How To Cook Everything―completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition: Simple Recipes for Great Food (How to Cook Everything Series, 1)

Bought this for my 17 year old nephew who wants to go to school to be a chef! He enjoys cooking and does it all the time. I thought this would be the perfect cookbook for him. It's a very big book with recipes for everything.

I have loved both prior editions of this book, going back 20 years, and I still have both prior editions and cook from them regularly. While I have only had this new edition for about a week now, I have concluded that Mark Bittman has dialed back the showy, "project" cooking that has been part of his prior HTCE books. In this edition, there are certainly a selection of complicated recipes, but the overwhelming majority of the content here is what I would call the things we actually make and eat today. Perhaps with a broader palate for international ingredients, but that is to be expected. (We all eat differently than we did 20 years ago.) HTCE 20 is just as proscriptive as ever, but with a pronounced bias toward home cooking---not chef-style excess. Yes, important recipes reappear, but so do new recipes for, say, kimchi rice and microwave fish tacos. This would be an excellent book for graduates and other young people setting up their first kitchens. It is also a good choice for experienced cooks looking for a reference work to inspire their own creativity. In all, a very worthy revision to a cornerstone work.

This is a confidence-builder for a newbie cook. Or someone feeding a family. Or a single cooking just for one. My favorite feature is the list of ideas about how to adapt a particular technique to fit what you have going on in your kitchen that night. I especially appreciate the side bars. "Giving Soup More Body." "To Salt or Not to Salt." "14 Sauces for Any Simply Cooked Tofu." The "lexicon" pages are extremely helpful. These pages explain the vocabulary of items like cooking oils, vinegars, beans, grains, etc. I was having such fun with it that I made a soup for a friend in need and she asked for the recipe. I gave her the whole book and bought another one. I can't stop finding new things in this book! "12 Simple Additions to Scrambled Eggs" He even gave me the courage to make my own crackers. Could not be easier. Give it a try. That's the lesson I've learned from this book.

This is a great cookbook with many versatile recipes

I thought this was a good book when I looked through it. I wanted it for a gift but decided to return it for something else. Nice pictures and instructions

I already have the older version of How to Cook Everything, but couldn't resist buying the new edition. The new book is on heavier, glossy paper and includes photographs. If you are tempted to wait for the paperback, don't--you will need the sturdy hardback for a cookbook that you will use hundreds of times. This edition sees some recipes cut (why the Roast Pork with Sage and Potatoes?) and some new additions, most reflective how how we eat today. I have cooked professionally and still learn from this book. I consider is essential for anyone who cooks already or for the novice who wants to learn. Most recipes are simple and easy to make. Bittman is very clear and concise. I highly recommend this cookbook. In fact, if I could have only one cookbook, this would be it.

this is one of the heaviest books i have. it has some real weight to it so don’t drop it. content is fantastic as has been well noted.

For my grandson's 12th birthday I bought him the 'How to Cook Everything' cookbook, a chef's apron and hat, hot pads, a silicone spatula and a bookmark that condones licking the bowl because you only live once! He has a budding interest in baking and cooking that I wanted to encourage. The cookbook is perfect for beginners but extensive enough to carry him through college years plus. It has basics and beyond. He was tickled having his own apron and if I had planned far enough ahead, I could have put his name on the hat. The hot pads look nice together with the apron and are distinctive enough to not get mixed up with others in the household's kitchen. The silicone spatula probably will see use by others as it looks very functional. It is just the right size for him now and based on the products durability description I expect it to last. He enjoyed receiving these gifts and he has already planned on what to make when I come for a visit. He has focused on the dessert section. I'll have fun assisting him and being his taste tester. It should make for some nice memories together.

Very good book

Best cookbook I have ever seen. It's not a compilation of recipes (although there are 400 recipes in there) but rather a manual showing how to cook nearly everything: which techniques to use, what substitutes work, which "families" of flavors typically work well together, what's the best use for each cut of meat. The best part is that it's always so simple, even when it's a big fancy meal, and then he shows you which variations and additions you can try. It's like going to cooking class in your own kitchen.

Como siempre, Mark Bittman ha rebasado mis expectativas con este mágnifico libro de 20 aniversario. Recetas bien hechas, con las indicaciones adecuadas y además, con una gran variedad geográfica. Un libro para tener en la cocina para las tareas díarias y para las grandes ocasiones

I love this book. It talks about any kind of food you can think of.

Saw Mark Bittman on the today show and was impressed with his ability to communicate the preparation of food in a simple straightforward manner to people without food prep training or experience. This book has become my new best friend in the kitchen. Simple processes and basic recipes abound, with loads of variations for you to try. Mark teaches you how to cook while opening the door to your own inspiration.