Customer Reviews

HOW COOKING WORKS

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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.

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

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.

"How Cooking Works" was recommended to me MANY years ago. I activally looked in used book stores, garage sales, librarys, and anywhere else I thought a copy might appear. No luck. This was long before extensive internet usage and certainly before Amazon was available. Well, I recently thought "what would happen if I searched the internet for this book?" I did and Amazon kept coming up. I searched within and found several sources of used copies (it was last published in the 70's??). Anyway, I placed an order, the book arrived several days later, it was in excellent condition and I have really enjoyed finally having it as a reference. I was absolutely satisfied with every aspect of this transaction. BIG DAVE