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Rating: 
Summary: A true success story in the kitchen
Review: As cliche as it may sound, this cookbook has truly changed my life. Growing up, I never learned to cook for various familial reasons. The only thing I knew how to make until I picked up this book was canned soup. Whenever I went to someone's house for dinner, etc. I felt a fool because I didn't know how to do the first thing. It was humiliating. I literally stumbled on this book two years ago in a bookstore and picked it up. This book has taught me how to cook. It was like having a stand in mom over your shoulder telling you exactly how to do everything. The book is set up so that there are 10 start-up recipes in the beginning. These recipes are designed to require the use of many basic skills. She walks you through everything in great detail every step of the way. Once you do the 10 recipes you can really get through most of the other recipes in the book. (The detailed instruction still continues somewhat through the rest of the book.) BESIDES the learning process she takes you through, the recipes are wonderful all on their own. They are healthy, low-fat and tasty. She touches on various styles of cooking such as American, Italian, Mexican and Japanese. Just about everything I have made has turned out wonderfully. At first, it was admittedly difficult getting through the first five recipes (especially ratatouille) because remember...I did not know the first thing. But, that ratatouille recipe pretty much taught me to cook and I am so thankful for it now! Today, cooking is one of my all time favorite hobbies. I still use her cookbook ALL the time, especially for dinners for my family on a nightly basis. My husband raves about everything I make! I would STRONGLY suggest buying this book if you want to learn how to cook and really don't know where to start.
Rating:
Summary: Primo!!!!!!!!
Review: Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! Martha Rose Shulman is a true genious. This cookbook is absolutely amazing. I have made almost every recipe in the book, and each one has been outstanding. They are easy to make, and her style and approach is easy and fun to follow. This is the way to eat, maintain a normal weight, and enjoy every bit of it, no pun intended. Thank you Martha!
Rating:
Summary: A true success story in the kitchen
Review: Having come from a family completely unable and unwilling to cook, I was at an extreme disadvantage wanting to learn to eat healthy. This cook book is a real world how-to. It tells you what to look for when buying veggies, how to cut them, prepare them multiple ways, gives you instructions and then real recipes. It's more than definitions of chop vs dice and boil vs simmer, the author explains how she does and how the terms may vary from one recipe to another. She gives substitutions, suggests which things can be done ahead of time, and gives realistic estimates of how long the dishes take to prepare. My family and I are much healthier than this time last year, thanks almost entirely to this book. It helped me get comppletely over being intimidated by cooking and especially cooking healthy meals. My family is amazed and healthy, and I feel I've really accomplished something positive.
Rating:
Summary: The best beginner book ever
Review: Having come from a family completely unable and unwilling to cook, I was at an extreme disadvantage wanting to learn to eat healthy. This cook book is a real world how-to. It tells you what to look for when buying veggies, how to cut them, prepare them multiple ways, gives you instructions and then real recipes. It's more than definitions of chop vs dice and boil vs simmer, the author explains how she does and how the terms may vary from one recipe to another. She gives substitutions, suggests which things can be done ahead of time, and gives realistic estimates of how long the dishes take to prepare. My family and I are much healthier than this time last year, thanks almost entirely to this book. It helped me get comppletely over being intimidated by cooking and especially cooking healthy meals. My family is amazed and healthy, and I feel I've really accomplished something positive.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Basic Book
Review: I was so disappointed when I first received this book because unlike Ms. Shulman's other cookbook that I have (Classic Party Fare), there was not a single picture in here. I find it VERY difficult to cook without a picture of the finished product in front of me. Having said that, when I started to really READ the book, I was pleasantly surprised that she explained things in a VERY basic way (great for a beginner...an experienced cook would want to bypass the beginning of the book). In fact, she mentions not to "chop" onions in a mini-processor because it makes the onions mush rather than chops them...I had done this very thing the day before I read that! It has good tips. I haven't tried the recipes yet, though.
Rating:
Summary: Primo!!!!!!!!
Review: I wish I would have had this cook book when I first started cooking. It has "absolutely" everything you need to know to start out; pantry items, spices, utensils. I love it. Perfect for a new cook, or someone who wants flavor without all the fat.
Pretty soon the only cookbooks I have will be by the Martha that really knows her stuff.
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