Cook Something: Simple Recipes and Sound Advice to Bring Good Food into Your Fabulous Lifestyle

Rating:
Summary: If you were only allowed one cookbook, this is the book.
Review: As someone who purchased this book on a lark, then continued to buy it for all my gift-giving needs - including a wedding shower only a couple of weeks ago - as well as to use it periodically with fantastic results, I feel compelled to rave about it to anyone interested.

The recipes are easy to follow, the helpful advice and recipe cross references are just that, helpful, and the humourous introductions are truly enticing. This book intends to grab the reader by the collar, send him or her straight into the kitchen regardless of experience or trepidation and produce a delicious, mouthwatering, "you'll be everyone's best friend" dish every time.

What strikes me as invaluable about Cook Something and what separates it from all the other really good cookbooks on the shelf is the fact that it is a great collection of sound, tested recipes. It lists every single modern, homey, comfort food you would ever want in a well-rounded repertoire. For instance, the pancake recipe is the best. There is no reason to use any other. The light and flaky pastry crust has become my secret weapon and I use it everywhere, from tarts, to quiches, to pot pies, to dessert pizzas. You'll want to make each recipe as you read it, if only because you'll want to eat each dish that is listed. If you're nervous, stick to the recipe measurements. If you're daring, mix and match according to taste. The creamy mustard sauce is listed with salmon, but it works just as well with monkfish, scallops and pork loin. In any case, use this book as a reference guide, from checking the ideal temperature for roasting chicken to which ingredients go into hummus. Each recipe works well, so you'll not only build your culinary confidence but you'll be inspired to share your cooking with your friends.

Run, don't walk, to pick up your copy!

Rating:
Summary: easy to follow, tasty comforting food
Review: Easy-to-read, easy-to-use recipes which will make you WANT to cook instead of eating out tonight. You'll love "Adam's Big Pancake" (my mom prepared a similar pancake for my father and me on Sunday mornings) and you'll impress guests with "Badda Bing Chicken."

Don't let the "for beginners" tag turn you off if you're an experienced cook...this book is fun and full of great recipes whether you never cook or have been cooking for years. Buy one for yourself and more as gifts for friends. They'll love it.

Rating:
Summary: Shows how cooking can be both fun AND cool!
Review: I bought this book because of the simple terminology and ease of navigation. I am new to cooking and felt this was the right book for me. And it was! The combination of simple, great recipes, lots of information for new cooks, and great photos makes this book a definite winner. It's fresh, cool, and hip. If you want to have FUN while cooking, get this book. You won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: So Easy!
Review: This is a really great cookbook for people who don't have the time to search out exotic ingredients or spend hours over the stove. Well laid out, fantastic food, and great hints and suggestions. I've been successful with every recipe that I tried from the book and have gotten rave reviews!

Rating:
Summary: Tasty and Totally Unpretentious
Review: With several indexes, this book is easy to navigate, while having enough attitude to be fun flip through (even when you're not cooking). With witty commentary, the author includes recipes that aren't too complicated but that produce great results. It also has a guide to cooking basics in the front.

Each index groups the recipes differently: by meal, by course, by main ingredient ("Before it grows mold"), by ethnic origin, by time it takes to cook, and more.

This is not your cooking encyclopedia, but I find it more accessible and more fun to read than my "Joy of Cooking." Since it doesn't have every dish under the sun, it's easier to thumb through and pick something quick. And whatever you pick will probably be a success (see below for my one objection).

My favorite recipes: Pancakes (from scratch, I'm a breakfast food junkie), Beef Stew, both the chicken wings recipes.

Disregard the author when he raves about "Cheese Thing;" It's not all it's cracked up to be.

This book was a great find for a college student with little experience with cooking, but a taste for really good home-cooked food. And since it's not just a list of recipes, but a cleverly written book, it makes cooking from it that much more fun.