Hi
I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of
any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.

Dave Jones wrote:
> Hi
> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would
> like to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does
> anyone know of any websites or books which explain cooking right from
> the basics please.

I'd be happy to help but you'd have to tell me what sort of things your
mother used to cook in order to recommend books or web sites.

Jill

Dave Jones wrote:
> Hi
> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
> to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of
> any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.


You can't do better than _Joy of Cooking_, still in print and available
everywhere.


Can you remember a favorite meal that your mother used to make? It will
be easier to search for recipes than for cooking basics.


The trouble with trying to learn cooking conceptually (like you're
asking) is that there are too many places to start that don't offer
edible results.


For example, a basic cooking method is boiling, and if you wanted to
start there, you could start with understanding the different ways of
boiling water (different sorts of containers, different heat sources),
what happens to different sorts of foods when they're boiled, the effect
of altitude on boiling water, the effects of hard and soft water, etc.
All of that would be basic; none of that would be important to making a
meal like mother used to, and none of that would bring you any closer to
dinner.


Better to start with a recipe.


--Lia

Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
> Dave Jones wrote:
> > Hi
> > I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
> > to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of
> > any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.
>
> You can't do better than _Joy of Cooking_, still in print and available
> everywhere.

Wouldn't watching cooking shows be a better
place to start?

You certainly wouldn't suggest learning to
ride a bike from a book. Cookbooks are
mostly for people who already know how
to cook. A cooking show demonstrates the
techniques -- and that's really what you
need to get down first.

I'd start with frying. Eggs, potatoes,
and bacon would be good foods to start with.
There's a remarkable amount of non-obvious
stuff to learn.

For example, one of the first questions
that anyone would ask about frying an egg
is why it's done on medium (or even low)
heat. Wouldn't cooking it on high get it
done faster? And the best way to learn
that is to do it both ways, and see the
difference. You'd pick up a lot of insight
from that, and not just about frying.

Dave Jones said...

> Hi
> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would
> like to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does
> anyone know of any websites or books which explain cooking right from
> the basics please.


Join www.allrecipes.com Free.

Search for Mom's recipes or ingredients search. Select seasonal, holiday,
ethnic recipe lists, etc.

Save favorites to a recipe box, print recipe lists for them, etc.

Andy

Mark Thorson wrote:
> Julia Altshuler wrote:
>>
>> Dave Jones wrote:
>>> Hi
>>> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I
>>> would like to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do).
>>> Does anyone know of any websites or books which explain cooking
>>> right from the basics please.
>>
>> You can't do better than _Joy of Cooking_, still in print and
>> available everywhere.
>
> Wouldn't watching cooking shows be a better
> place to start?
>
> You certainly wouldn't suggest learning to
> ride a bike from a book. Cookbooks are
> mostly for people who already know how
> to cook. A cooking show demonstrates the
> techniques -- and that's really what you
> need to get down first.
>
> I'd start with frying. Eggs, potatoes,
> and bacon would be good foods to start with.
> There's a remarkable amount of non-obvious
> stuff to learn.
>
> For example, one of the first questions
> that anyone would ask about frying an egg
> is why it's done on medium (or even low)
> heat. Wouldn't cooking it on high get it
> done faster? And the best way to learn
> that is to do it both ways, and see the
> difference. You'd pick up a lot of insight
> from that, and not just about frying.

It depends on a couple of factors. First of all, we don't know if the OP
cares a whit about frying eggs (or potatoes or anything else, for that
matter). He gave us no idea what his mother used to cook for him. Maybe he
wants meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Maybe he wants lasagna. You get my
drift

Secondly, if he doesn't have Cable or Satellite TV, do his local television
channels have cooking shows that would help him with the types of meals his
mother made?

It seems to me he's trying to learn "basics" but at least to start with
those specifically geared towards meals he's familiar with from his past.

And I applaud him for trying to get away from living on convenience foods.

Jill

Mark Thorson wrote:

> Wouldn't watching cooking shows be a better
> place to start?


Maybe. I find cooking shows annoying so I don't watch them. Since I
don't watch them, I can't recommend one. What little I do know about
them (and remember, that's very little) is that they tend to show people
how to make fairly complicated dishes. Is there really a cooking show
that demonstrates how to make a plain broiled steak, steamed broccoli
and a baked potato? (I chose that example out of the air. I don't know
if that's the sort of meal the original poster's mother made.)


(I wouldn't try to learn how to ride a bike from a book, but I wouldn't
try to learn that from a biking show either. Besides, that's a motor
skill where cooking isn't. )


For the original poster-- Your mother's not still alive is she? If she
is, you're in big trouble for not going straight to her and asking.


--Lia

"Dave Jones" > wrote in
:

> Hi
> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and
> I would like to start cooking proper meals (like mother used
> to do). Does anyone know of any websites or books which
> explain cooking right from the basics please.

Cooking basics?
http://www.google.com/search?q=cooki...cs&btnG=Search

"Dave Jones" > wrote

> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
> to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know
> of any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics
> please.

It'll be nice for you to be able to make your own food. I like the
America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook ... not only does it have
a lot of good recipes for food your mother used to make (and more),
it has plenty of pictures showing how-to. I don't think you'd be
disappointed with that book.

Like everyone else, I'd love to know what kind of food you'd like
to make.

nancy

Mark Thorson wrote:


> For example, one of the first questions
> that anyone would ask about frying an egg
> is why it's done on medium (or even low)
> heat. Wouldn't cooking it on high get it
> done faster?

I don't cook my fried eggs like that. I like medium-high heat, because
I want it over easy and with some color on it.



Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

"Dave Jones" > wrote:
> Hi
> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like to
> start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of any
> websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.

One cookbook I have starts with the very basics for your situation. It talks
about tools you would need, staples you would need, how to go shopping, etc. It
is written in a very easygoing style.

It's called "The Working Stiff Cookbook" by Bob Sloan. Here's a link to it on
Amazon.com:

http://tinyurl.com/3cryls

It is available for as low as $0.25 used or $4.94 new plus $3.99 shipping.

Take a look at the various reviews that are on that page.

There's a slim chance you might be able to find it at your local library.

--
wff_ng_7 (at) verizon (dot) net

Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
> Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> > Wouldn't watching cooking shows be a better
> > place to start?
>
> Maybe. I find cooking shows annoying so I don't watch them.


I used to like cooking shows and I learned a lot from them over the years.
I learned to cook from watching the Galloping Gourmet and Celebrity Cooks
and a few others. I still enjoy the Urban Peasant (James Barber). I got
fed up with the stuff on Food TV. It got to the point where it was just the
same obnoxious people over and over.

wff_ng_7 wrote:

> One cookbook I have starts with the very basics for your situation. It
> talks about tools you would need, staples you would need, how to go
> shopping, etc. It is written in a very easygoing style.
>
> It's called "The Working Stiff Cookbook" by Bob Sloan. Here's a link to
> it on Amazon.com:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/3cryls
>
> It is available for as low as $0.25 used or $4.94 new plus $3.99 shipping.


Bob Sloan was helpful to me on another usenet group. I haven't seen his
cookbook so I can't recommend it, but I can recommend him. Great guy.


--Lia

On Sun, 13 May 2007 15:55:58 -0400, Julia Altshuler
> wrote:

>Dave Jones wrote:
>> Hi
>> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
>> to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of
>> any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.
>
>
>You can't do better than _Joy of Cooking_, still in print and available
>everywhere.

One of my favorite books is Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham.

She doesn't assume you know anything, and her recipes work. She will
take you step by step through recipes and what you need to become a
good beginning cook.

She learned how to teach real beginning cooks, and discovered that
certain terms that we use in cooking are completely baffling to new
cooks.

Christine

Christine wrote on Sun, 13 May 2007 17:02:37 -0400:

??>> Dave Jones wrote:
??>>> Hi
??>>> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present
??>>> and I would like to start cooking proper meals (like
??>>> mother used to do). Does anyone know of any websites or
??>>> books which explain cooking right from the basics please.

??>> You can't do better than _Joy of Cooking_, still in print
??>> and available everywhere.

CD> One of my favorite books is Learning to Cook with Marion
CD> Cunningham.

CD> She doesn't assume you know anything, and her recipes
CD> work. She will take you step by step through recipes and
CD> what you need to become a good beginning cook.

CD> She learned how to teach real beginning cooks, and
CD> discovered that certain terms that we use in cooking are
CD> completely baffling to new cooks.

There is a title "Cooking Basics for Dummies". I don't get
insulted by Dummies books. They are often a good start tho' the
"humor" may be hard to take!

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

Christine Dabney wrote:
> One of my favorite books is Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham.
>
> She doesn't assume you know anything, and her recipes work. She will
> take you step by step through recipes and what you need to become a
> good beginning cook.

I love JoC, but this is a good one too. I have given it as a gift
myself. Nice pictures.

Dave Jones > wrote:

> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
> to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of
> any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.

See

* <http://www.azcentral.com/home/food/cooking101/>
Cooking 101.

and

* <http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/>
Cooking guide for beginner cooks.

Victor

On May 13, 3:41 pm, "Dave Jones" > wrote:
> Hi
> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
> to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of
> any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.


This really depends on just how ignorant you are I think there are
books like "Cooking for dummies" which are great if you really don't
have any knowledge of how to cook. N.B "Cooking for the student male "
in Google turns up too many dubious references to my alma mater to be
correct ) Or so I hope!

An alternative is to see if your local community college has something
like "Survival cooking for students". My old boss taught one such
course and it sounded very useful. He even taught cracking eggs ( a
useful but neglected subject) .

Stepping up, have a look at Julia Child's books on French cooking.
Most of what she says is just plain good cooking, French or otherwise.
She also provides some excellent photos that help.

A step above this, in some ways is "The Joy of Cooking" if you are
interested in North American cooking (and English language cooking
more generally). It is an excellent reference text and guide once you
know how to do the basics. In my opinion it is not a beginner's
text.
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

On May 13, 5:02 pm, Christine Dabney > wrote:
> On Sun, 13 May 2007 15:55:58 -0400, Julia Altshuler
>
> > wrote:
> >Dave Jones wrote:
> >> Hi
> >> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
> >> to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of
> >> any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.
>
> >You can't do better than _Joy of Cooking_, still in print and available
> >everywhere.
>
> One of my favorite books is Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham.
>
> She doesn't assume you know anything, and her recipes work. She will
> take you step by step through recipes and what you need to become a
> good beginning cook.
>
> She learned how to teach real beginning cooks, and discovered that
> certain terms that we use in cooking are completely baffling to new
> cooks.
>
> Christine

I have never seen that one. I'll add it to the reference list. It
sounds very useful since most cooking books seem to assume that one
knows what a spatula is, etc. I once had someone work for me who at
the age of 35 had just cracked his first egg!

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

On May 13, 5:53 pm, Goomba38 > wrote:
> Christine Dabney wrote:
> > One of my favorite books is Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham.
>
> > She doesn't assume you know anything, and her recipes work. She will
> > take you step by step through recipes and what you need to become a
> > good beginning cook.
>
> I love JoC, but this is a good one too. I have given it as a gift
> myself. Nice pictures.

JoC assumes that you have some knowledge of cooking. A great
reference work for many thing but not a beginner's book. Mind you it
is very American. No recipe for butter tarts in the last edition I
owned.
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

On May 13, 4:51 pm, "wff_ng_7" > wrote:
> "Dave Jones" > wrote:
> > Hi
> > I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like to
> > start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of any
> > websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.
>
> One cookbook I have starts with the very basics for your situation. It talks
> about tools you would need, staples you would need, how to go shopping, etc. It
> is written in a very easygoing style.
>
> It's called "The Working Stiff Cookbook" by Bob Sloan. Here's a link to it on
> Amazon.com:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/3cryls
>
> It is available for as low as $0.25 used or $4.94 new plus $3.99 shipping.
>
> Take a look at the various reviews that are on that page.
>
> There's a slim chance you might be able to find it at your local library.
>
Here now, what do you mean slim change? So it's not at the central
branch but still!.

The working stiff cookbook : great food! easy recipes! / Bob Sloan ;
illustrations by Michael Klein. Author: Sloan, Bob.
Publisher: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, c1998.
Description: 144 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 21 cm. 641.512 Slo
Kington Frontenac Public Library PITTSBURGH Branch.

We have a good library but not that outstanding

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
> Maybe. I find cooking shows annoying so I don't watch them. Since I
> don't watch them, I can't recommend one. What little I do know about
> them (and remember, that's very little) is that they tend to show people
> how to make fairly complicated dishes. Is there really a cooking show
> that demonstrates how to make a plain broiled steak, steamed broccoli
> and a baked potato? (I chose that example out of the air. I don't know
> if that's the sort of meal the original poster's mother made.)

I also find some of them annoying. I used to think Nick
Stellino was the most annoying faker in the cooking show
business, but Ruth Reichl's show has been exploring forms
of annoyance that I didn't know existed. I actually like
her show, except for the annoying ultra-close-up, fast
moving camera shots, which almost neutralize the positive
aspects of her show. At least Nick never did that, which
surprises me that I could ever say anything nice about
Nick. Amy Weir and Daisy Martinez also qualify as annoying,
to the point where I would rather watch a Ronco infomercial
if I had the choice.

I'm not suggesting he copy the recipes given on the cooking
shows. But by watching them he can see the techniques.
It's learning how to fry, sautee, bake, boil, etc. which
is important. And watching it on TV is better than reading
about it in a book.

Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> techniques -- and that's really what you
> need to get down first.
>
> I'd start with frying. *Eggs, potatoes,
> and bacon would be good foods to start with.
>
> For example, one of the first questions
> that anyone would ask about frying an egg
> is why it's done on medium (or even low)
> heat. *Wouldn't cooking it on high get it
> done faster? *

And the answer to that is obvious, same as I used to tell my boss at
work when he'd ask how long something would take... do you want it
fast or do you want it good.

Sheldon

John Kane wrote:

>
>
> A step above this, in some ways is "The Joy of Cooking" if you are
> interested in North American cooking (and English language cooking
> more generally). It is an excellent reference text and guide once you
> know how to do the basics. In my opinion it is not a beginner's
> text.

IMO if you only have one cookbook Joy of Cooking is the one to have.

"John Kane" > wrote:
> On May 13, 4:51 pm, "wff_ng_7" > wrote:
>> There's a slim chance you might be able to find it at your local library.
>>
> Here now, what do you mean slim change? So it's not at the central
> branch but still!.
>
> The working stiff cookbook : great food! easy recipes! / Bob Sloan ;
> illustrations by Michael Klein. Author: Sloan, Bob.
> Publisher: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, c1998.
> Description: 144 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 21 cm. 641.512 Slo
> Kington Frontenac Public Library PITTSBURGH Branch.
>
> We have a good library but not that outstanding

Well, you had better luck than I did! ;-)

I looked it up on my local library's web site (Washington, DC) before I made
that comment. The book is not at any of the 27 branches. It's not necessarily
the best library system. So I just checked the Library of Congress. They have
two copies, but you can't take them from the building unless you are a member of
Congress or their staff. So much for looking at it while next to the stove, I
guess! ;-)

--
wff_ng_7 (at) verizon (dot) net

Dave Smith wrote:
> John Kane wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> A step above this, in some ways is "The Joy of Cooking" if you are
>> interested in North American cooking (and English language cooking
>> more generally). It is an excellent reference text and guide once you
>> know how to do the basics. In my opinion it is not a beginner's
>> text.
>
> IMO if you only have one cookbook Joy of Cooking is the one to have.

You're entitled to that opinion, of course I've never read nor owned Joy
of Cooking and I've managed perfectly well without it. I pretty much
learned by reading Betty Crocker and trying out a few basic things in the
book. It was more complicated than that, obviously, but I was thrown into
cooking when my grandmother died. I had to cook for my dad and my brother
for a week after school (without really having a clue).

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> Dave Smith wrote:
>> John Kane wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> A step above this, in some ways is "The Joy of Cooking" if you are
>>> interested in North American cooking (and English language cooking
>>> more generally). It is an excellent reference text and guide once you
>>> know how to do the basics. In my opinion it is not a beginner's
>>> text.
>>
>> IMO if you only have one cookbook Joy of Cooking is the one to have.
>
> You're entitled to that opinion, of course I've never read nor owned
> Joy
> of Cooking and I've managed perfectly well without it. I pretty much
> learned by reading Betty Crocker and trying out a few basic things in the
> book. It was more complicated than that, obviously, but I was thrown into
> cooking when my grandmother died. I had to cook for my dad and my brother
> for a week after school (without really having a clue).

To me Betty Crocker is pastries and cakes - but then I don't have it.

Like, and have bought Joy of Cooking for all my kids.

elaine

"elaine" > wrote in message

> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Dave Smith wrote:
> > > John Kane wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > A step above this, in some ways is "The Joy of Cooking" if you
> > > > are interested in North American cooking (and English language
> > > > cooking more generally). It is an excellent reference text and
> > > > guide once you know how to do the basics. In my opinion it is
> > > > not a beginner's text.
> > >
> > > IMO if you only have one cookbook Joy of Cooking is the one to
> > > have.
> >
> > You're entitled to that opinion, of course I've never read nor
> > owned Joy
> > of Cooking and I've managed perfectly well without it. I pretty
> > much learned by reading Betty Crocker and trying out a few basic
> > things in the book. It was more complicated than that, obviously,
> > but I was thrown into cooking when my grandmother died. I had to
> > cook for my dad and my brother for a week after school (without
> > really having a clue).
>
> To me Betty Crocker is pastries and cakes - but then I don't have it.
>
> Like, and have bought Joy of Cooking for all my kids.
>
> elaine

Don't you know? It's *always* only about Jill. Never mind that the OP
(probably) doesn't have any cookbooks. Never mind that *MANY* people have
reccomended Joy Of Cooking. Never mind anything else. Jill has "never read
nor owned Joy of Cooking". It's of no use to anyone since*Jill* doesn't
approve.

BOB
(she probably can't afford it)

"Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
...
> Julia Altshuler wrote:
>>
>> Dave Jones wrote:
>> > Hi
>> > I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would
>> > like
>> > to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone
>> > know of
>> > any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics
>> > please.
>>
>> You can't do better than _Joy of Cooking_, still in print and available
>> everywhere.
>
> Wouldn't watching cooking shows be a better
> place to start?
>
> You certainly wouldn't suggest learning to
> ride a bike from a book. Cookbooks are
> mostly for people who already know how
> to cook. A cooking show demonstrates the
> techniques -- and that's really what you
> need to get down first.
>
> I'd start with frying. Eggs, potatoes,
> and bacon would be good foods to start with.
> There's a remarkable amount of non-obvious
> stuff to learn.
>
> For example, one of the first questions
> that anyone would ask about frying an egg
> is why it's done on medium (or even low)
> heat. Wouldn't cooking it on high get it
> done faster? And the best way to learn
> that is to do it both ways, and see the
> difference. You'd pick up a lot of insight
> from that, and not just about frying.
>
>
You certainly can learn from a book; that's all we had in the old days.
In the mid 1960's I went through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French
Cooking Vol I, and life changed forever. Now I stare at 300+ books
and wonder what to cook tonight.

Kent

elaine wrote:
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Dave Smith wrote:
>>> John Kane wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> A step above this, in some ways is "The Joy of Cooking" if you are
>>>> interested in North American cooking (and English language cooking
>>>> more generally). It is an excellent reference text and guide once
>>>> you know how to do the basics. In my opinion it is not a
>>>> beginner's text.
>>>
>>> IMO if you only have one cookbook Joy of Cooking is the one to have.
>>
>> You're entitled to that opinion, of course I've never read nor
>> owned Joy
>> of Cooking and I've managed perfectly well without it. I pretty much
>> learned by reading Betty Crocker and trying out a few basic things
>> in the book. It was more complicated than that, obviously, but I
>> was thrown into cooking when my grandmother died. I had to cook for
>> my dad and my brother for a week after school (without really having
>> a clue).
>
> To me Betty Crocker is pastries and cakes - but then I don't have it.
>
> Like, and have bought Joy of Cooking for all my kids.
>
> elaine

We all have such varied opinions about this! I've never made pastry or a
cake from the Betty Crocker Cookbook. Using it, I learned how to broil
meat, braise pot roasts, roast a whole chicken, roast or bake chicken
pieces, bake or braise cuts of pork, bake or broil fish. It has tons of
good information on many vegetables and how to prepare them. I could go on
but you get the drift. To me it's all very basic stuff.

Of course, this is very much geared towards American-style cooking. And we
still don't know what the OP is really looking for when he refers to his
mother's home cooking.

Jill

Dave Smith > scripsit in
:

> I used to like cooking shows and I learned a lot from them over
> the years. I learned to cook from watching the Galloping Gourmet
> and Celebrity Cooks and a few others. I still enjoy the Urban
> Peasant (James Barber). I got fed up with the stuff on Food TV. It
> got to the point where it was just the same obnoxious people over
> and over.

You mean unlike Graham Kerr and Bruno Gerussi who rarely changed
throughout the run of their shows?

--

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's
oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the
search for a superior moral justification for
selfishness." -- John Kenneth Galbraith

jmcquown wrote:

> > IMO if you only have one cookbook Joy of Cooking is the one to have.
>
> You're entitled to that opinion, of course I've never read nor owned Joy
> of Cooking and I've managed perfectly well without it. I pretty much
> learned by reading Betty Crocker and trying out a few basic things in the
> book. It was more complicated than that, obviously, but I was thrown into
> cooking when my grandmother died. I had to cook for my dad and my brother
> for a week after school (without really having a clue).

I was in a similar position in my mid teens when my mother was in the
hospital several times for a week or two at a time and I was appointed to
cook (because I was useless at cleaning). She had the Betty Crocker book.
It was helpful. When I got married, my wife had Joy of Cooking and I found
it much handier. It may not have the absolute best recipes in the world,
but it sure covers the basics.

In article >,
"Dave Jones" > wrote:

> Hi
> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
> to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of
> any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.

I see a lot of people are pushing Joy of Cooking. It's a good reference
for lots of basic techniques. On the other hand it's full of mediocre
recipes. (OK- this is subjective and you may like them) My suggestions
would include Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" and for more
traditional recipes there are 2 or 3 James Beard basic cookbooks. Since
you're learning to cook you may as well learn how to eat well.
Good luck and have fun!

D.M.

Donald Martinich wrote:
>

> I see a lot of people are pushing Joy of Cooking. It's a good reference
> for lots of basic techniques. On the other hand it's full of mediocre
> recipes. (OK- this is subjective and you may like them) My suggestions
> would include Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" and for more
> traditional recipes there are 2 or 3 James Beard basic cookbooks. Since
> you're learning to cook you may as well learn how to eat well.
> Good luck and have fun!


I am not sure I would dismiss them as mediocre. A lot of their recipes are
pretty darned good. They don't have a lot of recipes for various cuts of
meat or various types of cakes, pastries, salads etc., but they have at
least one of everything, and some of the recipes are pretty darned good. A
lot of them are regulars in this house.

Dave Smith wrote:
>
> John Kane wrote:
>
> > A step above this, in some ways is "The Joy of Cooking" if you are
> > interested in North American cooking (and English language cooking
> > more generally). It is an excellent reference text and guide once you
> > know how to do the basics. In my opinion it is not a beginner's
> > text.
>
> IMO if you only have one cookbook Joy of Cooking is the one to have.

Despite having a large collection of books on food,
only two of them can be considered cookbooks. One of
them is a World War II era U.S. Army manual which
actually is a really excellent book. It has lots
of information beyond basic cooking, like how to build
your own incinerator out of mud and an empty cheese
barrel. Of course, most of the recipes serve 50 or so.

I've never had much interest in cookbooks. However,
my mom has a manila folder of recipes she's collected
since she got married, and I'll have to be sure to get
that when the time comes. It's not that the recipes
are great, it's that a lot of food I had as a kid will
be described in there. I'm sure it will bring back
lots of memories as I go through that folder. I'm
sure I'll make some of them, but I think by the age
of 10 I had eaten enough hot dogs for an entire
lifetime.

Michel Boucher wrote:
>
> Dave Smith > scripsit in
> :
>
> > I used to like cooking shows and I learned a lot from them over
> > the years. I learned to cook from watching the Galloping Gourmet
> > and Celebrity Cooks and a few others. I still enjoy the Urban
> > Peasant (James Barber). I got fed up with the stuff on Food TV. It
> > got to the point where it was just the same obnoxious people over
> > and over.
>
> You mean unlike Graham Kerr and Bruno Gerussi who rarely changed
> throughout the run of their shows?

They were novelties at the time, and they were entertaining as well as
informative. A half ****ed Graham Kerr was a lot more fun that Emeril and
his idiotic BAM BAM BAM and 20-30 cloves of garlic with the audience nor
realizing it was only two cloves worth, as if they really would like
something with 20-30 cloves of garlic. They were unique personalities for
the time, and now we are besieged with people trying to be unique
characters, which they seem to rank over teaching cooking skills.

"Dave Smith" > wrote:
> Donald Martinich wrote:
>> I see a lot of people are pushing Joy of Cooking. It's a good reference
>> for lots of basic techniques. On the other hand it's full of mediocre
>> recipes. (OK- this is subjective and you may like them) My suggestions
>> would include Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" and for more
>> traditional recipes there are 2 or 3 James Beard basic cookbooks. Since
>> you're learning to cook you may as well learn how to eat well.
>> Good luck and have fun!
>
> I am not sure I would dismiss them as mediocre. A lot of their recipes are
> pretty darned good. They don't have a lot of recipes for various cuts of
> meat or various types of cakes, pastries, salads etc., but they have at
> least one of everything, and some of the recipes are pretty darned good. A
> lot of them are regulars in this house.

The Joy of Cooking has most of the recipes for what I'd call the "classics" of
American cooking from the era of roughly from the 1930s to the 1960s. Maybe they
seem mediocre or dated to someone much younger than me. To me, it's comfort
food. In terms of breadth, I think there are few cookbooks that cover as many
topics, from cocktails to main courses to desserts, from cookware to how to set
a table for formal dinners, etc. It doesn't have things that would have been
considered "exotic" in the era it was written that many consider commonplace
now.

Of course, with the Joy of Cooking, one has to be a little specific about the
edition. I'm not talking about that piece of crap that came out in the 1990s.
The lastest edition tries to get back to the spirit of the earlier editions
(though I'm not sure how successfully).

--
wff_ng_7 (at) verizon (dot) net

On May 13, 3:41 pm, "Dave Jones" > wrote:
> Hi
> I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
> to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of
> any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.

Hi Dave,

I have learnt basics simply by trying them. And it has worked well for
me. I do have a site which you are welcome to join and we can probably
get you more info day to day. here is the address:

http://socialnetwork.meetup.com/561/

By the way, cooking in med heat is great idea that way you get to have
the flavor and it gets cooked properly, specially with eggs and all.
Being a single, I tend to rush and try to to cook in high heat. But my
cooking has improved a lot by using medium heat. It all depends, what
you are cooking and the recipes.

Thanks,
Indibabe

Christine Dabney wrote:

> One of my favorite books is Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham.

Hey, if it's good enough for Richie and Joanie and the Fonz, it's good
enough for me.


--
Blinky RLU 297263
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html

On May 13, 3:11 pm, Mark Thorson > wrote:
> Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
> > Dave Jones wrote:
> > > Hi
> > > I am a single male living on convenience meals at present and I would like
> > > to start cooking proper meals (like mother used to do). Does anyone know of
> > > any websites or books which explain cooking right from the basics please.
>
> > You can't do better than _Joy of Cooking_, still in print and available
> > everywhere.
>
> Wouldn't watching cooking shows be a better
> place to start?
>
> You certainly wouldn't suggest learning to
> ride a bike from a book. Cookbooks are
> mostly for people who already know how
> to cook. A cooking show demonstrates the
> techniques -- and that's really what you
> need to get down first.
>
> I'd start with frying. Eggs, potatoes,
> and bacon would be good foods to start with.
> There's a remarkable amount of non-obvious
> stuff to learn.

Eggs are not a beginner item. Eggs are difficult. Most things I make
turn out perfect nearly every time. Not so with eggs.

--Bryan