Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes


Harold McGee - 2009
     From our foremost expert on the science of cooking, Harold McGee, Keys to Good Cooking is a concise and authoritative guide designed to help home cooks navigate the ever-expanding universe of ingredients, recipes, food safety, and appliances, and arrive at the promised land of a satisfying dish.A work of astounding scholarship and originality, Keys to Good Cooking directly addresses the cook at work in the kitchen and in need of quick and reliable guidance. Cookbooks past and present frequently contradict one another about the best ways to prepare foods, and many contain erroneous information and advice.Keys to Good Cooking distills the modern scientific understanding of cooking and translates it into immediately useful information. Looking at ingredients from the mundane to the exotic, McGee takes you from market to table, teaching, for example, how to spot the most delectable asparagus (choose thick spears); how to best prepare the vegetable (peel, don't snap, the fibrous ends; broiling is one effective cooking method for asparagus and other flat-lying vegetables); and how to present it (coat with butter or oil after cooking to avoid a wrinkled surface). This book will be a requisite countertop resource for all home chefs, as McGee's insights on kitchen safety in particular-reboil refrigerated meat or fish stocks every few days. (They're so perishable that they can spoil even in the refrigerator.); Don't put ice cubes or frozen gel packs on a burn. (Extreme cold can cause additional skin damage)-will save even the most knowledgeable home chefs from culinary disaster.A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone that helps cooks spot flawed recipes and make the best of them, Keys to Good Cooking will be of use to cooks of all kinds: to beginners who want to learn the basics, to weekend cooks who want a quick refresher in the basics, and to accomplished cooks who want to rethink a dish from the bottom up. With Keys to Good Cooking McGee has created an essential guide for food lovers everywhere.

James Beard's Theory and Practice of Good Cooking


James Beard - 1977
    No one knew food better than Beard, and in these pages his timeless wisdom is on full display. Perfect for both seasoned chefs and those just starting out in the kitchen, James Beard’s Theory and Practice of Good Cooking will be one of the most comprehensive and important cookbooks in your library.   With a guide to kitchenware, step-by-step explanations of foundational cooking techniques, and more than 300 classic recipes to add to your repertoire, this invaluable volume provides all you need to become a star in the kitchen. Beard’s dishes, from poached pears to steak au poivre, stuffed clams to chocolate soufflé, will delight the senses. And his unpretentious advice, alongside personal anecdotes and food histories, will make cooking a joy.

Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast: 250 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Any Time of Day


Martha Stewart - 2010
    Organized into familiar categories—including sandwiches and pizzas, appetizers, salads, soups and stews, pastas, main courses, and side dishes—this highly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling Everyday Food: Great Food Fast helps you whip up the perfect dish any time of day.   Here is a book for the way we cook and eat now, with an emphasis on stretching meals (for example, leftovers from a roasted chicken are used to make a quick gumbo and roasted vegetables perform a second act as a vibrant pizza topping), turning to economical ingredients that deliver great results (such as flank steak, served with a piquant parsley-garlic sauce), and making healthier versions of comfort foods without skimping on flavor (like a lower-calorie chicken potpie). A section on enticing vegetarian main dishes as well as a roster of irresistible desserts round out this comprehensive collection. Here’s a taste of what’s inside:   Breakfast: Jam-Filled French Toast  Sandwiches and Pizzas: Eggplant and Mozzarella Melt  Appetizers: Goat Cheese Crostini  Salads: BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing  Soups and Stews: Minestrone  Pastas: Spaghetti Puttanesca  Main Courses: Meatballs with Rosemary  Vegetarian: Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto  Side Dishes: Roasted Sweet Potato Fries  Desserts: Gingered Blackberry and Plum Shortcakes    Brimming with great time- and budget-saving tips as well as smart kitchen techniques, Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast helps you use what you have on hand to make everyone’s favorite foods. With an easy-to-read format, a photograph of each and every dish, and plenty of ideas to keep you inspired, this is the cookbook you will turn to day after day for wonderfully simple, delicious meals.

Appetites: A Cookbook


Anthony Bourdain - 2016
    And for many years, first as a chef, later as a world-traveling chronicler of food and culture on his CNN series Parts Unknown, he has made a profession of understanding the appetites of others. These days, however, if he’s cooking, it’s for family and friends.Appetites, his first cookbook in more than ten years, boils down forty-plus years of professional cooking and globe-trotting to a tight repertoire of personal favorites—dishes that everyone should (at least in Mr. Bourdain’s opinion) know how to cook. Once the supposed "bad boy" of cooking, Mr. Bourdain has, in recent years, become the father of a little girl—a role he has embraced with enthusiasm. After years of traveling more than 200 days a year, he now enjoys entertaining at home. Years of prep lists and the hyper-organization necessary for a restaurant kitchen, however, have caused him, in his words, to have "morphed into a psychotic, anally retentive, bad-tempered Ina Garten."The result is a home-cooking, home-entertaining cookbook like no other, with personal favorites from his own kitchen and from his travels, translated into an effective battle plan that will help you terrify your guests with your breathtaking efficiency.

The Full Plate: Flavor-Filled, Easy Recipes for Families with No Time and a Lot to Do


Ayesha Curry - 2020
     Ayesha Curry knows what it's like to have so much on your plate you can barely think about dinner. But she also knows that finding balance between work and family life starts with gathering around the table to enjoy a home-cooked meal. The Full Plate brings the best of Ayesha's home kitchen straight to you, with 100 recipes that are flexible and flavorful and come together in less than an hour. You'll find sheet pan dinners and crowd-pleaser pastas, hearty salads and healthy updates to takeout favorites, and fresh spins on classic dishes-plus kid-friendly meals, desserts, and sides (and a few beverages just for the adults). Recipes include:Mushroom Tacos with Avocado CremaHot Honey Chicken SandwichesCrab BucatiniSheet Pan Pork ChopsGuava Ginger Ice CreamSpicy Margaritas, and more

The Essential Wok Cookbook: A Simple Chinese Cookbook for Stir-Fry, Dim Sum, and Other Restaurant Favorites


Naomi Imatome-Yun - 2015
    With this simple cookbook in your kitchen and a mighty wok in your hand, Chinese favorites are now quicker, healthier, and cheaper than delivery. The Essential Wok Cookbook is your guide to mastering the wok, the versatile pan that makes possible all of the Chinese restaurant dishes you love—no extra salt, oil, or MSG required. Beyond tips for selecting, seasoning, and caring for your wok, this cookbook also provides: • Step-by-step illustrations for how to fold a dumpling, egg roll, and wonton • Fun features on the origin stories and American reinventions of foods such as egg drop soup and fortune cookies • Recipe labels to help you decide what to make when you’re short on time (30 minutes or less) and tight on cash (under $10) • Recipe tips to swap ingredients, save time, make a dish more healthy, or kick up the heat If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, start cooking today with your wok and see just how far The Essential Wok Cookbook will take you. Fire up the wok with recipes like Perfect Pork Pot Stickers, Easy Vegetable Stir-Fry, Lighter Egg Foo Young, Sweet Chili Shrimp, General Tso’s Chicken, Better Beef with Broccoli, and many more!

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch -- Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods


Jennifer Reese - 2011
    She had never before considered making her own peanut butter and pita bread, let alone curing her own prosciutto or raising turkeys. And though it sounded logical that "doing it yourself" would cost less, she had her doubts. So Reese began a series of kitchen-related experiments, taking into account the competing demands of everyday contemporary American family life as she answers some timely questions: When is homemade better? Cheaper? Are backyard eggs a more ethical choice than store-bought? Will grinding and stuffing your own sausage ruin your week? Is it possible to make an edible maraschino cherry? Some of Reese's discoveries will surprise you: Although you should make your hot dog buns, guacamole, and yogurt, you should probably buy your hamburger buns, potato chips, and rice pudding. Tired? Buy your mayonnaise. Inspired? Make it. With its fresh voice and delightful humor, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter gives 120 recipes with eminently practical yet deliciously fun "Make or buy" recommendations. Reese is relentlessly entertaining as she relates her food and animal husbandry adventures, which amuse and perplex as well as nourish and sustain her family. Her tales include living with a backyard full of cheerful chickens, muttering ducks, and adorable baby goats; countertops laden with lacto-fermenting pickles; and closets full of mellowing cheeses. Here's the full picture of what is involved in a truly homemade life -- with the good news that you shouldn't try to make everything yourself -- and how to get the most out of your time in the kitchen.

5 Spices, 50 Dishes: Simple Indian Recipes Using Five Common Spices


Ruta Kahate - 2007
    Cooking teacher Ruta Kahate has chosen easy-to-find spicescoriander, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper, and turmericto create authentic, accessible Indian dishes everyone will love. Roasted Lamb with Burnt Onions uses just two spices and three steps resulting in a meltingly tender roast. Steamed Cauliflower with a Spicy TomatoSauce and Curried Mushrooms and Peas share the same three spices, but each tastes completely different. Suggested menus offer inspiration for entire Indian dinners. For quick and easy Indian meals, keep it simple with 5 Spices, 50 Dishes.

One Pan & Done: Hassle-Free Meals from the Oven to Your Table


Molly Gilbert - 2017
    In One Pan & Done, Molly Gilbert shows you how to use your oven to your advantage, letting it do most of the work to turn out juicy, crispy roasts, succulent vegetables, rich stews, flaky fish, and, of course, sweet treats. Think of it as fast slow-cooking, but with the benefits of baking, roasting, and broiling for concentrated, intense flavor every time. The best part is that with Molly's simple, hands-off recipes, you'll have time to savor your meal and enjoy your company. Whether you're an over-scheduled parent, a busy young professional, or even an accomplished cook, you deserve food that's big on flavor, but simple on steps.With Molly's recipes, you get in the kitchen, and you get out. Kick the oven door shut as you walk away--your meal is One Pan & Done.

Rachael Ray's Look + Cook


Rachael Ray - 2010
    But now Ray fills that role.”  — Time magazine From her cookbooks to her magazine to her daily talk show, Rachael Ray’s message remains the same today as the day she wrote her very first 30-minute meal—making delicious, knock-your-socks-off dishes should be fun, fast, fulfilling, and foolproof.Rachael now presents her best idea yet: Rachael Ray’s Look + Cook—100 brand-new recipes, each featuring beautiful and helpful step-by-step full-color photographs that illustrate how to create each meal, along with photographs of the gorgeous finished dishes. You literally look along while you cook!But that’s not all . . . at the back of Rachael Ray’s Look + Cook, you’ll find 125 bonus, never-before-published recipes, including 30-Minute Meals; Yes! the Kids Will Eat It; Sides & Starters; Simple Sauces & Bottom-of-the-Jar Tips; and Desserts. As if that weren’t cool enough, Rachael Ray’s Look + Cook also features accompanying real-time video available online for select recipes at www.rachaelray.com.Rachael makes it easier than ever to prepare delicious home-cooked meals as you follow along with the step-by-step photographs or even the video! Having a last-minute dinner? No worries . . . you’ll wow the crowd with Gazpacho Pasta, Fancy Pants Salmon, or Almost Tandoori Chicken. Looking for some fun twists on classic dishes that will have your kids clamoring for more? The Open-Face Turkey Burgers with Potpie Gravy and the Coconut Fish Fry are sure to be family faves! Wondering what to do with those last spoonfuls in the jars lining your refrigerator door? Check out Rachael’s Bottom-of-the-Jar Sauces and add pizzazz to any meal with Salsa Dressing, Orange Bourbon Glaze, or Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce. Packed with the value that her fans love and have come to expect, Rachael Ray’s Look + Cook has a simple-to-follow recipe to fit every occasion.

Twelve Recipes


Cal Peternell - 2014
    Based on the life-altering course of instruction he prepared and honed through many phone calls with his son, Twelve Recipes is the ultimate introduction to the kitchen. Peternell focuses on the core foods and dishes that comprise a successful home cook’s arsenal, each building skill upon skill—from toast, eggs, and beans, to vinaigrettes, pasta with tomato, and rice, to vegetables, soup, meats, and cake.Twelve Recipes will help home cooks develop a core repertoire of skills and increase their culinary confidence. Peternell tells you what basic ingredients and tools you need for a particular recipe, and then adds variations to expand your understanding. Each tip, instruction, and recipe connects with others to weave into a larger story that illuminates the connection between food and life. A deeply personal book, it was written by the chef alone and it glows with warmth and humor as he mulls over such mundane items as toast and rice to offer surprising new insights about foods that only seem exceedingly ordinary. It’s a book you’re as likely to keep by your bedside as your stovetop. With Peternell as your guide, the journey is pure pleasure and the destination is delicious.Twelve Recipes features gorgeous color photos and inset illustrations by Peternell’s wife and sons (all artists), and forewords by celebrated chef Alice Waters and New York Times columnist and bestselling author Michael Pollan.

From the Oven to the Table


Diana Henry - 2019
    You simply prep the ingredients then pop them in the oven to roast while you get on with your life. From quick after-work suppers and light veggie meals to more substantial feasts to feed friends, these recipes are packed with full-on flavor.Diana includes recipes such as Spatchcock Chicken with Chilie, Garlic and Oregano Aioli, Cod with Chorizo, Tomatoes, Olives and Saffron and Sherry-roast Jerusalem Artichokes, Chestnuts and Mushrooms, proving that impressive meals are achievable in every home - no matter how limited your time, resources or energy.

Emeril 20-40-60


Emeril Lagasse - 2009
    Divided into three sections, this brand-new cookbook is Emeril's first ever to organize mouthwatering home-cooked meals according to time. You'll find recipes you can make in 20 minutes or less, 40 minutes or less, or around 60 minutes, so now you can make the meals you want in the time you have.How about Orange, Walnut, and Goat Cheese Salad (19 minutes) or Spicy Pork Wraps with Creamy Coleslaw (26 minutes)? If you're really in a hurry, you can whip up the Simple Italian Wedding Soup (11 minutes). If you have more time to spare, try the Shrimp and Zucchini Fritters (35 minutes) or splurge on the Pork Loin with Apples and Prunes (60 minutes). Finally, here is a cookbook designed to help you make cooking a part of your busy life. Whatever the amount of time you have, there's a delicious recipe in Emeril 20-40-60 that will fit your schedule.

Satisfying Slow Cooker Meals and More


Maria Holmes - 2013
      PLEASE NOTE:  The goal of these recipes, especially the bonus chapters for QUICK salads, breads, and desserts is to prepare something delicious yet fast.  To accomplish this, reliance on some prepared foods is required.  If you prefer not to use prepared food items, then you can replace with fresh ingredients or consider purchasing a cookbook that is more to your culinary liking.  However, if you want to be in and out of the kitchen fast, then you will appreciate these recipes that are quick without sacrificing on taste.As calendars fill up, it gets harder and harder to find the time to enjoy family meals together. The recipes in this cookbook can help you ease that dinnertime crunch. All it takes is a slow cooker and this versatile collection of recipes, and you're on the way to preparing delicious meals that simmer for hours and are ready to serve in minutes at the end of the day. Each one of these 80 exceptional ideas has personally been tested to guarantee that it works perfectly and is practical for your family.You will find main dishes for every taste - from beef, pork, and lamb entrées to poultry, fish, and meatless recipes. Plus there are slow-simmering side dishes and appetizers to tote to potlucks or serve at parties. And to make meal planning easy, you can take advantage of the three bonus chapters that showcase quick salads, breads, and desserts to round out slow-cooker meals. If you have questions about slow cooking, check the slow cooker basics chapter for helpful information.With the creative ideas in Satisfying Slow Cooker Meals and More, you will always have the help and inspiration you need to fit satisfying home-cooked meals into your busy family's routine.

Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook: 1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes!


Phyllis Pellman Good - 2008
    Her five beloved Fix-It and Forget-It cookbooks have themselves sold more than 8 million copies! Three of her cookbooks have been New York Times bestsellers.This is the perfect BIG COOKBOOK! Easy to understand, easy to use.Absolutely manageable for those who lack confidence in the kitchen.Convenient for those who are short on time.Will bring a “make-it-again” request from all who are lucky enough to enjoy these tasty dishes.Fix-It and Forget-It BIG COOKBOOK, with its 1400 best slow-cooker recipes, is another winner!