HOW COOKING WORKS [Hardcover]

Sylvia Rosenthal (Author), Fran Shinagel (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan (October 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0026050900
• ISBN-13: 978-0026050906
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #570,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Most-Used Cookbook, November 20, 2003

By 

NCTH (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: HOW COOKING WORKS (Hardcover)

Of all the cookbooks I've collected in 40 years of cooking, this is the one I reach for most often. It contains basic information such as what to look for when choosing fruits and vegetables and what to expect from certain cuts of meat, but it doesn't overwhelm you with pages and pages of details. The recipes are clearly written, focusing on basic techniques and real-life ingredients that won't send you hunting through ethnic markets or gourmet catalogs--but it also doesn't expect you to simply combine the contents of various cans and packages (i.e. you won't find a recipe calling for a box of yellow cake mix and a container of Cool Whip here). Despite the usually commonplace ingredients, the recipes result in more interesting, flavorful dishes than most Americans regularly enjoy--even those who still actually cook. This book deserves to go back into print.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excelent book, November 24, 2001

By 

Murray R Dunn (Encinitas, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: HOW COOKING WORKS (Hardcover)

This was my first cookbook, and it's still my favorite. It explains not only how to cook, but why these techniques work.

5.0 out of 5 stars Diamond in the Rough, April 11, 2010

By 

G. M. Poole (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: HOW COOKING WORKS (Hardcover)

Came across this gem of a cookbook at a jumble sale for a mere twenty pence- yet this book has been more useful to me than all the published celebrity chefs put together. Explaining not only recipes but the physical and chemical processes which underlie cooking in a simple and straightforward way, it is ideal for the novices all the way through to the experienced chef, (particularly those familiar with scientific study). Will most modern cook-books tell the reader how to prepare an unpackaged fish freshly caught from a river, or how to truss a turkey correctly? I think not. Heartily recommend this valuable tome to all who come across it.