Reddit mentions of The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook

Learn to cook. Learn how to use herbs and spices to develop better flavors.

I learned to cook at an early age primarily by using the 1980 Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook that someone had given my mom. It's really dated, but the illustrations and methods explained are really hard to beat. To this day, I'd recommend this cookbook to any novice. I own a lot of Good Housekeeping Cookbooks, and still think this particular edition is the best "teaching" cookbook.

Kid me wanted to try out all kinds of interesting things, but didn't have access to any non-basic ingredients (to include wine) and my mom wasn't going to spend extra money to get them either. That didn't stop me. I learned to substitute and experiment (bless my family, really). That process taught me the art and the science of cooking. I had to learn early on not to disregard a recipe because I didn't have saffron (and I still don't have saffron) or some other odd ingredient. Learning flavor "families" helps. Taste things. In my area, we have Sprouts that has bulk spices available, so you can buy a tsp of something if you just want to try it before you spend 6 bucks on a jar, or whatever.

As u/Iriltlirl said, stock your fridge/pantry with staples, but staples you'll eat. If you don't like black beans, don't buy a bunch and leave it sitting in your pantry for 10 years. I have always maintained a solid pantry, even in my very poor days. Don't be afraid to buy meat in the family size packs when you can and they're on sale -- they're usually a better price. Separate it into freezer bags and freeze. Some people even put the marinade/spice rub on before the freeze, then it's ready to go when you thaw it.

If you're in a place where it's feasible, start your own herb garden with things you like. Many are perennials, so they come back year after year. What to choose is personal. If you've got a green thumb, start with seed, as it's cheaper. Fresh herbs will make almost anything stand out.

Yes. And you can cook in order to have left overs.

Buy this book used, it tells you how to make EVERYTHING, even cocktails. It'll walk you through making a good burger to making a complex meal, and you'll succeed if you follow the directions. The first part of the book is pictures of the recipe, so you can "shop" for what to make.

When I was a bachelor way back, I asked several ladies which cookbook to buy, and they always recommended this one.

Once you get the hang of cooking - about a month - you'll be good to go.

Thanks! Recipe from the Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook ('80). Link