[.ca] Cooking Basics for Dummies (ISBN 0764572067)

From Amazon.com:
Cooking for Dummies is ideal for the novice chef as well as the apartment dweller with limited cooking space (and knowledge). Miller and Rama first discuss basic culinary tools and techniques before diving into the recipes, easy yet impressive menus simple enough to accommodate last-minute guests. Most recipes allow for variations; for example, the basic recipe for Gruyere Soufflé can--with a few minor substitutions--also make Salmon, Spinach, or Ham Soufflé. The style is simple and direct, and the humorous tone should put even the most timid kitchen neophyte at ease.

Great for the very novice cooks..:
There is alot of good information and good simple recipes in this book but the key word is *simple*... Anyone past a novice is going to already know alot of this information. Not that everyone cant use the occasional booster or reference guide. Its just that if you have any knowledge of cooking basics alot of this will be redundant. If you are looking for a general knowledge cook book there are better ones. I can see this being a good book for the beginning teen cook, someone going away to college, getting a first apartment (or dorm room) or even a shower gift for the very uninitiated to cooking.

The Perfect Present...Almost:
I bought this for my cooking-challenged spouse Bessie and she was not amused. In fact, the last time I saw this supposedly useful book was when it bounced off the top of my head. Be careful who you give this to.

Disorganized, badly edited:
This book should have been organized such that a beginner can read through the book in linear chapter order. The beginner should be taught techniques and lessons that can be built upon in later chapters. The text is written like it was teaching someone how to cook, but it is organized by food type! One chapter lists all the tools, pots, and pans a well stocked kitchen should have -- it even lists tools that appear to not be used in any recipes given. However, a few pages later, a recipe is presented that uses tools not mentioned previously. It presents recipes using techniques not explained until many chapters later -- the forward references (if any) refer only to the chapter thus forcing the reader to peruse that whole future chapter to find the technique referenced. Simpler, one-pot-meals appear later in the book and simultaneous recipe preparation meals appear earlier. C'mon. The title of the book has the word "Dummies" in it. It is not friendly to someone who actually wants to learn how to cook. The writing, even though it was badly organized, was good. The problem was the book's editor. If you are a "dummy" in the kitchen, look elsewhere for instruction.

You can cook!:
My sister, whom moved out and had never cooked a thing in her life, really enjoyed the benefits from this book! The moment she saw it on my shelf, she snatched it up and took it home and I haven't seen it since. I hear she's cooking some great meals and hope she'll invite me over for dinner sometime soon! ;)

An excellent book for beginners and a nice basic reference:
Of all the cooking books out there, this would be the one book I would recommend for anyone who wants to learn to cook, but has no kitchen experience at all. It explains basic kitchen terminology and methods in very basic terms....even a child could understand them. If you have much kitchen experience at all, you probably won't learn a whole lot from this book, but it does serve me well as a reference book. For example, if I can't remember exactly how long or how hot to bake a potato, I turn to Cooking for Dummies. It's recipes also serve as a wonderful jumping off point for developing your own cooking creativity. The recipes are very basic, and can always be changed or doctored up to your own tastes.