How to Cook Everything: The Basics: Simple Recipes Anyo… (2024)

August: Y'all, I bought a cookbook. I can bake sweets that will make you cry mercy and beg for just one more hit. But actual cooking?

Yeah, not so much.

November: So I've had this cookbook roughly three months. Am I a 5 star chef yet?

Well. No, not exactly. I still have a deep affection for take out pizza. I don't use fresh herbs. I screwed up a dip recipe by making it so spicy literally no one was able to eat it. Sometimes what I make tastes good, but it looks a bit like it was dropped from a great height. And I still haven't made a pancake that doesn't have the consistency of a flip flop.

Gordon Ramsey would be ashamed.

HOWEVER. I'm not a total lost cause. I haven't lost any digits, haven't cut myself at all actually! Which I feel is impressive for someone who once cut her face on a peephole. I feel decently capable of making my own meal, even if the meal isn't 100% perfect or made entirely from scratch. If you ask me if I want to go out for Mexican food, the answer is always yes, but making my own meals more often has been noticeably better for my budget and my waistline. (Just hit the 25 lb mark! Woo!)

Plus, I liked how detailed How to Cook Everything was, without talking down to you. Bittman explains basic techniques and tips really well. Want to know how to boil water, hold a knife properly, or what al dente means? Bittman has you covered. I'm far from being an expert, but now I don't feel like I'm throwing potatoes at sharp objects until something comes out edible.

Not everything was a success, and y'all know I haven't tried every recipe in this book. But currently my favorite by far is the Panzanella Caprese (p 126). (Fancy sh*t for tomatoes, bread and cheese in a bowl. But say you make something for dinner using big Italian words and people automatically assume you are talented.) I usually skip the soaking the bread stage cause I like the extra crunch and I use dried basil cause I'm lazy. But it's delicious, I make it once or twice a week now!

I'm still pretty far from being any sort of expert cook. I wouldn't last a hot second on [insert basically any cooking show under the sun here]. But I can say that How to Cook Everything has delivered - I can kinda sorta cook! Or I can cook good enough for me, and that's all that really matters anyway.

And I continue to make the best pecan pies in the south.

Ordinarily the reader should exercise a great degree of scepticism when faced with a book that describes itself with superlatives. How to cook everything? All you need? Yet, this time, such caution might be a tad unnecessary.
This is a book that could be one of those truly great first cookbooks for a younger person, perhaps someone off to college or someone moving out from the hotel of mother and father. Yet probably nobody except top chefs should feel a embarrassed by this book as you might think you know everything but…
Nothing is taken for granted. The author starts with a great overview about setting up your pantry (store cupboard) and your kitchen with the necessary (rather than “desirable” or “faddy”) tools. It was pleasing to see the tool list split between the “absolute minimum” and “other handy tools” – a good thing if you are on a tight budget. A further extensive list of items for baking and roasting is made for those who want to try their hand at that – if you don’t, don’t buy the stuff. Simple, huh?
Everything is taken one step at a time whilst the text is informative and concise in nature. The reader is not patronised – you have to read the text carefully to get the most out of the book rather than just look at the pretty pictures, but is that such a hard thing to do? Even, ‘speaking’ as a more experienced cook, the text seems to be friendly, approachable and informative and certainly some ageing memory cells have become refreshed in the process. It is surprising how much we can forget, take for granted or perhaps never learned – especially if one has not received formal culinary training.
All of the various preparation and cooking techniques are explained in surprisingly few words and pictures, yet one does not feel cheated. You might think that terms such as mincing, slicing, boiling and sautéing are familiar, after all they appear as common words in recipes, but often they might not be as familiar as you think. Many of us think we know every term but sometimes there can be a subtle meaning we’ve never learned. With this book there’s no misunderstanding. Not entirely sure what sautéing is? No problem. A few seconds research and your mind is refreshed. There is no need to feel ashamed – and if you have poor self-confidence and don’t live alone then you can make a protective book cover out of brown paper and write on it “very advanced cooking recipes” or something similar!
The book is quite light on self-reinforcement that “you can do it!”. This is not a bad thing as such faux encouragement can begin to grate after a time. The author set “in a nutshell” five key points which this reviewer feels encapsulate things perfectly: Anything you cook at home will be good, read the recipe before starting, it is okay to serve dishes warm or at room temp, trust your senses and be safe – but not insane – about cleanliness.
After the first few sessions ‘back at school’ you start to be let loose on cooking breakfast, the most important meal of the day it is said. Here you find the recipes begin to be mingled between words of advice and various mini tutorials. All the way through the book are brilliant, everyday colour photographs that just seem to grab the text and encourage you to read, read and read. It is not “visual p*rnography” in an aspirational way but just good, honest, clean in-your-face imagery. Don’t understand? You need to get this book and see for yourself.
The real basic, staple foods are covered in great detail. Nothing is left to chance. For example making scrambled eggs has two full pages with lots of hints, tips and photographs (fried eggs also get two pages). The book goes beyond the do this and that, so loved by many other cookery books, and actually tells you why a particular methodology is important. This is great to see as there is a much greater likelihood that you will recall this in the future (and possibly have use for the same knowledge when making other recipes). Naturally, each recipe is easy to read and understand, has all the key information you should require and it even has an estimation of the time taken to make the dish. A book that understands how great and helpful such a small thing can be!
The recipes and knowledge just keep on flowing. After the breakfast chapter, everything else is filed within appetisers & snacks, salads, soups & stews, pasta & grains, vegetables & beans, meat, poultry, seafood, breads & desserts. There is even a mini tutorial about how to make your own menus, a separate broken out list of lessons within the book, such as “preparing seafood, trimming whole fish” and a very comprehensive index.
This is more than JUST a good recipe book. This is more than JUST another teach your self to cook book. As a combined unit it is a very comprehensive, great basic primer for the beginner, the adventurous cook and, dare we say it, even for the person who thinks they know everything but might just admit that they could always see ‘how someone else does things….’
Would it be hyperbole to say that this could be THE first book you should buy if you don’t have any other resources? Possibly… go to a bookstore, pick it up, look at it and see if you really do put it back. Can you?

How to Cook Everything – The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food, written by Mark Bittman and published by Wiley. ISBN 9780470528068, 496 pages. Typical price: GBP13. YYYYY.

// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //

This is my go-to cookbook for basically everything. I had to teach myself to cook and after a lot of trial and error this was the one that met all my needs. Most cookbooks, even beginner cookbooks, assume the reader has knowledge of certain things like knife handling, differences between cuts of meat, the difference between braising and broiling, etc. none of which I knew. This book has it all. Most helpful are the pictures that accompany every recipe. As a beginning cook, I really needed the visual reference to check on things like doneness and consistency and in many cases Bittman will show not only the ideal but a spectrum (i.e. too rare, too well done). I haven't made every recipe in this book and not all of them are winners, but even the ones I wouldn't make again have valuable notes and taught me skills I learned to apply to future work in the kitchen. Great book, would recommend it to anyone, but especially beginners.

I love this book! I was searching for a cookbook for a friend who was lamenting that she wants to learn to cook but felt uncertain of even the basics, so when I saw this at the library, I snapped it up to see if it lived up to its title. Indeed, it does!

I consider myself a moderately experienced, self-taught cook, and what I loved about this book was that it didn't take anything for granted. For example, not sure what the difference is between a "rolling boil" and a "gentle boil?" No worries, Bittman explains it to the reader and also provides photographs showing the difference. Confused about the difference between "minced" and "chopped?" Again, Bittman explains and illustrates the two techniques.

After going over the basic and more advanced tools a cook should arm herself/himself with, and reviewing important cooking terms, Bittman then delves deeper into specifics about everything ranging from vegetables to poultry to bread making. For example, in the breakfast section, he explains about eggs - from how to tell if one is fresh to how to poach one. In fact, following his instructions, I was finally able to make an omelet that didn't dry out or fall apart when I folded it (for some reason, eggs are my nemesis - I can create an intricate dessert or a tasty soup from scratch, but hard boiled eggs never turn out right - grr!).

So whether you're an experienced cook or just starting out, consider adding this great reference book to your cookbook shelf.

I love this book! We got it from the library and liked it so much we had to get our own. Get this: It even inspires me to cook!

This book has given me a couple of easy recipes to add to my repertoire. I also like that it provides basic menus for the average cook. Only downside — it’s a whopper!!! The sheer size of the book might intimidate any novice. 🙋🏽‍♀️

Cookbook club title. A great resource for new cooks; much more accessible than the Joy of Cooking. A few techniques I want to try.

They said I was crazy...

Whether you are a kitchen novice, or a seasoned chef in need of a restart, you will be delighted by Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything-The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food"! Both enlightening and elegant in its simplicity, this book does not overwhelm with too much "stuff". Instead, it lets the innate natural goodness of food ingredients combine with useful, useable utensils and soothingly successful cooking techniques. The results: brand new basics that are a blend of the familiar and the newly discovered. The photography is "at your table fresh"--offering a clear look at ingredients, preparation techniques, and the finished product. Mark Bittman's goal is to state the case for the many essential and appealing benefits of home cooking. He wants to make you want to be a cook. This fabulous resource for foodies offers no intimidation--just encouragement and enticement. My favorite book sections--other than the irresistible recipes--were "Building Flavor" and "Techniques". Both of these sections highlight the benefits of making the most of the ingredients that you are using without overcomplicating the food. Speaking of food: "Quick Pickle Spears"; "Sweet Potato Fritters"; "Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon"; "Risotto with Butter and Parmesan"; "Skillet Pork Chops with Apples"; "Panfried Trout with Tartar Sauce"; "Blueberry Cobbler"; and "Coconut Layer Cake" are just a sampling of the overall user-friendly, yet sensational, recipes found in this wonderful cookbook. Do something good for yourself: cook your own food and enjoy the process. It's that simple. Highly recommended for foodies and cookbook addicts.

Review Copy Gratis Wiley Books

By far the best cookbook I have ever read. The pictures are pleasing to the eyes. The instructions are simple and easy to follow. Background information are concise, things I always wanted to know but don't want to read about it in depth.

Meal planning with this book is a breeze! Only complain is I wish it comes with multiple measurements for different serving size.

This would make a great wedding shower gift for a beginning cook.

This is worth buying.

Great intro book that would be a wonderful gift for one newly living on their own or getting married.

I just realized I’ve never logged this — probably because I’ve never sat down and read it beginning-to-end. But I’ve used my once brand-new copy to the point it fell apart, which I think counts.

You'll probably notice that I don't review many cookbooks. Well, the simple reason is that I'm rather hopeless in the kitchen! I have chronic health issues that make it hard for me to do simple tasks. I also seem to have a knack for burning things, and cutting fingers instead of vegetables. So I wanted a cookbook that started at the beginning. This does do that, yes, but it almost goes into overkill with detail.

I'm not ready to revamp my pantry, spice cabinet, or supply of pots and pans or gadgets. While the author really doesn't seem to expect a huge overhaul, it seemed a little overwhelming to me. Again, this is probably more my problem than it is any lack on the park of the author! I originally was going to start at the beginning -- with breakfast items -- and work my way through as I could. Instead, I realized that I can already handle some of these things (frying, scrambling, or hard boiling an egg, for instance), and that some of the others are just things I wouldn't want to go to the added work of preparing. I tend to rely on prepared foods simply because I have to pick and choose where my small amount of physical and mental energy goes each day.

I think the book is a good, solid introduction to basic recipes for all sorts of foods. I just don't need to prepare my own salsa, or bake my own bread, at this point in my life. I am glad I borrowed it from the library, though, and had a good perusal of it. Cookbooks just aren't really my cup of tea.

It’s a good basic guide but I believe there could be more detail in chapters for meat, poultry, and seafood. The recipes seemed to be more of a catalyst to show a technique than an actual recipe in many parts throughout the book. I did really did like the bulk of the book, especially the “information at a glance” sort of sections but it did lack for me overall.

Examples of things I didn’t like:
Fried chicken recipe (pg 328) calls for no spices other than pepper and 2 tablespoons of ground CINNAMON of all things. Weird because he uses normal spices for the other poultry recipes.

The bread chapter shows how to make bread crumbs and croutons at home which I love but does it really need to show a pretentious grilled cheese right after with cheeses shown like emmental, fontina, and Gruyère? For a “Basics” book, it really picks and chooses where to be basic.

A lot of information that isnt convenient or simple to explain feels glossed over. I really wish the meat, seafood, and poultry chapters went into the same depth as the eggs chapter. It’s like a 3.5/5 for me!

I am by no means a notable chef. In fact, I've mostly kept it to meal-prepping on Sundays and this is actually the first book I've read on cooking.

Me, being an aspiring hobby cook, wanted to keep it simple. I don't need a ton of new and strange recipes, but rather straightforward explanations to learn the basics and fundamental techniques. The book not only tells you what to do but also what to look for when cooking. Is the meat already done? When is pasta al dente? How can you make different vegetables tasty?

Great for any beginners!

This is a great cookbook for people who don't like cookbooks. I like it, and I didn't think I liked cooking--turns out, what I don't like is the disorganized and unfocused feeling I get from cooking when my recipe page is overcrowded with tiny print and stupidly specific spices.

I described this book to my sister-in-law, who is an excellent cook, and she said, "So it teaches you intuitive cooking?" and yes. That is what it does and it is a good thing.

I wrote a great review and accidentally deleted it. Argh. Basically, an ok cookbook with some good tips. Extremely French/white/North American/Eurocentric bias in recipes, without acknowledgement, which I find problematic (though tasty as this is my background). Lots of great pictures. Good for beginners, a bit too basic for most more advanced home cooks. Loved the variety of substitutions to help cooks advance their range and confidence.

I was looking for basic recipes so I got this book out from the Library. I enjoy cooking, but prefer not to use complicated recipes as I am often a last minute cook. This book provides fairly simple recipes, there are a few "chill for an hour" recipes. There are suggestions for prep and variations for cooking or changing the recipes. I flagged and copied many recipes to use in the future.

Comprehensive cookbook that gave some great advice. My only problem - and it is my problem - is that I should not have purchased the Kindle version. When will I learn that I do not like ebook editions of cookbooks? Too difficult to just flip through and I really don't want my Kindle in the kitchen while I cook.

The recipes in this book are amazingly simple and result in great tasting dishes! As a novice, this book made it easy to get started with the right equipment, principles and ingredients. Although GREAT cooking is an art that takes years to perfect, I still felt like a GOOD cook after trying out some of the recipes in the book!

Really great book for someone wanting to learn a little more of the why in a simple concise way with lots of photos to improve confidence. I’ve outgrown the recipes but highly recommend. And there are a few I’ve done so many times I don’t need the cookbook anymore. Or, I’ve found an alternate online I like better after years of trying a variety!

Excelente libro, no le doy 5 estrellas por qué en mi imaginario, el libro era mucho mejor. Sin embargo para gente que está empezando en este mundo ( como yo) es excelente. Lo mejor del libro son sus ilustraciones

Great book, but

This is a wonderful book for beginners and anyone wanting to improve their cooking skills. This Kindle version needs to be edited much better. There are multiple duplicate pages which makes following some recipes but more difficult. Photos are excellent.

I read this book when I was a young teenager and it was truly life changing for me. I had always loved cooking and food. But this book was the gateway for me to understand flavor and techniques. Highly recommend for any beginner cook!

Recommended by Pai of Hot Thai Kitchen: "A true cooking 101 book with lots of photos. I find it refreshing to have this book for when you want to be inspired by 'the basics'."

100 recipes from the author's "How to Cook Everything" that he thinks are basic, plus some that are "good to know".

I needed more basic. Didn't have much info for poultry. No turkey, no cornish hens, pigeon, etc.

Love this book. Buying a copy for my son when he moves out 👍🏻