How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food

I'm not really a cookbook kind of person. I love eating, but I don't necessarily love cooking. I don't hate it, it's just not my thing, though I really admire people who enjoy cooking. I'm convinced that regardless of style of cooking or genre of food, cooking is an art form with ingredients the media. Anyway. I bought a copy of this at a used bookstore and ended up reading the entire thing cover to cover. I learned something about cooking, but more than that, I gained confidence or interest in giving it a go and simultaneously not being wed to someone else's recipe rules. If not freedom to experiment, maybe confidence to riff? I mean, what's the worst that can happen?

I feel like this book is sort of akin to a basics of sketching book. show more It gave me a sense of basics and foundation, some of which were new to me, that I now feel like I can remix pieces and create something interesting on my own. I felt like I was taking a masterclass in cooking, but at Lowe's learning DIY techniques, rather than at a culinary school where I'm never gonna graduate, you know?

Even if cooking isn't your thing and never fully becomes mine, reading me left me a little different from where I started. What more could I ask of a cookbook? Recommended. show less

This excellent book quickly became my "go to" basic cookbook, comprehensive and easily accessible with consistent and outstanding results. It's become the book I give to young people to encourage them to learn to cook. Unfortunately, this year I have watched the PBS television show "On the Road to Spain" and felt a real and growing distaste for Bittman's television persona, which has slightly tarnished the important place this book has in my kitchen. Nevertheless it is undeniably the best basic all-around cookbook I've ever used.

I still think the title is more than a little pretentious, but it is certainly one of the most useful cookbooks I've ever had and there are recipes in it that I make over and over again.

Apples and Onions.

Suppose you live with someone who Can Cook Everything. Now you want to cook something for him. This is where you go. He was so surprised and delighted the night I cooked the apples and onions to go with the pork he knew we were having.

I can work with this cookbook, even though I can burn tomato soup. It simply has the best organization of any cookbook I have ever tried. And Bittman really does tell me everything I need to know.

Unfortunately he does not turn the burner off. You still have to manage that on your own.

The title is probably meant as a joke, but this book's breadth does make it indispensable to the home cook. Written by one of the best food writers today (in my opinion), Bittman's no-nonsense, minimalist approach is non-threatening while giving the reader confidence that he or she can cook a good meal. This book does not pretend that it will turn you into a five-star restaurant chef - such efforts would only frustrate the average cook. Instead, Bittman focuses on making good food accessible to everyone. You don't need fancy, expensive equipment or years of training to entertain your friends or feed your family. "Anyone can cook, and most everyone should," says Bittman in his introduction. By paring down recipes to a few ingredients and show more fewer steps, good food is in everybody's reach. show less

Mark Bittman's rabid denouncement of the green bell pepper on page 592 provides a hilarious interlude in this otherwise completely sensible and comprehensive cookbook.

This is the most used book in our house - everything from chocolate to chicken fat splotched all over the pages. If you're looking for a good all-purpose reference cook book that really does list recipes for d*mn near everything I suggest you buy this book. Make sure to get a hardbound version though because I'm not sure a paperback will hold up to the constant wear and tear.