Customer Reviews

Cooking for Dummies

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My idea of the "For Dummies" books is that they are supposedto be for the beginner and not intimidate anyone. As an aboveaverage cook who is regularly asked for a recommendation on where a newcomer to the kitchen should start, I had hoped that this could be my answer. Unfortunately, there is a fatal flaw that make me hesitate and certainly give a disclaimer with any recommendation I might provide.

My biggest reservation has to do with the chapter on equipment. While I will certainly not disagree that I can cook slightly better with better equipment, I also know that you can be a perfectly good cook with 50 cent knives and $5 saucepans. This chapter should have been an appendix - "When you're ready to buy the best tools" instead of such an early chapter. At most the chapter should have contained a discussion about what each item is used for, and stopped there. As it stands, it succeeded mainly in putting off the less experienced cooks I showed it to.

This is a shame, since much of the rest of the book is useful, funny and informative. I have since recommended it to one person with the caveat that they should ignore that chapter until they could afford not to. But most people just starting out can't afford what's in there. (Heck, I'm well beyond starting out and can't afford much of it. Then again, I regularly produce gourmet meals on a $20 set of knives and a $50 set of pans. So can anyone.)

In the end, the author broke what I consider to be the cardinal rule of the "For Dummies" books - MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE. In the end, a $50 knive and a $100 pan are just not accessible and also, not NECESSARY to be a good cook. Learning the skills of cooking can be done on almost ANY equipment (the tops have to seal and the knives have to cut - that's about it). This book made it seem necessary to drop a $1000 or so before you could start boiling water and that's not just inaccessible but intimidating, too.

This book has helped me so incredibly much.
Mainly because i didnt even know the basics.. Terms in such..
The last straw for me was when I screwed up burger helper. I thought "simmer" on the instructions ment high heat. Then 2nd attempt forgot to "drain the meat" which didnt make for very good Fettuchini Alfredo helper :(

This book talks in low level terms.. Explaining Simmer among others. Before I bought this book, i recieved a cookbook for Xmas.. Which was no use to me because I didnt even understand half the instructions. So I was screwing up burger helpers and didnt even know how to make good scrambled eggs.. *sigh*

NOW!! I make probably some of the best breakfast you ever had. My scrambled eggs are nice, soft fluffy just right.. I mix in Chorizo and heat up some tortillas for some Migas.. OH THATS NOT ALL! I have impressed my mother greatly with hommade stew.. Started off with the recipe in this book (Which is very good BTW).. Then migrated from the stove to a slow cooker(crock pot) and now MY MOTHER asks for me to bring her some of my stew(which is sorta developed into a custome recipe of mine). Pot Roasts.. Tacos...Grilling fish.. ect ect...

My kitchen never had the right tools in it to cook with. This books gives you a nice basic economical listing of things that you must have to cook. VERY GOOD INFO.. Also the listings of spices to have on hand, herbs and other stuff. Also even explains how to properly use knives and what knife to use for what! Again but $ wise its reasonable.. it doesnt ask you to go out and spend 300.00 on junk you will hardly use. Its very common sense...

And then safety. Book goes over proper cooking times and temp for various meats and cautions on cooking chicken. It also gives you a very nice chart on how long various foods, leftovers, meats can be stored in Fridge and stay edible. THIS WAS VERY HELPFUL!

Again.. Great book for person who is cooking clueless and needs it.. Like me ;-)

This book was given to my wife as a wedding gift from a friend of ours. She asked for it so she could better prepare herself for married life even though I prepare all the family meals. She studied the book for two weeks in preperation for my birthday dinner and I must say - everything she cooked came out perfect.

The kitchen may have been a bit messier than normal but by following simple recipes my wife was able to prepare one of teh best meals I've ever eaten. From the salad to the dessert each item was beautifully presented and lovingly prepared.

My only problem with this book was in regards to the equipment needed. As Catering Director at Shepherd College I don't even use many of these items on a full time basis. My recommendation is to read this chapter after you've skimmed the rest of the book and take to heart that the items listed are not nessesarily needed in every kitchen.

Over all a good book with some great recipes. Pick one up and enjoy the new found freedom in the kitchen!

Though the recipies in this book sound delicious this book is far from written for dummies as it claims. Being a beginning cook I find it hard to follow what would seem to be the basic instruction for each recipe. I get lost figuring out just how to cut an onion "coursely" as I've never done it before. There is even a figure missing from chapter 5 that is supposed to show a key ingredient for Braise Endive (what the heck is endive?) This book is obviously written for someone who has basic knowledge of cooking and its very frustrating to read. The instructions are too vague for beginners and the descriptions of techniques leave me wondering what the author is talking about. Not to mention each recipe expects that you have an entire kitchen full of gadgets at your disposal to prepare these fancy dishes. I think I'm going to have to find a different book to teach me to cook before I can dive into "Cooking for Dummies" and understand whats going on. Look for a different book!!

Cooking for Dummies is funny, informative, and like all it's "For Dummies" cousins, immediately hands on.

I'll take away one star, only because the opening can be intimidating to a rank beginner who doesn't know the difference between a soufle or a sauce pan. Moreover, as has been pointed out earlier, "Cooking for Dummies" seems to say that one must have or obtain a kitchen far beyond the reach of most new cooks. If that's overly intimidating, it's made up for later, as the book gives simple steps that are all but foolproof. If the beginner cannot afford the costly equipment recommended, the beginner should make do with what can be obtained. However, cooking is like any other craft--the better the equipment, the better the results.

But the recipes and techniques are the highlight and soul of the book. Written with humor, insight, and a firm remembering of the intended audience (e.g. "dummies in the kitchen"), "Cooking for Dummies" is sure to please. The recipes are complete and easy to follow; the techniques are explained so that even a klutz like myself won't lose his fingers while chopping herbs or hard vegetables; and the results are uniformly satisfying.

"Cooking for Dummies" is great reading, easy to use, and will be a favorite for many new cooks learning to use the kitchen for more than storage of beer and chips.

This book should have been organized such that a beginner can read through the book in linear chapter order. The beginner should be taught techniques and lessons that can be built upon in later chapters. The text is written like it was teaching someone how to cook, but it is organized by food type!

One chapter lists all the tools, pots, and pans a well stocked kitchen should have -- it even lists tools that appear to not be used in any recipes given. However, a few pages later, a recipe is presented that uses tools not mentioned previously. It presents recipes using techniques not explained until many chapters later -- the forward references (if any) refer only to the chapter thus forcing the reader to peruse that whole future chapter to find the technique referenced. Simpler, one-pot-meals appear later in the book and simultaneous recipe preparation meals appear earlier. C'mon. The title of the book has the word "Dummies" in it. It is not friendly to someone who actually wants to learn how to cook.

The writing, even though it was badly organized, was good. The problem was the book's editor. If you are a "dummy" in the kitchen, look elsewhere for instruction.

Of all the cooking books out there, this would be the one book I would recommend for anyone who wants to learn to cook, but has no kitchen experience at all. It explains basic kitchen terminology and methods in very basic terms....even a child could understand them. If you have much kitchen experience at all, you probably won't learn a whole lot from this book, but it does serve me well as a reference book. For example, if I can't remember exactly how long or how hot to bake a potato, I turn to Cooking for Dummies. It's recipes also serve as a wonderful jumping off point for developing your own cooking creativity. The recipes are very basic, and can always be changed or doctored up to your own tastes.

For someone that isn't that experienced in the kitchen, Cooking for Dummies is amazing. For the simple recipe to make scrambled eggs most cookbooks have gourmet recipes. When I looked in Cooking for Dummies I found out how to make scrambled eggs without the pretty stuff. It does a great job explaining what you need and how to prepare your meal. Cooking for Dummies has made me become less afraid of getting in the kitchen. Having a book that is easy to understand and simple has actually encouraged me to want to cook more. I definitely recommend this book to the first time cook!

Okay. I have your attention. Several years ago, I searched and searched for ANY book that would simply tell me how to cook. ANY! Finally I found a Godsend, "The New Cook Cookbook" by Raymond Sokolov. But, well, the book deserves five stars in it's own right, but it's not really written for, well - all right - DUMMIES! Then I found this book. It is simply incredible! It sits you down. Lies and tells you that you are not a "Dummie". Then proceeds with a graphic survey of the elements of simply...learning...how to cook! I would also advise those who are expert cookers (or whatever the name- culaniasts maybe) to buy this book as well. We need the basics before we can go ahead. But then we have to go back to the basics time and time again. THIS book goes with me if I'm ever on the Titanic!

I greatly enjoy all of the "Dummies" books. Not that I consider myself a dummy, but I have found this book series to offer good advice on the basics on whatever you want to do. This guide is no exception. My only complaint would be discussions regarding equipment. I feel that too much attention was given to this necessary but individual segment of cooking. Cooks need tools, but good tools don't make good cooks.

But the book still has many merits and certainly makes for fun reading.