Mark Bittman is so confident about his prowess with food that he calls his series of cookbooks How to Cook Everything; after using his cookbooks, thousands agree that his confidence is not misplaced. The books are big, densely packed with recipes and ideas, and assume a certain level of competence and knowledge. But even the seasoned cook may wonder at times about certain things: dotting with butter--how small should the pieces be, how far apart? Batter for frying should be the consistency of thin pancake batter, but what if you don't make pancakes?
Now, with How to Cook Everything The Basics, Bittman has broken recipe instructions down to the lowest level, with 1,000 color photographs illustrating both dish and technique. There is a photograph of butter dotting; of batter for frying, threading from a whisk; of biscuit dough--what the ingredients look like in a proper "shaggy mess." The chapters and recipes progress from easiest to most challenging, starting with breakfast and buying real maple syrup ("incomparably delicious, a gift from nature").
The 496 pages of delicious recipes are persuasive, but so is Mark Bittman's voice--it comes through with humor, a passion for great food and a good helping of common sense--read the recipe through at least once before starting; it's okay to serve most dishes warm or at room temperature ("No rush. No Pressure... Enjoy the process."); be safe, but not insane, about cleanliness. There really is nothing better than sharing food with others, and Mark Bittman makes it a compelling, fun and even exciting endeavor. --Marilyn Dahl, book review editor, Shelf Awareness
Read more about How to Cook Everything The Basics, with recipes and photos, in our Maximum Shelf.