Cookbook Basics For Beginners
My motto is that every cook has to start somewhere and there is no better aide than an excellent cookbook. But once you wander into your local mega bookstore, the books available are overwhelming, to say the least.
Whether shopping for yourself or for someone else, here are a few suggestions for the rookie cookbook shopper.
First rule of thumb is to only look at books that have photographs and with that in mind, the holy grails of cookbooks are the ones with photo instructions. Simple things like how to prepare fennel for a salad may seem self explanatory, but are not. Photos help empower the learning cook and even seasoned chefs may learn a thing or two. You have plenty of time to move on to text only recipes later.
Don't always buy the celebrity books. I may get some flack for this one, but sometimes just because a beaming celebrity is on the front, doesn't mean you are getting a book that is great for beginners.Save those books for later when you have a good grasp of the basics, rather than getting frustrated from the get go.
Look for a book that includes tables and charts explaining weights, measurements, volume equivalents and the basics of oven temperatures.If you can also find one explaining cuts of meat and their uses, this is an added bonus.
The best set of books that I have found lately and in fact inspired this whole article is a set by Dorling Kindersly. The Illustrated Step-By-Step Cook is an amazing repertoire of how-to's and recipes.
The matching book of Ingredients lists 2500 ingredients with recipes to match. I haven't found a better set for the beginner cook anywhere and in fact, I now happily own both and I am looking forward to delving into them.
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