Mollie Katzen

I'm one of those people who can read a cookbook just as avidly as any novel, and 'Get Cooking' is quite a read. It's designed for the beginning cook, complete with pages of what gear a kitchen needs, from knives to storage. There is even a lengthy section--with plenty of pictures--of how to chop vegetables, which would have seemed odd to me if I hadn't just had to teach a young man I know that yes, you DO need to peel a yellow onion before you slice it. Then begins the 150 simple recipes to show more make some cooking basics like soups and mashed potatoes. She starts with the absolute basics, then lists add ins and other ideas for a bit more flair, still keeping it as simple as possible. Which I LOVED. I've read through her 'Moosewood' books and often been frustrated by their complicated instructions or exotic ingredients. There is very little of that here, and it's confined to the 'get creative' sections of each recipe. This book is accessible to everyone, with enough tips and twists on recipes to keep a seasoned cook interested. Heck, her version of Waldorf Salad actually sounds GOOD, which is a minor miracle in my pot-luck scarred opinion. This would make a great first cookbook for a person just starting out on their own, or a great addition to anyone's bulging cookbook shelves. show less

I may be jumping the gun a bit, reviewing this book before trying any of the recipes.

But when I gave it to my 2 Littles to look over and to pick a recipe for us to try together, they enjoyed it very much. As I was driving, the littlest Little (granddaughter) read aloud, unprompted, the recipe she would most like to try, Blueberry Pancakes.

When she was done, I was filled with enthusiasm. I said to her, "I'm so excited. Do you realize that's the first recipe you picked to make? You will read show more a lot of recipes in your life, yummy things to make for yourself, your friends, your husband, your kids, but this will always be the first recipe you picked yourself and will make."

Her response wasn't quite the same level of amazement I expected. ha. But she is just 7 and I'm nearly 60 years older than her, so, yeah, that makes sense. Maybe in 60 years she too will say something similar to her grands.

Yippee for Sunday morning when we will have Blueberry pancakes!

Before they move out of state at the end of summer (away from newly unfriendly Texas 2025), I hope we'll have time to try a few more recipes from this book together. show less

Presented in the form of a small, countertop easel, MOLLIE KATZEN’S RECIPES for SOUP offers recipes for fifty different vegetarian soups. They range from cream soups to lentil soups to assorted vegetable soups to lemon soups to gazpacho. Many of them can be made without the use of milk, as well. She also provides hints for preparing stock. The index has references for each major ingredient. If you want to use mushrooms, there are eleven listings. There are seventeen utilizing potatoes. So, show more if you have something that you want to use up before it spoils, you can easily find several interesting suggestions.
Each recipe looks as if it was hand-written and includes notes about substitutions, cooking times, preparation tips, etc. Each one also includes the use of herbs, often missing in many recipes. New cooks can easily follow the directions. Experienced cooks can be inspired. And Molly Katzen’s sense of humor comes through: e.g., for The Pumpkin Tureen, which can be prepared, baked, and served in a pumpkin, she writes: “Prepare the pumpkin as though you were going to make a jack-o-lantern, but stop short of carving the face.” show less

Get Cooking accomplishes an almost impossible feat: to break down cooking into its simplest components and appeal to complete novices while still providing something for grizzled cooking veterans. This is the best book I’ve ever seen for newbies, making recommendations on knives, bowls, everything you need to furnish an adequate kitchen. But longtime cooks will find lots of simple but creative recipes.

Mollie Katzen, author of the seminal The Moosewood Cookbook: Recipes from Moosewood show more Restaurant, Ithaca, New York, really scored with this fabulous cookbook. Highly recommended. show less