Reddit mentions: The best wine tasting books

I'm a bit of a cookbook junkie, so I have a bunch to recommend. I'm interpreting this as "good cookbooks from cuisines in Asia" so there are some that are native and others that are from specific restaurants in the US, but I would consider these legit both in terms of the food and the recipes/techniques. Here are a few of my favorites:


Pan-Asian

• Asian Dumplings - the masterpiece on all things dumpling
  
• Asian American - Dale Talde's (Top Chef) book with lots of Asian cultures' food in the US
  
• Asian Pickles - pickles and fermented foods from throughout Asia
  
• Lucky Rice - recipes from the Asian festival of the same name
  
• The Asian Grandmother's Cookbook - traditional cooking passed down to American cooks
  
  Burmese
  
  
• Burma:Rivers of Flavor - good focus on difference in Burmese cuisine from other regional
  
  Cambodian
  
  
• Num Pang - Cambodian sandwich restaurant in NYC
  
• Cambodian Cooking - GREAT book on Cambodian cuisine, supporting refugees
  
  Chinese
  
  
• Ken Hom Complete Chinese Cookbook - great primer for cooking Chinese food using ingredients commonly available in US
  
• China Moon - classic SF Chinese restaurant food
  
• Feeding the Dragon - modern culinary journey through all of China
  
• Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking - omnibus focused on the home chef
  
• Breath of a Wok - focus on wok technique at home
  
• Every Grain of Rice - wonderful Sichuan food for home cooks
  
  Indian
  
  
• Madhur Jaffrey Indian Cooking - actually, any of her cookbooks are wonderful for Indian cooking
  
• Savour Mumbai - looks at Indian cuisine as a melting pot in Mumbai
  
• The Indian Family Cookbook - modern South Indian food
  
• Indian Harvest - Vikas Khanna's family cookbook
  
• Made in India - classic Indian food, from street to home
  
  Indonesia
  
  
• The Food of Indonesia - everything you need for a rijstaffel!
  
  Japanese
  
  
• Japanese Farm Food - authentic rural Japanese cooking
  
• Preserving the Japanese Way - how to make awesome Japanese pickled vegetables
  
• Sushi Chef - not strictly speaking a cookbook, but "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" book in English
  
• The Japanese Grill - authentic hibachi and Japanese grill recipes
  
• Japanese Comfort Food - lots of traditional Japanese recipes
  
• Nanban - Japanese "soul food"
  
• Tokyo Cult Recipes - hip modern urban food from Tokyo
  
• Yum Yum Bento Boxes - updated modern take on bento boxes
  
• Ivan Ramen - traditional ramen for a Western audience
  
• Izakaya - traditional Japanese pub food & small plates
  
• Nikkei - emigrant Japanese food culture in South America
  
• Donabe - traditional Japanese hot pot recipes
  
• Kyotofu - very unique Japanese dessert cookbook
  
  Korean
  
  
• K Food - modern take on Korean street food
  
• Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking - great resource for Korean cooking in a non-pro kitchen
  
• Traditional Food - omnibus of four regions of Korean food
  
• Koreatown - authentic, approachable guide to Korean food in a US context
  
• Smoke & Pickles - Edward Lee's fusion of his Korean heritage and southern barbeque
  
• The Kimchi Cookbook - many, many recipes for kimchi...
  
  Malaysian
  
  
• Malaysian Cooking - good overview of Malay cooking
  
  Middle Eastern
  
  
• The New Persian Kitchen - modern Iranian food
  
• Ottolenghi - Israeli-Palestinian collaboration
  
• Persiana - dynamic modern recipes from throughout the Middle East
  
• Zahav - modern Israeli food
  
• Sweet Middle East - traditional and modern desserts
  
  Philippine
  
  
• Filipino Homestyle Dishes - good intro to classic Filipino dishes
  
  Russian
  
  
• Mamushka - focus on Ukraine
  
  Sri Lankan
  
  
• Hidden Kitchens of Sri Lanka - beautiful photo-cookbook on Sri Lankan cuisine
  
  Taiwanese
  
  
• The Food of Taiwan - um... food... from Taiwan
  
  Thailand
  
  
• Nong's Thai Kitchen - she beat Bobby Flay in pad thai
  
• Pok Pok - Portland's most AWESOME Asian restaurant
  
  Turkish
  
  
• Istanbul:Recipes from the Heart of Turkey - lovely focus on urban Turkish food
  
• Anatolia - wonderful approachable approach to Turkish cuisine
  
• Essential Turkish Cuisine - focus on history and evolution of Turkish food
  
  Vietnamese
  
  
• The Slanted Door - great Vietnamese restaurant cookbook
  
• Vietnamese Market Cookbook - focus on simple Vietnamese from fresh ingredients
  
• Into the Vietnamese Kitchen - traditional Vietnamese home cooking
  
• The Banh Mi Cookbook - the greatest sandwich in the world!
  
• Vietnamese Home Cooking - another great overview
  
  (edit: screwed up a couple links)

I was like that about a year ago. I was really intimidated and had zero skills, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be.

Anyway, I hear How to Boil Water is a good cookbook for absolute beginners.

Also, there's a couple of terms that are the basic to a lot of recipes, and once you learn those, it makes everything easier.

One of those is sautee. It comes up often with onions at the beginning of recipes.

Here's a primer to cook many different types of vegetables: Put a little bit of oil on the pan (enough to coat the bottom). Any oil will do, but olive oil is better for many things (and healthier). Heat the oil. Add some garlic. Garlic is most flavourfull when the cell walls are broken, so chop it up finely, smash it down with the blunt side of the knife, or use a garlic press. Alternatively you can use garlic power, but it's not as good as fresh. Let the garlic turn golden brown. Now the oil is infused with delicous garlic-y flavour which you can add to whatever other vegetables you have on hand. Throw fresh chopped vegetables in or some pre-chopped frozen ones and add salt and pepper to taste. Every once in a while pick one up and see if it's the consistency you'd like by biting into it. The best thing about cooking vegetables is that if you undercook it, it's just extra crunchy.

Extra tips on specific types of vegetables for this process:
Onions - usually you can put them in with the garlic, and all subsequent vegetables will gain it's delicious flavour too. Usually you cook them until they're kind of translucent, or they're golden brown (for a milder, slightly sweet taste)
Bok choy - cook them till they're kind of mushy and soaked with oil (so good!)
Asparagus - break off the ends because they're tough to chew
Brocolli - It'll turn a brighter shade of green when done

You can also do this to cooked pasta, for when flavourless pasta is becoming old.


Also, chili is a good beginner recipe (and hard to screw up if you make it vegetarian). I recommend you use a recipe for the first couple of times, but after that, you'll know that you can just throw any chili type things you have. Sautee onions (with or without garlic). Throw in a bunch of cans of beans (whatever kind you prefer or a mixture), throw in cans of diced tomatoes (bonus points if you have fresh), any vegetables you want to get rid of, some cumin, some chili powder, some Italian seasoning (it's a mixture of oregano, basil, and rosemary and other herbs that go well with a lot of things), salt, pepper if you feel like it, and whatever spices you feel like. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat so it's simmering for a while. The longer you simmer, the more time the spices have to infuse, some people do it for hours, but sometimes there isn't time for that so you can do it for about half an hour.

Other easy recipes you can look up: eggs (omelets, hard boiled, stirred with rice and leftovers, fried eggs), stir fry, quesidillas, curry, crepes. Frozen salmon (throw it in the oven for however long the package says, with maybe a bit of salt, and it'll flavour itself).

Oh, and rice: I recommend a rice cooker. There's a couple of ways to make rice, and it's dependant on culture/type of rice you want to make. Easiest way: throw in some rice in the rice cooker, add 1 to 2 times the ratio of water, throw in some salt if you feel like it. Plug in the machine and it'll beep and turn itself off when you're done.
For less starchy rice, wash the rice first. (It's not that it's dirty, there's just starch around it). The number of times you throw in some water, swish it around, and throw it out during the cooking process is again, dependent on culture. Do it more for softer, fluffy rice, and more for firmer rice. For brazilian style rice, do the garlic thing in the rice cooker before you add the rice. For Japanese style rice (like sticky rice), buy short grained rice, wash it several times, and add more water (between 1:2 to 1:2.5 rice to water ratio). To make it sushi rice, add sushi vinegar (you can find it in asian grocery stores). With a little soy sauce and some smoked salmon on top, it makes really easy sushi.
(Sorry for such a long rice section. I'm brazilian and japanese. Rice is an institution at my house).

Also, big tip: never serve things until you've tasted it. I think one of the main skills of cooking is tasting what something needs (e.g. more spicy, more salty, more oregano, etc.). It takes some practice, but it means you can make things how you want to taste rather than the person who wrote the recipe likes it to taste.


Cooking websites:
www.supercook.com - tells you a list of possible recipes based on what ingredients you have
www.cookingforengineers.com

You sound very intelligent for someone still in high school. That will get you far, though the only downside to intelligence is the tendency to overthink. It's a blessing and a curse (mostly a blessing, though)

You sound like you have a clear idea of what your goals are, but just need some help getting there.

Definitely getting into shape will do a wonder for your confidence and physical wellbeing. I'm 25, and have struggled with my weight since I hit puberty, but I think I've finally found some light coming through the end of the tunnel after tons of research about weight loss. As it turns out, 95% of weight loss advice floating around on the internet is false, and the reason it varies so much is because there's an actual science behind it and not a one-size-fits-all approach. If you've tried losing weight before, you probably have my body type (endomorph)

This is the book that's changing my life currently. I'm sure it's available for a cheaper price used. If you can buy it somehow, I seriously recommend that you do. You might not be able to implement everything that's in there yet since you probably have no control over what foods get brought into your home, but knowing the science behind weight loss is very powerful knowledge. I wish this book existed when I was in high school. Because being overweight is not only a confidence shrinker, it'll eventually lead to a ton of other health problems (to which I'm only 25 and am now experiencing unfortunately, had to drop out of college temporarily because of it) Once you learn the scientific way to keep weight off like I did, it should be a very exciting revelation. (I actually cried after reading the first few chapters)

As for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, if it's disrupting your daily/nightly life, getting help for it would be a good idea. If there's a chance that the way you approach your mother will get you to recieve help, I'd say go for it and try to get it.

I have OCD, but it's not severe enough to have clinically gotten diagnosed. I figured out how to stop doing as many rituals that were disrupting my life (at one point I injured myself pretty severely from a nightly 45 minute ritual. That's when I knew I needed to either seek help or learn to curb my symptoms somehow) I had mild facial tourette's as well (I still have it sometimes when I'm stressed) I started curbing my super long and detrimental rituals by replacing them with less invasive rituals little by little, until they became a lot shorter and less physically demanding. The dangerous stretching ritual I was doing before bed slowly turned into posing, then the posing became less frequent, so I was still satisfying tbe compulsion, but modifying it slightly each time. Exercise also helps with this for some reason.

I didn't have a sister that used to sort of steal my friends away from me, but my childhood best friend used to do that, since she was much more outgoing and comical than I was. I had to eventually let her go, which was a very hard decision to make, but ultimately when we stopped being friends, I was finally able to make my own friends (also as a side note, if you love music, concerts are an amazing place to make friends. My high school also had over 1,500 students - plenty of people to chose from, so she couldn't steal all of them away if she didn't even know who they were. But, since the person doing this to you is your sister, this might not be applicable for you until you're out of the house and/or in college (to which hopefully you chose one different than your sister's)

It sounds like you're past the point of trying to talk to your sister to tell her how you feel, but if you haven't tried that yet, maybe it would actually be helpful. Some people have no idea that they're hurting you until you tell them. If I had the verbal skills in high school to tell my childhood bestfriend how I was feeling, maybe we wouldn't have had to stop being friends.

Hopefully some of this helps you in some way. A lot of what you said reminded me of myself when I was in high school, minus the family dynamic.
I wish you the best.

This is going to be the opposite of what you want to hear. But, you asked for it and I respect that. I think that there's no substitute for going about this old school and traditionally. The good news is that you can mostly do this for yourself, by yourself.

If you're disinclined (due to time or for another reason) to enroll in a culinary program get yourself either The Professional Chef or Martha Stewart's Cooking School

I know what you're thinking, "Martha Stewart? What am I? A housewife from Iowa?" Fuck that. I've been fortunate to have met and worked with Martha Stewart she's smart enough to know what she doesn't know and that particular book was actually written by a CIA alum and very closely follows the first year or so that you'd get in a program like that. It starts with knife work and then moves on to stocks and sauces. This particular book has actually been criticized as being too advance for people who have no idea what they're doing so, despite appearances, it may be perfect for you. If you want to feel more pro and go a little deeper, get the CIA text but know that it's more or less the same info and frankly, the pictures in the MSO book are really great. Plus, it looks like Amazon has them used for $6 bucks.

These resources will show you HOW to do what you want and they follow a specific, traditional track for a reason. Each thing that you learn builds on the next. You learn how to use your knife. Then, you practice your knife work while you make stocks. Then, you start to learn sauces in which to use your stocks. Etc. Etc. Etc. Almost like building flavors... It's all part of the discipline and you'll take that attention to detail into the kitchen with you and THAT'S what makes great food.

Then, get either Culinary Artistry or The Flavor Bible (Both by Page and Dornenburg. Also consider Ruhlman's Ratio (a colleague of mine won "Chopped" because she memorized all the dessert ratios in that book) and Segnit's Flavor Thesaurus. These will give you the "where" on building flavors and help you to start to express yourself creatively as you start to get your mechanics and fundamentals down.

Now, I know you want the fancy science stuff so that you can throw around smarty pants things about pH and phase transitions and heat transfer. So...go get Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking THAT is the bible. When the people who run the Ferran Adria class at Harvard have a question, it's not Myhrvold that they call up, it's Harold McGee. While Modernist Cuisine always has a long, exciting complicated solution to a problem I didn't even know I had, when I really want to know what the fuck is going on, I consult McGee and you will too, once you dig in.

Another one to consider which does a great job is the America's Test Kitchen Science of Good Cooking this will give you the fundamental "why's" or what's happening in practical situations and provides useful examples to see it for yourself.

Honestly, if someone came to me and asked if they should get MC or McGee and The Science of Good Cooking and could only pick one and never have the other, I'd recommend the McGee / ATK combo everyday of the week and twice on Tuesdays.

Good luck, dude. Go tear it up!

Ok, a few things that I hope can help:

1. What kind of recipes have you tried in the past? It might help to start with meals that are easy, individual things like: baked chicken, asparagus, and a salad. So, if you mess up the asparagus you still have chicken and a salad to be proud of. Also, they require really minimal skills. There are some really great beginner cookbooks and food blogs. How to Boil Water comes to mind. Also, if you feel comfortable, ask your boyfriend for pointers, or suggest that you cook a few meals a week together so that you can learn in a fun, low-pressure way. Don't get discouraged - everyone has to start somewhere!
   
   
2. Some basic cooking tips that may help: I've found that it really helps to set up a "mise en place" before I start to cook. That's basically a fancy French word for saying prep everything first. Anything that needs to be chopped: chop it. Anything that needs to be peeled: peel it. Measure all your spices out. Read the recipe through once twice before you do ANYTHING so that you can see what each step is and what sort of timing you'll be working with. That way you don't get to the end of the recipe like "Wait, why didn't I use these chopped onions yet? Oh shit, they were supposed to go in FIRST."
   
   
3. A lot of your foods are carb/sugar heavy. I don't believe in cutting out one category of food and I'm not a nutritionist, but you will feel fuller, longer if you focus on getting more protein. Pizza bagels are super yummy but pretty lacking in nutrition. Really focus on eating whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, lean protein, etc. I saw some of your posts that you snack on FiberOne bars and Nature Valley bars. That's totally fine if you're starving and in a jam with not much else to eat. If it's every day though, try and think about what you're aiming for with those snacks. They're both really full of sugar, and personally, the fiber in FiberOne bars gives me a stomach ache. A better option would be something like an apple with almond or real peanut butter (aka a natural brand with ground-up peanuts and salt, not Jiff). That gives you natural fiber, protein from the peanuts, a bit of sugar for your sweet tooth, and is about the same amount of calories. I think it might help to focus on nutrition first, and calorie count once you've got nutrition under control. So, for example, focus on getting a healthy amount of protein (~.8g protein per lb of your body weight), fiber, more vitamins, and less added sugar. Then once you feel like you're eating fairly healthy, shift your focus to getting the proper amount of calories. Just my two cents, but obviously, do what works for you and feels right!
   
   Edit: Whoops, just saw you said protein hurts your stomach. Do the hard boiled eggs and tuna hurt your stomach too? If not, maybe focus on getting protein via eggs and tuna, but increasing the quantity of those two things gradually. There's a great, easy recipe for eggs that's basically "Simmer tomato sauce in a large pan, crack eggs into it, cover pan with a lid, cook for ~8 mins until the eggs are firm." Super yummy and would give you protein.

No one has mentioned it yet, but I learned a lot from cook books.

These are not just lists or recipes, but instruction about techniques and methods and processes.

Some good ones are:

• How to Cook Everything: The Basics
  
• Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
  
• Cook's Illustrated Cookbook
  
  Having an actual dead tree book can be more convenient in the kitchen than a laptop or mobile device with an ebook.
  
  If you can find episodes of Good Eats by Alton Brown he is really good at explaining things. Videos can be good, but a lot of times but really only when you know what it is you're looking for. With a book it is going to give you topics that you might never have thought of.
  
  But for reals now, you are going to get the best value learning how to cook the basics. Your Instant pot is AWESOME for cooking dry beans. Get pound of dry black beans and 3 pounds of water (obviously you need a good kitchen scale). I just put the inner pot of my Instantpot on the scale, dump in the beans, tare it, then pour water in with a big cup till I have 3 lbs. Put in 1/2-1 teaspoon of salt. I also add granulated garlic and powdered onion and some cumin but you don't have to. Set your instanpot to manual for 45 mins and wait. Let it naturally release, if you manually release the pressure the skin on the beans will break, to me it still tastes the same but you have far fewer whole beans. Now you have a weeks worth of delicious, healthy black beans. No need for overnight soak or anything.
  
  Small white beans (a.k.a navy beans) can be cooked the same and they taste different but just as good. Or you can add the extra ingredients and make pork and beans.
  
  You can cook pinto beans with the same basic recipe, and they taste great too. When you want to take the extra time, then with a slotted spoon dish the cooked beans into a large frying pan with some lard or shortening and make your own refried beans. You smash the beans with the back of the spoon or a spatula, and use the bean broth to add liquid till you like the texture.
  
  If you can't tell I like cooking beans in my Instantpot. I have a rice cooker but you can cook rice in the Instantpot too. Beans and rice is healthy and cheap!!! (cook them separately and mix them after cooking).
  
  

Starting resource: Bittman's How to Cook Everything: The Basics

Other tips:
Almost anything is great sautéed in olive oil with salt & pepper. You can get fancier from there, but once chopping & sautéing becomes no big deal, cooking gets a lot easier. You just have to level up!

If you are not yet readily chopping veggies into bits, there are lots of pre-packaged bags of salad greens & veggies. I have found veggie trays (carrot & celery sticks w/ ranch) are a quick & easy fix, and more fun to eat as it seems like you're at a party. Other quick finger foods like grapes, nuts, berries, turkey pepperoni or string cheese are handy to have around for a blood sugar boost for meal-making energy.

You can never go wrong with PB & J, grilled cheese, or scrambled eggs.

A slow cooker/rice cooker is your friend. Chili is easy to make and will keep a while. Delicious over brown rice, add cheese.

Good luck!

Ohh sure thing! I've got a small collection but the one I always rec and lend out isn't a cookbook, but actually this really useful guide called: The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook. For baking, I really like watching Great British Bake off for recipes and have Mary Berry's Baking Bible, it's been a good guide. I also like Ricardo, and made his apple+pecan and raisin cake over the holidays and it was really good. But my true love is actually cheese making (despite my lactose intolerance lol) and so Nick Haddow's Milk Made is my baby, there's a recipe for saffron+honey cheesecake I'm planning on making for my brother when he finishes his midterms. Martha's good, you can actually find her recipes online but nothing off the top of my head I can recommend rn.

Plan 1: Grab a general purpose beginner's book like Ruhlman's 20, How to Cook Everything: the Basics, or The Four Hour Chef and get cracking.

For the record, I would start with Ruhlman since he's the most oriented towards principles, techniques, and general purpose stuff. Bittman's great, but he mostly teaches via recipe which isn't that helpful when you're just barely starting out. Ferris' book is incredible and I would wholeheartedly recommend it, but it's huge and filled with a lot of rabbit trails about learning styles, foreign languages, memorizing playing cards, and shooting 3 points. If you like watching Tim Ferris ADD on neat stuff (and I do) it's a great read, but it definitely isn't only about cooking.

Plan 2: Get this poster. Ideally here. Get the veggie if you need it. Buy the stuff, make the stuff. This won't be quite as much initial layout as buying a book, and it's not nearly as intimidating. But it's not nearly as detailed so you're going to have to do a lot more guess-and-check type stuff and be ready to throw out your mistakes, which is probably going to cost more and be more frustrating in the long run.

tl;dr - Ruhlman

Disclaimer: links are for convenience only. I receive no benefit other than sharing my favorite sources.

In my opinion I think that as a beginner, looking online for recipes can be so overwhelming and it's hard to find what's good and what's garbage without an established sense of taste/cooking. Sure, you can look at the comments, but it takes a lot of time and without knowing how to cook it's hard to know what you're even looking for.

I would highly recommend trying out a beginner's cookbook (Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything: The Basics or How to Cook Everything Vegetarian are great ones). Look through it, read up on techniques/skills, and pick something you think you'll like and cook it.

Also, you can probably check out cookbooks from your library if you want to try them out before investing money on them.

Remember that we all started somewhere. Nobody is born a good cook, it's a learned skill that you have to practice. Same with taste - if you're used to tasting the same types of foods, you're going to have to adjust to trying new foods. I didn't eat any vegetables at all growing up and now I love them! I just realized you need to put salt and cheese on them, lol. But really I also just needed to get used to the taste, which took some time.

For learning to cook, I highly recommend How to Boil Water. It got me going on the basics, has uncomplicated (and delicious) recipes--and now I love cooking. Plus, making my own food made me open up my tastes more, and I eat a lot more foods now than I did prior.

And I echo everyone else saying that along with yoga and biking (which are both great, for flexibility and endurance respectively) you should definitely get advice from your boyfriend on how to start an exercise program. Having someone knowledgable to help you get started is invaluable and will give you the confidence and knowledge base to do it on your own. At the very least, he can teach you bodyweight exercises and weight training lifts (squats, rows, presses, deadlifts) to add muscle and strength, and the proper form with which to do them. Good luck!

This is wonderful, I was thinking about making a post about finding new recipes.

• I will pretty much cook whatever looks good as I browse recipes at work. I mostly cooking Italian and Japanese (but I'm trying to expand my horizons)
  
  
• Watching Gordon Ramsay videos inspired me to improve my cooking. Before I cooked and I was pretty ok but now I'm actively trying to improve with every new dish.
  
  
• Based on frequency of use I would say the Skinnytaste Cookbook, but I recently flipped through Savuer: The New Classics and I found so many recipes I want to try.
  
  
• What I really want to try different regional cuisines. Pinterest can get really same-y and boring when you browse the food & drink section, and even if you search for certain types of cuisines the selection is always more "simple", Americanized, or modified for a slowcooker. While I love cookbooks I can't afford to go out and buy every "traditional [blank] meals" book that looks good.
  
  
• I'm very interested learning more about Mexican, Indian, Irish and French.
  
  
• One of the few things that stops me from certain recipes is getting the materials. Small towns are a bit limited and I'm still on the hunt for a source of lamb chops.
  
  
• The one outlet of food I'm hesitant to explore is seafood. There are some types of fish I'll eat, but it's limited.
  

You've received a lot of great comments and tips. My two cents: instead of a crockpot/slow cooker, consider getting an electric pressure cooker. I have the Instant Pot, which is primarily an electric pressure cooker but also has a slow cooker function. Best of both worlds in one unit! Then, you can make all the excellent slow-cooker recipes you have here on top of the quick and super-easy pressure cooker ones. My favorite pressure cooker sites are:

[Dad Cooks Dinner] (http://dadcooksdinner.com/)

[Hip Pressure Cooking] (http://www.hippressurecooking.com/)

Favorite PC cookbooks - either [Great Big Pressure Cooker] (https://www.amazon.com/Great-Big-Pressure-Cooker-Book/dp/0804185328/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1483205095&sr=8-5&keywords=pressure+cooker+cookbook) cookbook, or any of the Lorna Sass books like Cooking Under Pressure, etc.

Best of luck to you!

Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything the Basics is really good for beginner stuff. Thug Kitchen's new book is also a great starting place for learning how to cook cheap and healthy.

My all time favorite cookbook is Mastering the Art of French Cooking which is a great intro to French techniques. The recipes themselves are not always cheap and healthy, but the skills you learn are super super useful for any type of cooking. It is by far the cookbook I have learned the most from.

How to Boil Water I think is perfect for what you're looking for. It covers a lot of basic stuff that really helps when it comes to approaching new recipes and being comfortable.

I'm not a pro by any stretch, but my parents never taught me how to cook growing up (as well as other common household things) I've made an effort to learn well enough to teach my daughters.

Make all my Thanksgiving from scratch on Thursday, wish me luck!

EDIT: Personal tip, stock up on seasonings when you can, they tend to go a long way. And make sure to taste them and smell them individually from time to time. It helps get a feel for what it contributes to what you're cooking, and what flavor you want.

Good on you for deciding to make a healthy change! Definitely check out the /r/EatCheapAndHealthy/ sub. It's a kind and helpful group that routinely gives great tips and recipes.

If you're just starting out, investing in a basic cookbook is an excellent way to learn cooking skills at your own pace. I'd get one that starts with boiling eggs and such basics, then progresses to simple recipes. How to Cook Everything: The Basics and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian are good ones, both by Mark Bittman. Another good resource is BudgetBytes.com.

Also, you might do some reading up on meal planning. IMO, it's just as important as the cooking and eating.

The only cookbook I've used multiple times has been How to Boil Water. It has a lot of basic recipes, but the best part about it is that it also gives you lots of great instructions on how to prepare and store different foods. It's a great book that I refer back to often. :)

Find your local cheap grocery store...Sav-A-Lot, Aldi, etc. I think it depends on where you are...but...a discount place will help you b/c they usually have smaller packaging, and cheaper ingredients.

Find a basics book like this. You can get books from your library, I also use Overdrive app to borrow ebooks (I use it through my local library, but you can sign up with an email). These kinds of books will explain the steps and process, more than just give you directions on putting ingredients together.

When using a recipe: read through the whole recipe and ingredients first. If you don't recognize everything...look it up, but consider that if you have to look up a bunch of stuff, it might be beyond your scope for the time being and attempt something else.

On supplies: You really don't need a lot, utilize thrift stores, craigslist, FB marketplace - a lot of people give these things away when they get new. For basics:

• Wood spoon, pancake turner, rubber/silicone spatula, whisk, slotted spoon, measuring cups (even dollar store cups are fine), teaspoons. For the pancake turner, I have two - a metal one for my heavy metal pans, and a plastic one for my non-stick stuff...but my non-stick is on it's last legs and I will probably toss them soon and when I do - the plastic turner goes with them. Maybe one or two large bowls (I started with dollar store plastic bowls...they were AWFUL, but they worked and I got them for cheap).
  
  
• Pots/pans: if you're cooking alone, don't worry about getting a bunch of stuff. Maybe one medium pot with a lid (about 2 quarts), one skillet (about 14-16 inches), one 8x8ish dish, one 9x13, and maybe a baking sheet (though in a pinch, if you can't get this/don't want to get this - bake in your 8x8 or 9x13 dishes).
  
  
• Other things...a decent knife (even though I have a knife set, I really just use the one large knife for everything most of the time). Maybe a tiny food processor...you can get these for like $9.99 sometimes, they're really small, but helpful when you don't have all the skills down. Easy to chop, mince, and puree with one small machine. Cutting board.
  
  A lot of this stuff might be sitting in relative's kitchens unused...and they might even give you a few things if you let them know you're looking for some supplies.
  
  In the future, also look into a crock pot. You can use it with minimal effort and make enough to save food for later (large pot of soup - split it up into quart freezer bags and thaw for meals later).
  
  Meal planning for beginners...Find 3 or 4 dishes you can learn how to make and keep making them until you know how to do them without messing up at all. Basic dishes. A rice dish, a pasta dish, a soup, a casserole (like chicken pot pie). Don't worry about trying to make everything from scratch...You can buy minute rice, and pre-made pie crusts, canned and frozen vegetables are cheaper than fresh and don't go bad in the fridge if you can't use them quickly. But frozen tends to be better for most varieties...and you can even buy frozen diced onions...and since many recipes start with cooking onion...using frozen saves you time and effort. You can also buy minced garlic in the jar...which I prefer to powdered, and lasts longer than fresh.

Okay so not really a cookbook but a great thing to keep around when you’re not sure what to pair with what you have on hand. The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook it’s kinda fun to flip through and see all the different flavor pairings. They categorize by flavors. So if one day you’re feeling something earthy, they have a section for it.

I sent you a message separately since I don't want to be spammy and link to my own site here. But I'd like to address your general concerns of where and how to begin.

If you want to make some honey BBQ or apricot chicken, that's great. However, starting at that level may actually be a disservice to you, especially as most recipes are structured to assume some base level of knowledge that you don't have. The result can be frustrating as you try to piece together bits of knowledge from wherever you can scrounge them.

The worst part is not understanding why certain things are happening. The Alton Brown recipe that /u/MercuryCrest shared will be unusually good because he's teaching you why you're doing certain things. That will make recipes repeatable and your skills generalizable.

If you can get access to all of Good Eats, that's typically what people recommend. But I'd also like to recommend just a good book, like Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything The Basics which will walk you through a bunch of beginner recipes.

I personally have not used this cookbook, but I had a friend once that loved it. May be worth a look for your husband - the description (as well as several reviews) state that it does a great job at explaining things in detail

There is also this book by the same author that is apparently more basic and focused on learning proper cooking techniques.

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.

First of all, relax. You CAN learn to cook, it is NOT rocket science. Of all the things on your plate right now, learning how to cook is one of the easier ones. This book takes you by the hand and assumes you know NOTHING. Follow it, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a confident home cook:

https://smile.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food-ebook/dp/B00BS03TYU

And good luck!!

I'm a newbie, but I'm rather fond of Lorna Sass' Pressure Perfect - has good generic tips for pressure cooking, e.g. using a foil pouch to protect vegetables over a long cooking time, as well as a bunch of great recipes.

I'm in the same boat as you. I can follow a recipe but I have no actual cooking basics. I just bought this book and it is fantastic. Explains everything from the very beginning (hello boiling water) and then gets more complex as it goes along.

I'm going to start at the beginning and cook my way through. Pretty excited about it.


How to Cook Everything The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food--With 1,000 Photos https://www.amazon.com/dp/0470528060/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_dSMfvb07D7242
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0470528060/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_dSMfvb07D7242

I'd recommend buying this book which has tons of great recipes at a variety of easy levels and it does a great job showing and describing different cooking methods. It's seriously the best.

I second this, and I'll add my 'starter cookbook' to help you out. How to Cook Everything: The Basics by Mark Bittman. My copy is older, I've had it since I was a teenager, so no photos in mine, only diagrams. I still learned a lot from it, and it's still my go-to for a lot of basic recipes.

Cooking at home it's also easier to control your calorie intake, especially if you use recipes that go by weight. A good tip to make it easier for a beginner is to use bowls. Just like on cooking shows, measure out your spices and ingredients into bowls and then they're all ready for you. (Also always chop your veggies before your meat, food safety.) Kitchen timers and a meat thermometer are your friends when you're just starting out, and you're not sure if it's done or not.

This book was my go to when I first moved out - the kitchen essentials list especially. I used the tools listed to make my Christmas and birthday gifts lists all through school. The chocolate chip cookie recipe in here is still my go to for bake sales and potlucks. https://www.amazon.com/Small-Kitchen-Recipes-Cooking-World/dp/0061998249 I wish I could lend you my copy but maybe the library has one.

You’re in such an interesting and amazing point in your life. Enjoy!

If you're just starting out, How to Boil Water may be a good read. I've recommended it to a lot of college age friends trying to expand beyond easy mac and they've said that a lot of the recipes have been great

This is a fantastic book that I actually got for my boyfriend, but I use it more than he does!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0470528060?pc_redir=1396182476&robot_redir=1

It's all about the basics (from how to cut veggies, to how to cook different meats, etc). And it doesn't judge! We don't all have the benefit of great cook mothers who taught us everything we know :)

The [Skinnytaste cookbook] (http://www.amazon.com/Skinnytaste-Cookbook-Light-Calories-Flavor/dp/0385345623/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418503118&sr=8-1&keywords=skinnytaste) just came out. I don't own it yet but the author is a blogger and all the food from her blog is amazing and healthy -- great for someone trying to lose weight, even if she has other people who share meals with her.

I also love his How to Cook Everything: The Basics. Most of them are super simple, some are stupid simple (scrambled eggs?), but everything I've cooked from here have been absolutely delicious. It's a nice book to have when you want something simple and fast(ish). Plus every recipe has a picture. I only really buy cook books that have pictures since I flip through books and use the pictures to decide what I want to eat.

https://www.amazon.com/Flavor-Thesaurus-Compendium-Pairings-Creative/dp/160819874X

I picked this up cheap somewhere and it's a fun book when you DO feel like straying from the recipe a bit. It lists which flavors go with other flavors. So if you have some great vanilla beans, you can look up vanilla and get some ideas for what direction to take. It can be a lot of fun and often surprising.

In case you want descriptions or reviews, I've added Amazon links.

> The Happy Cook: 125 Recipes for Eating Every Day Like It's the Weekend by Daphne Oz

>Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

>Live by Night: A Novel by Dennis Lehane

>Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win -the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

>Appetites: A Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever

>War Hawk: A Tucker Wayne Novel by James Rollins, Grant Blackwood

>Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon, Shana Knizhnik

>Downfall: A Brady Novel of Suspense by J. A. Jance

>Chaos: A Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell

>The Witch of Portobello: A Novel by Paulo Coelho

For just starting out I really like How to Boil Water by the Food Network. It's not huge, but has lots of good tips and photos for beginners and the recipes are quick and easy to follow. However if they really get into cooking they'll outgrow it pretty quick!

https://www.amazon.ca/Boil-Water-Food-Network-Kitchens/dp/0696226863/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485447936&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+boil+water

If you can't seem to master regular recipes, I'd just stick with the premade baby food. It's not that pricey (of course, it's more expensive than making it yourself) and it's super easy to use. I consider myself a better than average cook/recipe follower, and I had trouble keeping up with making baby food for my 9 month old.

If you're looking to learn how to cook, I'd recommend buying an actual cookbook. Following recipes online is great, but old school cookbooks have a whole section in the front that teach you the basics. I like this one by Better Homes and Gardens, or How to Cook Everything

> I swear he's trying to make me fat!

That might be...accurate. Regardless of the cause, you can tell him that you love special surprises but from now on they can't be food. You might also want to pick out a nice new cookbook together so that you can cook healthier food — this one is very popular.

Hey, I am currently trying to do the same thing!! Right now I am using Mark Bittman's book http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-The-Basics/dp/0470528060/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346980473&sr=8-3&keywords=mark+bittman he's amazing! Everything he has is so simple and its a good start to learn the very basics of everything. New is only 14! He has a bunch of other basics books including vegetarian. Check it out, and PM if you want to know anything else, I have made about 25 of the recipes from this book and have loved everyone.

No doubt it would. Honestly if you're new to cooking there's a book I can't recommend enough. It's pretty healthy (as long as you keep most of what you're eatin in mind) and teaches solid basic techniques and concepts. It's called "how to cook everything the basics" by mark bittman.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-The-Basics/dp/0470528060

It'll talk about how to cook eggs properly and so on. He's good bring out flavor with very simple and mostly healthy ideas (ignoring the butter he likes to use).

There’s a funny cookbook my boss got for a coworker called something like “How to Boil Water” with just the basics. Might not be a bad idea to pick that up for him and have him cook 1-2 times/week with your supervision.

And this makes me so glad my DH can cook! He keeps me fed and happy with healthy meals.

ETA here’s the link https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0696226863/ref=cm_cr_othr_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8#cm_cr_carousel_images_section

Interesting that you're finding a lack of food options. I haven't found an issue there, but I'm not a particularly picky eater. Are you branching out and trying new veggies that you haven't had before? Maybe just experimenting a little will make a difference. I have 3 cookbooks that have been in heavy rotation the past few weeks and we're definitely getting a good variety of foods.


Taking out the Carbage - This one is pricey to buy new, but if you can find a used copy on Amazon it's worth it.

The Keto Crockpot Cookbook

Weeknight Paleo

Buy rotisserie chickens from the grocery store (healthier than breaded and already pre-cooked). You can even make a simple bone broth with the leftover carcasses (freeze until ready).



I was a beginner cook (age 29!) and this book is excellent to help you learn the basics (boil water, scramble eggs, make a salad, etc) : http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0470528060/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1462492744&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=basic+cookbook&dpPl=1&dpID=51ZFp-8FH4L&ref=plSrch



I started following several cooking subreddits to give me motivation to try new dishes . /r/shittyfoodporn helps on those days when i feel like a failure.



But if you keep trying, you'll start to get excited by all the different types of foods there are out there.

I just picked up How to cook everything: the basics
And it's pretty great so far! Would recommend!

From what I understand, culinary school and the ensuing career to be pursued thereafter is a long, painstaking, and arduous process. I believe AB makes mention about the hopes and expecations of culinary students versus the reality in his book The Nasty Bits (i'm pretty sure that's the one).

Basically what I've gathered is that it is far from a glorious way to make a living, but rather a very tough road. Very long hours on your feet, doing monotonous tasks in a very closed, hot space in very close quarters with people you may or may not get along with. Most likely the job placement service at your school will get you a job at a place like a Chile's or equivalent or even less glamorous. Lastly AB mentions that it is not a career path suited for someone getting later in years, as your speed, legs, and energy are not what the 18-24 years olds you'll work with have.

I'd say if you are even wavering on the subject it's probably not for you. It's going to be a very grueling and harsh way to make a living unless you are extremely lucky.

Read about building flavor profiles.

There are a couple of good books on the market: The Flavor Bible and The Flavor Thesauraus. They both have a lot of information on what ingredients go well with each other.

Also, learn by doing. Try things you think may go together well, even if it's not conventional. Even if the things you try don't come together, you can still learn from it. Try to understand WHY it didn't work (cooking method, flavor profile, preparation all have an affect), think about what you can do to correct the mistake, then implement that the next time you try that dish. I don't own a copy of it myself (yet), but Cook's Illustrated Magazine's The Science of Good Cooking would probably help in that regard.

In general, I consider Alton Brown, Cook's Illustrated/Cook's Country, America's Test Kitchen, and Julia Child to be very reputable in the information they convey.

I recently picked up an Indian cook book, and the recipes are amazing and most have worked well for lunch prep for the week. Few notable ones being daily dal and dal makhani. Good flavor and spice, add jera rice or naan and it's a filling lunch. She has a site too and the recipes are easily found online but the book is a very good collection.

https://www.amazon.com/Made-India-Recipes-Indian-Kitchen/dp/1250071011

If you're looking for basics, it's hard to beat Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything The Basics.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-The-Basics/dp/0470528060

It's exactly what you're looking for. It covers the basics of cooking, with 1,000+ photos.

Another go-to recommendation is Jacque Pepin's New Complete Techniques, a fantastic 2012 update of his epic masterpieces La Technique and La Methode, with 1000 new photos.

http://www.amazon.com/Jacques-P%C3%A9pin-New-Complete-Techniques/dp/1579129110

Both books are great. I prefer Pepin's book since it's based solely on classic French technique, but Bittman's book would be better for an absolute beginner.

32/F, SW/CW/GW: 270/257/150 - here's my profile

I used to be terrible with spices, but then I got this book -> The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook

It's made me try combinations I would have never tried otherwise. And food tastes awesome now!

• I love anything related to culinary, cute (this happens to be tea related... I love tea.) things, and really colorful, fun patterns.
  
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 500 Days of Summer, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Game of Thrones, The Sims 3 :D
  
• DONE. You can even have a hug.

There's a great book called Flavour Thesaurus which has lots of interesting and creative pairings.

This book explains it much more succinctly than I ever could. But yes, co-mingle, although vague is exactly what is happening. The flavors play off of and compliment each other the longer they co-mingle.

The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook https://www.amazon.com/dp/160819874X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qEaMDbBKB1QE1

I love Budget Bytes for her affordable, family-sized recipes. Most of her dishes are vegetarian because it's just cheaper than buying meat. Also, investing in a book like The Flavor Bible, Herbs and Spices, The Flavor Thesaurus, or Ratio can really help someone learning.

I don't know that book, but I've been happy with this that sounds quite similar (although this is more of a dictionary of interesting and historical food pairing):

https://www.amazon.com/Flavor-Thesaurus-Compendium-Pairings-Creative/dp/1596916044/ (although many also reference "The Flavor Bible" as similar).

There's a book from the Food Network called How To Boil water that is supposed to be very good for beginners
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0696226863/

They have a show with the same name (I haven't seen it) that sounds like it might help you.

If you're just starting out there's no shame in using pre-made sauces and stuff to help you get started. There's nothing wring with popping open a jar of spaghetti sauce and using frozen meatballs when you make spaghetti and meatballs for the first time. :) The important thing is that you're doing it.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/how-to-boil-water.html

Taste buds and molecules: the art and science of food with wine. By Francois Chartier. http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/0771022530/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/182-2589339-7495315

He describes some amazing wine and food pairings by examining the shared aromatic compounds of food and wine. Why sauv blanc pairs well with mint, cucumber, or grapefruit (they all share a common ester molecule).

How to Cook Everything the Basics

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0470528060/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1451953027&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=how+to+cook+everything+the+basics&dpPl=1&dpID=514SFQtA8fL&ref=plSrch

This book is great because it tells you how to cook everyday things the right way. Then it gives you many tips and directions on how to make variations. The book also starts with a list of all of the basic tools and ingredients you should have in your kitchen. I've been cooking at home for a while and I recently learned a lot from this book. I hope your club is a blast. Great idea!

Mark Bittman's wonderful How to Cook Everything-- The Basics should help :)

I highly recommend Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass.
http://www.amazon.com/Pressure-Perfect-Twenty-Minutes-Cooker/dp/0060505346

Everything in her book works well.

Typically she cooks the meat then adds the finished vegetables at the end for pot roast. You would do something similar on the stove.

But well worth the investment.

How to Cook Everything The Basics - Awesome book with hundreds of step by step photos.

I have several more recommendations but this one is the best, I think.

Edit: formatting.

Cheap fast good is a great book.

https://www.amazon.com/Super-Easy-Cookbook-Beginners-5-Ingredient-ebook/dp/B07FB2Q1RG/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?

​

https://www.amazon.com/Boil-Water-Food-Network-Kitchens/dp/0696226863/ref=sr_1_16?

I LOVE How to Cook Everything: The Basics by Mark Bittman. He goes into not only WHAT to cook, but HOW to cook. Definitely worth it, in my opinion.

My favorite general reference cookbook is How to Cook Everything by Mark Bitman, there is also a Basics version.

My favorite blog is Food Lab by written by /u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt.

My suggestion is learn some basics like Chicken(Grilled, Roasted, Fried), Fish(Grilled, pan fried, baked), Shrimp(grilled, sauted).

And of course every man needs to learn to make breakfast. [Gordon Ramsay's Scrambled Eggs] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUP7U5vTMM0) will go with toast, pancakes, potatoes, or french toast.

Paul Freedman is the expert on medieval luxury goods and cuisine. He is a professor of medieval history at Yale and a really great guy. You can check his book Food: The History of Taste for a general look at things, and you could consult some of his articles for a more in depth and particular look at certain foods, periods, and people.

More of a jokey comment.

But since you are going down this path you will most likely enjoy some alcohol. So this guide may help you:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spit-Swallow-Jennifer-Ratcliffe-Wright/dp/1770130616/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1539157307&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=spit+or+swallow&dpPl=1&dpID=41ravU%2BFJaL&ref=plSrch

This cookbook would be really helpful for "them." It's got all the basics easily laid out. After mastering these, other recipes should be much easier to tackle.

Along the same lines as that cookbook, I get a lot of use out of this cook book. It has a lot of information on the basics of cooking, ideas for every meal and each recipe gives ideas on how to change it up. On top of that, I've never made a recipe from it that didn't come out delicious.

Best of luck in your new job

I don't think you will find one cookbook that has a comprehensive list of every ingredient and piece of equipment used in the book - the list would be incredibly long, and since most people won't cook every recipe from a cookbook, there would be a lot of equipment and ingredients that would go to waste.

However, How to Cook Everything: The Basics does include a list at the beginning of all the equipment used in the book. It also gives a solid primer of the techniques you will need to start out cooking, has basic skill lessons, and recipes for just about everything. I think this would be a great place to start. Once you master the basics and have a stocked kitchen, you should be comfortable enough to start trying out any Italian cookbook.

Mark Bittman is a perennial favorite, great for beginners

"Native Wine Grapes of Italy," by Galloni is one of my favorites (link below). Tons of information and (from my perspective) organized really well. Individual sections for each grape and then recommendations about which producers to try. And they are good recommendations.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ISQD8BQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I really enjoy Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. I also just checked out The Flavor Bible from the Library when I was home. I didn't get to spend as much time with it as I would have liked but it is definitely all about how flavors work and will be on my Christmas list.

It's a very good place to start. In addition to that book, there is How to Cook Everything: The Basics, which does a fantastic job of covering method. https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060 It has a lot of pictures and straightforward instructions.

Mark Bittman's cookbook "How to Cook Everything" is really great to learn the basics, and has tons of easy-to-follow pictures in it. Just making all the recipes in this book taught me how to cook very well.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060

go to your library and check out how to cook everything: the basics. this will give you a very good, easy start!

http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-The-Basics/dp/0470528060/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1408970714&sr=8-1

Gonna quote some excerpts from one of the top reviews:

>How to Cook Everything: The Basics is a "cookbook" designed to teach new cooks the fundamentals to ingredients, cookware, and food preparation.

>Although it is filled with recipes, The Basics is not really a cookbook. It is presented in a very straightforward way that is designed to not only give you starter recipes, but to provide recipes that teach the fundamentals of cooking. For a "basics" cookbook, one thing I look for is whether it truly is targeted to teaching the basics. When I was first learning to cook, I would be thoroughly confused every time a recipe called for "onion," and went to the story only to discover four different types of onions. And what does "salt to taste" mean? Fortunately, Bittman's book takes these things into account and is very good at not making assumptions on the cooking level of the reader.

If you've got $25, check it out.

Not an online resource, but "How to Cook Everything: The Basics" by Mark Bittman would probably be useful to you. It explains "why" in detail. I got a used copy for $10. Money well spent.

This was the first cookbook I owned and it is how I learned to cook. Now I make much more advanced recipes and I can just whip things up from whatever is around the house.

The very first lesson in cooking is knowing that you need to read the entire recipe before starting.

Also, Sur La Table offers Knife Skills classes. Basic knife skills are an important part of cooking. The New School of Cooking offers basic courses, but they are pretty pricey.

This book is really helpful. A friend of mine can barely cook as well, and this book not only gives recipes, but images showing precisely how the food is supposed to look on certain steps. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0470528060/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_ldEpDb8GZ5RYT

I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Flavor Bible. When I actually read it, I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in a food book (as you said, it sure ain't a cookbook). Sure, it has lists of ingredients that are "compatible" with other ingredients. Some of their combinations sound just terrible. Others you already know because who hasn't heard of "peanut butter and chocolate" or "sour cream and onion." I love reading food books and cook books, and this was by far the worst IMO.

On the other hand, I have heard great things about The Flavor Thesaurus and I can't wait to read it.

• Basic tools (screwdriver, hammer, pliers, channel lock, adjustable wrench)
  
• LED flashlight
  
• Dinnerware for at least four
  
• A good set of kitchen knives
  
• A pot, at least one saucepan, and at least one frying pan
  
• A cookbook
  
• Wooden spoons
  
• Basic herbs and spices (salt, pepper, parsley, sage, oregano, basil, thyme, paprika, rosemary)
  
• A pair of dress shoes
  
• A pair of sneakers
  
• A pair of comfortable boots
  
• A suit (navy or charcoal gray; black is for servants and undertakers)
  
• A bookshelf filled at least halfway with books, preferably books you've read.
  
• A bed with room for two
  
• A set of cotton sheets
  
• A set of flannel sheets
  
• Blankets
  
• A nightstand
  
• Condoms
  
• Water-based lube
  
• A plunger
  
• A garbage bin in the kitchen and bathroom
  
• First-aid kit
  
• A glass or metal water bottle to fill from the tap and refrigerate (never buy bottled water).
  
• Jumper cables, unless you live in a city where car ownership isn't necessary

Some of my favourites:

• The Indian Cooking Course (Monisha Bharadwaj)
  
  
• Made in India (Meera Sodha)
  
  
• Fresh India (Meera Sodha, note: completely vegetarian recipes)
  
  
• I Love Curry (Anjum Anand)
  
  Note: The authors are all British-Indians.

A book called the flavour thesaurus - gives you ideas about flavours and ingredients that you would never think would work. Great book.

Amazon links:

UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0747599777?cache=491187175f09a05db83b12da483baf58&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1406286051&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1


US. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/160819874X?cache=04994d44197dcca0cb588b9bb14ac61b&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1406286098&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

This book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Flavor-Thesaurus-Compendium-Pairings/dp/160819874X
Is pretty much a 250 page list of good ingredient mixes, with about paragraph describing each. It's a book I use heavily.

Ahhhh, my condolences, how tragic!

I'm something of a cookbook minimalist, and keep my personal collection pretty concise; I'm quick to give away books if they've been on my shelf too long without much use. I used to be a cookbook hoarder, but I don't have the space for it anymore, lol.

The cookbooks I have on the shelf rn are Season, The Palestinian Table, Arabesque, Afro-Vegan, Donabe, and several Japanese-language cookbooks.

For dessert-related things, I have Baking and Pastry: Mastering the Art and Craft, Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique, SUQAR, and the Flavor Thesaurus.

How to boil water has a lot of good tips and the basics, along with some staples. I liked it.

For lots of simple tips, techniques and recipes, I highly recommend Bittman's book, How To Cook Everything: The Basics.
http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-The-Basics/dp/0470528060

not sure whether there's a translation, but there's a ton of photos so that might be helpful anyway.

I used to make butternut squash risotto in my old fashioned pressure cooker. I found the recipe in a book called Cooking Under Pressure by Lorna Sass. It's pretty old not, but it has a lot of good recipes. Here it is

One of the best books I've ever ran across for beginners. https://www.amazon.com/Boil-Water-Food-Network-Kitchens/dp/0696226863

I can recommend The Flavor Thesaurus. It's similar in concept and an easy read. Each of the 1000+ entries is a paragraph or so and blends technical information with personal experience. It's more for reading then serious reference though.

How to Cook Everything The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food--With 1,000 Photos
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0470528060/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WkBQDb19H77Y0

Also Binging with Babish on YouTube has a playlist of basics.

• The Skinnytaste Cookbook
  
• A new laptop charger because mine is falling apart
  
• A foam roller
  
• Gift cards (American Eagle, Target, Amazon, Express)
  
• Quest Bars

It looks like Amazon has two main options for that book. How to Cook Everything revised 10th anniversary addition and How to Cook Everything basics.

Would you pick a specific one over the other?

For context, the extent of my cooking skill is putting spaghetti in a pot and adding sauce from a jar.

I would really suggest you check out How to Cook Everything: The Basics, by Mark Bittman. It will teach you techniques and how to use them (with recipes) so that you learn how to cook, instead of just learning a few recipes.

It's not a complicated or fancy approach to cooking or anything - it's just an excellent guide to learning what you should about cooking.

It's in the book How to Cook Everything The Basics (Hardcover) (not a referral link) by Mark Bittman page 204-205 (Paella with Chicken and Sausages).

I don't want to infringe copyright so the closest to the recipe that I found was this one by Mark himself:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014667-paella-master-recipe

Modification to this recipe is:

• Use chicken thighs w/salt and pepper on both side
  
• Make sure to sear the chicken to develop some kind of crust as part of step 1.
  
• Introduce the uncased sliced up chorizo w/garlic and onions
  
• If you don't like Safran, I'm using smoked paprika
  
  For me, the paella is whatever you want it to be. Too much people complaining about what a real paella is. Let's just eat and enjoy it.

I really liked this book when I was just learning to cook.

Buy yourself a copy of Mark Bitman's How to Cook Everything: The Basics. It has really good photos for ... well... how to cook everything.

http://www.amazon.ca/Taste-Buds-Molecules-Science-Food/dp/0771022530

This book is a good reference.

In English, that book is called The Flavor Thesauraus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook.

I'd go for it. If the chef is in charge of hiring and is vouching for you, then she probably has already figured out that they are just going to take her word for it and leave it at that. An associate's is just a 2 year program, likely from a community college; I've worked with plenty of such graduates that don't know which end of the mop goes on the floor.

The more important question is whether you can do the job. If you have the potential but just lack the experience, then start cramming. Start reading at night to make up for your lack of education. Teach yourself; thousands of people do it every day. Go through used bookstores and look for The Professional Chef, ATK Cooking School Cookbook, How to Cook Everything, etc.

The best cooks I've worked with, whether certified or not, read cookbooks, continue to read cookbooks throughout their career, and are constantly scouring the internet for new trends and ideas.

I picked up a copy of The Flavor Thesaurus which doesn't cover alcohol at all, but let's you match flavours with other complementary flavours. The 44 flavours that compliment anise which could provide hours of exploration/experimentation alone.

There's a cookbook for people like you:

https://www.amazon.com/Boil-Water-Food-Network-Kitchens/dp/0696226863

If you're looking for something to do with flavours and the taste of food then I can recommend The Flavor Thesaurus

Cooking totally isn't a hobby. It's basic survival. You just need a few dedicated items to make practically anything. My kitchen is wee and generally always has been. Even with a hot plate, one pan, and a spatula, I could turn out an incredible number of easy recipes.

It's easy, I promise! You'll mess up sometimes, but it's so worth the effort.

Try a cookbook like these (you can check many out from the library, too):

Cooking Basics

Cooking 101

How to Boil Water

I Hate to Cook Book

Try Mark Bittman’s Basics. Step by step skill building and tons of photos to follow along. Highly recommended!

As a cooking newb, I found How To Cook Everything: The Basics to be an absolutely invaluable source. It goes through all the basic equipment you'll need, explains the techniques step-by-step, and has lots of simple yet extremely tasty recipes. It's divided into sections (Pasta, Meats, Vegetables, etc) with each section having recipes arranged by difficulty. I've cooked about a dozen or so things from the book, and aside from one they all turned out delicious and extremely cheap since he focuses on simple dishes with flavorful ingredients. Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-The-Basics/dp/0470528060/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348689098&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+cook+everything+the+basics

how to boil water

i got this cookbook as a gift a few years ago, and have found it very helpful. this coming from someone who can absolutely ruin anything in the kitchen!

They are good sources of protein! I bring up shrimp - and lobster too - because they are essentially insects from under the water. (Sorry if this ruins shrimp for you.) And anything tastes good fried.

I just got this excellent cookbook and I am slowly going to work my way through it, honing my basic skills. There is nothing I love so much as cooking, though I hate doing dishes after.

EDIT: So eat something! There's gotta be something around for you to snack on, right?

I bought How to Boil Water for a friend needing to learn to cook. It assumes you're a beginner, so explains not only the steps, but the reasoning behind them.

The Flavor Thesaurus is a really interesting book, and may give you some ideas.

I can't figure out how to link in mobile :/


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/160819874X?pc_redir=1410775647&robot_redir=1

You should check out this book for flavour pairings. Some great ones there. Personally mine is a whole peeled pineapple with a obscene amount of cayenne pepper dusted on to it and then roasted in an oven for a couple of hours and served with a coconut creme frais

Try reading How To Cook Everything: The Basics. It's basically a cook book for people that just want to make basic things, nothing fancy.

For reference, go to Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, or this book. For flavours, I'll usually go with the Flavour Bible or the Flavour Thesaurus.

Mark Bittman is brilliant.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food---ebook/dp/B00BS03TYU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396299839&sr=8-2&keywords=how+to+cook+everything

non-mobile page

I found this book to be useful.

Meatpaper

Lucky Peach

History of Taste

Le Guide Culinaire

Referring to this book.

Buy this book: How to Boil Water

How to Cook Everything: The Basics is what you need!

https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-boil-water-food-network-kitchens/1007761415#/

https://www.target.com/p/clueless-in-the-kitchen-cooking-for-beginners-paperback-evelyn-raab/-/A-52746137

Cooking Basics for Dummies?

How to Cook Everything, The Basics?

You need the flavour thesaurus!

https://www.amazon.com/Flavor-Thesaurus-Compendium-Pairings-Creative/dp/160819874X

The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit. It's full of food pairings with snippets of culinary history, personal anecdotes and the occasional recipe.

http://www.amazon.ca/Boil-Water-Food-Network-Kitchens/dp/0696226863

How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything: Basics by Mark Bittman

Thug Kitchen and Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything the Basics

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

The book I personally use most for reference

Also, look up the Alton Brown books and the Everything Cooking series.
http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-The-Basics/dp/0470528060/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376605340

How to Cook Everything: The Basics by Mark Bittman will walk you through absolutely everything from scratch, including what tools and spices you need and how to set up your kitchen.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060

You need this book:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0696226863

Here ya go - you can both learn!


http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food--/dp/0470528060/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426772178&sr=8-1&keywords=cookbook+for+beginners

How to Cook Everything?

https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HFC803YQH279CXFY3EM3

There's a series of books titled "How to Cook Everything". They've been invaluable to me.

Start here: http://amzn.com/0470528060

I've been feeling this about my specific problems. I'm a teacher, and the #1 thing I'm told by admin is that I "lack situational awareness". WELL DUH! But I have to make do with 1. Advice for Adults with ADHD in other contexts, and try to translate it to my situation or 2. Advice for neurotypicals in my situation, like "Scan the room every 5 mintues", that is impossible for me to implement without major adjustment.

It makes self-improvement and problem solving massively more effortful.

Re: Food - For the most part I bring leftovers since I like to cook, but I keep frozen dinners from Costco for "backup". I've never been able to "meal prep" and I am more of a chaotic cook who can't actually follow a recipe or plan. (I recommend The Flavor Thesaurus for any other chaotic cooks, since it's just a list of flavors that go well together, not a recipe book.)

When it comes to burning fat, exercise alone isn't going to do it. You'd be much better off modifying your diet.

Some diet pointers:

• Cut out all liquids except water. Sodas and beer in particular are a huge source of empty calories. Carry around a water bottle and sip it all day; it will help you to feel more full.
  
  
• Start cooking at home. Almost any food you prepare at home is healthier than restaurant fare, provided you don't deep fry it or smother it in cheese and mayonnaise. If you don't know how to cook I recommend this cookbook. It will walk you through the basics, and also has helpful information about portion sizes with each recipe.
  
  
• Find healthy snacks that are filling but low-calorie. I'm talking about nuts, trail mix, carrots, air-popped popcorn, and dried fruit. Keep these in your cupboards, backpack/purse and desk so that you're not tempted to go to the vending machine and eat crap. Fair warning: dried fruit will give you diarrhea if you eat too much of it.
  
  
• Finally, relapses happen. They don't mean that you're a horrible person and doomed to fail. Keep going and in a few months you'll start seeing results :)
  
  Best of luck!