisine, so it may be just what you're looking for.

I had a cookbook in college that was The Four Ingredient Cookbook. It was great, simple, and I still use some of the recipes from it in a pinch.

I think this is the one I had.

The joy of cooking cook book and America's test kitchen quick family cookbook

Start reading through recipes and you'll get an idea of what spices you need.

This is the uk amazon link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Slow-Cooker-Comfort-Foods-ebook/dp/B00BGS4TLQ/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1367578026&sr=8-1&keywords=Slow+Cooker+Comfort+Foods

Hope I got that right

Get this book.

Get a large cast iron skillet with a lid.

Cook well!

Try these:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-One-Dish-Suppers-Recipes/dp/1933615818

http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Skillet-Recipes-Classic/dp/1933615419/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=51-bpcN4V3L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR127%2C160_&refRID=1PEYT4T69WZNXQQVMJQR

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cant-Cook-Book-Absolutely-Terrified/dp/1451662254/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418247094&sr=8-1&keywords=cookbook+for+people+who+can%27t+cook

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Know-How-Cook-Book/dp/159869703X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1418247094&sr=8-6&keywords=cookbook+for+people+who+can%27t+cook

http://www.amazon.co.uk/%2522I-Dont-Know-Cook%2522-Book/dp/1440584753/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1418247094&sr=8-10&keywords=cookbook+for+people+who+can%27t+cook

here you go!

My wife and I are almost exclusively cooking with America's Test Kitchen Quick Cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Kitchen-Quick-Family-Cookbook/dp/1933615990#

We shop once a week and prep everything we can that day, storing it all in tupperware.