Bittman's Back With The Basics

 “A wonderful book of perfectly simple recipes that every neophyte and experienced cook should have in their kitchen.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review 

When people want to learn their way around the kitchen they turn to Mark Bittman, author of the best-selling How to Cook Everything books—contemporary, comprehensive references for cooks of all ages and abilities. Now, for the first time ever, Bittman combines classic, elemental recipes with full-color, step-by-step photos. The result is an accessible tutorial that offers something for everyone, from true beginners to seasoned enthusiasts.

How to Cook Everything The Basics  is the ultimate teaching tool. With his signature authoritative and sensible advice, Bittman demonstrates how easy it is to make delicious everyday food from common supermarket ingredients. And since this is an unprecedented How to Cook Everything book—with 1,000 beautiful photographs by Romulo Yanes to illustrate every recipe and technique—the cookbook serves as a comprehensive reference that’s both visually stunning and utterly practical.

Among the 185 recipes in How to Cook Everything The Basics are instructions for all the basic techniques, ingredients, and variations that new—and even not-so-new—cooks need to gain confidence in the kitchen. Bittman teaches essential lessons through the processes of cooking: Lentil Soup teaches rinsing and sorting through beans and softening vegetables; Fried Chicken shows how to coat meat in flour and test the temperature of oil; and Banana Bread demonstrates greasing a pan and creaming butter.  Cooks can work through the lessons dish by dish, or cherry pick, using the “Learn More” feature at the end of each recipe and the “List of Lessons” at the back of the book to quickly locate specific skills and instructions.

Bittman advances a no-nonsense, practical approach to cooking in all of the book’s unique features:

• A Getting Started chapter helps readers set up the pantry, use seasonings, and identify equipment, while providing a visual guide to all of the basic preparation and cooking techniques.
• Twenty nine Basics Features are scattered throughout to simplify broad subjects with sections like “Think of Vegetables in Groups,” “How to Cook Any Grain,” and “5 Rules for Buying and Storing Seafood.” 
• 600 demonstration photos each build on a step from the recipe to teach a core lesson, like “Cracking an Egg,” “Using Pasta Water,” “Recognizing Doneness,” and “Crimping the Pie Shut.”
• Detailed notes appear in blue type near selected images. Here, Mark highlights what to look for during a particular step and offers handy advice and other helpful asides.
•  “Is It Done Yet?” depicts the subtle difference a minute can make when cooking foods like eggs or pasta; other images capture the moment a sauce thickens, water simmers steadily, or rice becomes tender.

Bittman teaches cooking in a casual, unfussy way that makes meals as enjoyable to prepare as they are to eat. And How to Cook Everything The Basics is almost like having him in the kitchen with you.