Useful cookbook for budding chefs

In a nutshell: Beyond the recipes, this cookbook provides budding chefs with 84 pages of useful background on mixing, measuring and other kitchen techniques and tools. Detailed descriptions and hundreds of attractive photos hold a reader’s interest.

Features: All recipes are identified by skill level, from level 1 (beginners) to level 3 (experienced cooks). Tabbed sections make it easy to find recipes for appetizers, quick meat meals, fish and shellfish, soups and stews, etc.

Pluses: Each section is well-indexed. A comprehensive index is available at the back of the book.

The “Ask Mom” section at the bottom of each recipe provides page references where the reader can find answers to basic questions related to the recipe. Most recipes include step-by-step photos.

Minuses: An included DVD of cooking techniques is only moderately helpful. The individual tips are short and offer relatively little that a beginning cook doesn’t know or can’t figure out. The DVD’s elevator-music soundtrack becomes annoying in record time.

We tried: Baked Cavatelli

The verdict: This is a very useful reference for beginner cooks.

— Howard K. Marcus

« Food & Dining

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