How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food

This is a terrific book for the starter home cook who is looking to impress his/her friends, family, and colleagues. Mark Bittman has compiled a one-stop reference book to guide the novice and the savvy chef through the kitchen. A firm believer that simple is best, Bittman, “The Minimalist Cook” of the New York Times food section, provides over 1,500 recipes with variations for most occasions. He guides the reader through the process step-by-step and gives suggestions for recipes that require 30 minutes or less and 60 minutes or less. He has devised a clever 'menu suggestion' section and included his own list of “50 cookbooks (he’d) rather not live without.” It offers a nice alternative to the more traditional-style primers such as The Joy of Cooking.