[.ca] Betty Crocker's Cooking Basics: Learning to Cook with ... (ISBN 0028624513)

Great for beginners and the more experienced as well!:
Finally a true beginner's cookbook which deserves a permanent place in your kitchen. Betty Crocker's answer to customer requests for a beginner's cookbook is "Cooking Basics, Learning to Cook With Confidence". This book features a nice variety of recipes including Italian Pasta Salad, Creamy Chicken and Dumplings, and Orange-Glazed Pork Chops. For entertaining there's Quick Guacamole, Tiramisu, and Strawberry Smoothies. It even shows you how to prepare an American Thanksgiving dinner from start to finish including appetizers and dessert. Each recipe includes a full color photograph, nutritional information, and helpful tips pertaining to the dish's ingredients. Substitutions are discussed and there are suggestions to help keep the dish low fat. What I found most impressive were the informational chapters on everything from kitchen utensils to classy centerpieces. So in addition to the fabulous recipes, the book contains handy information covering all areas of cooking and the kitchen. This cookbook can take a college coed living on their own for the first time up and through the marriage years for it demonstrates cooking basics such as the proper way to cut an onion or how to cook an omelet, yet teaches the art of preparing Shrimp Scampi or Pesto Sauce. For all these reasons, I highly recommend this cookbook.

the best!!!:
I used to own over a hundred cookbooks. most I never used. I also have cooked professionally in restaurants. I ignored this book on the shelf because I thought I was above such things as "cooking for those who are clueless". so one day I gave in to looking at it in the store and was pleasantly surprised. even though I am capable of making elaborate food...with two kids...if it doesnt go together in under half an hour it isnt happening. I have made almost every recipe in this book. with the exception of a couple of the stir frys(and maybe thats just us..my husband hates stir fry), everything has been not only delicious, but unbelievably fast. I use this book a few times a week. I have a few other cookbooks that get heavy use, most of them Betty Crocker, but this one is at the top of the list.

a timeless cookbook for amateur cooks and proud chefs alike:
While internet (esp google) has greatly influenced the way we obtain any kind of information, recipes and cookbooks are most useful in an old-fashioned, paper format. This cookbook is one that you will return to over and over again. Modern recipes and helpful how-to photographs (no hand-drawn, monochrome pictures here), as well as photos of finished product make this book a keeper. Here are a few recipes from the book: twice-baked potatoes, stuffed pasta shells, pot roast, pork chops and apples, fudgy brownie cake with raspberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. On top of easy, tried-and-tested recipes, the book features a glossary of cooking techniques, types of herbs (along with to which dishes to use each kind of herb), greens, basic and advanced cooking equipments (including oudoor grills and grilling fuel), formal and informal buffet table setting, food safety, proper storage of meats and produce... all very thorough and valuable. The careful explanations in this book assume that the reader is completely new to cooking; seldom are the definitions too exhaustive -- I chuckled when I read the last bit of definition for 'stir' to be, "Combine ingredients with circular or figure-eight motion until uniform consistency. Stir once in a while for 'stirring occasionally,' stir often for 'stirring frequently' and stir continuously for 'stir constantly.'" I also love the spiral binding and hard cover that make the book easy to keep open and durable. They are handy physical traits because this book WILL get a lot of use in your kitchen.

If I can give you an advice:
this should be your first cookbook, or if you already have others, well, don't let the title fool you. It has great recipes, with pictures for each of them and detailed instructions. I have over 50 cookbooks and if I had to choose just one, well it would be this one. Simple recipes, "the basics" including a a chapter where it teaches you how to make a traditional thanksgiving dinner. Let me tell you that I did it this november 28th and guess what? It turned out to be great! My family couldn't belive I've done everything by myself. And it wasn't such a big effort 'cause it teaches you how to organize every single thing. I love this book!!

Great Cookbook!:
As a college student I was tired of microwave meals- then I got this cookbook and it has been great! For someone who has never cooked before, cooks for one and refuses to make recipes that require too many ingredients, this book has been great! For those just wanting some good, basic recipes, I highly recommend it.