Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen Cookbook: 100 + Great Recipes with Foolproof Instructions [Paperback]

Nancy Mills (Author), Kevin Mills (Author), Richard A. Goldberg (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2006

"My mom had the idea for this cookbook. I think she figured that if she could teach a kitchen illiterate like me to cook, there was no one who couldn't learn." -- Kevin Mills

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"I had always known of the existence of the kitchen," begins Kevin Mills. "It was the room with the fridge in it. As for cooking, it was somebody else's problem. It was Mom's." When Mills went to college, however, it became his problem as well. After extensive phone coaching from Mom, he learned enough rudimentary recipes to keep from starving. And now you can learn them as well, along with a handful of not-so-rudimentary ones. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

When Kevin Mills moved into his first apartment, he soon realized he couldn't live on just take-out food alone, so he called his mother, Nancy. She taught him to cook, and now the two of them have put together a collection of easy recipes (actually, they're graded?most are Very Easy or Easy, a few are Not So Easy) for inexperienced cooks, along with lots of "Mom tips" and "Mom warnings." (Because Kevin's girlfriend is a vegetarian, more than half the recipes are vegetarian.) Less ambitious than either Elaine Corn's Now You're Cooking (LJ 10/15/94) or Lora Brody's The Kitchen Survival Guide (LJ 5/15/92), and with a more scattershot approach, this should nonetheless appeal to recent graduates and others cooking for themselves for the first time.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Reprint edition (May 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618711759
• ISBN-13: 978-0618711758
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm soooo lazy and I do it. March 20, 1999

By Graham Campbell ([e-mail])

Format:Paperback

When I was reading the instructions on how to make a grilled cheese, this was a clear sign to me as to the effectiveness of a book like this. Simply put, I'm am the laziest college student ever, except for my housemate who eats hot dogs raw because the microwave is too tough. So, this book is wonderfully simple and fun to read. I'm not ashamed to use this cookbook and I can make meals that are fun and lead to more experimentation in the kitchen. Thanks Kevin and Mom.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Even fearless cooks will appreiate this guides' wisdom April 9, 1997

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Kevin Mills and his Mom have put together a cookbook that is entertaining and useful. Although this cookbook is aimed at beginners, the recipes are creative and tasteful. This book gets beyond the ho-hu basic meals (ie chili, scrambled eggs, and hambergers) and moves onto more challengeing and palet pleasing recipes. Kevin's girlfriend is a vegetarian, and so he has included recipes that satisfy both of them. Recipes are rated from "Very Easy" to "Difficult". The sage wisdom displayed by Kevin's Mom is invaluable.

I recommend this book for any beginner, hesitant cook, or unique cookbook collector!

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Cooking for dummies -- but not foolproof. December 12, 2003

By Timothy Read

Format:Paperback

When I first moved into my apartment in college, this book is one my Mom got for me. She bought it as a joke, but it was a good idea to get my confidence up in the kitchen.

Most of the recipes are fairly easy to do, although some can be a little more challenging. If you're looking to make something quick and don't want to slave over a stove all night, there are all kinds of great quick recipes in there.

However, one major complaint I have is that it seems like many recipes call for an unbelievable amount of oil if you follow the directions to the letter. In some cases, like pancakes, this isn't a problem. In other cases, though, it can really make things tricky, or just plain disgusting.

If you're just starting out in the kitchen, though, you can get a feel for some basics and build your confidence. Just keep your eyes open and you'll get a better feel of how to tweak these recipies for the better -- and before long you'll graduate to "regular" cookbooks.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT cookbook for beginners and experts alike June 30, 2001

By Rebecca

Format:Paperback

I consider myself somewhat handy in the kitchen, but when I got my own apartment, I found that there were still some basic things I didn't know how to do. That's where this book came in. It taught me not only how to do those basic things, but also to make great meals that I had always thought were difficult (like pesto sauce). Between "Mom Tips" and ratings from "Very Easy" to "Difficult," it's hard to screw up these recipes as long as you know your level of ability in the kitchen. It's also nice because once you get the easy stuff down, you can work up to the harder stuff. There is also a good list in here of the basics for those of us who come into an empty apartment with an empty kitchen and no idea what to buy as far as staples (like ketchup, mustard, pasta, etc).

The recipes in this book are pretty much fool-proof, and they taste great. After venturing on to bigger and better things in "regular" cookbooks, I still come back to this one from time to time for great recipes. It is a must-have for any newbie in the kitchen and an awesome cookbook for anyone who wants to know the easy way to make just about anything.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars How to make a new cook from scratch March 21, 2003

By ringo VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This funny and easy to read book makes absolutely no assumptions about its readers. It includes step-by-step recipes, with "Mom Tips" on the side for those little hints that most cookbooks dont' bother mentioning (like to not overcook garlic when browning it, because it will become bitter, or to put hardboiled eggs immediately into cold water, to make them easier to peel).

The book really does include instructions on "how to boil water." Unfortunately, the instructions for that are wrong. The author suggests starting with warm water instead of cold so it will boil faster. As an *experienced* cook, I can tell you that previously boiled warm water has a flat taste (from being de-oxygenated) that it will impart to some dishes, and, even more important, warm tap water is much more likely to be contaminated with lead leeched from old water pipes. This isn't a deal breaker - the book is still worth reading for a novice cook. But take the advice with 1/8 tsp of salt.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Help! vs. Healthy College Cookbook March 24, 2006

By Christine Kenney

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

There's 2 major challenges to us first-time kitchen owners: learning how to cook and unlearning all those unhealthy eating habits we've picked up.

Help! (learning to cook)

*difficulty scale: very easy, easy, not so easy

*preparation/cooking times: reasonably accurate

*mom tips: geared towards avoiding disasters or locating/selecting items in the grocery store

*recipes: 104

*nutrition info: none and can be heavy on the oil, mayo, and sour cream.

*msc: Kevin tries to stick a joke on every page. Most of them aren't funny, but they keep the tone upbeat.

Healthy College Cookbook (replacing unhealthy eating habits)

*no difficulty scale

*limited preparation/cooking time information: super-quick vs not

*mom tips: fewer tips/recipe and geared towards making recipes healthier and coping with expiration dates

*recipes: 187

*nutrition info: calories, fat, protein, carbs, and cholesterol for every recipe

*msc: servings are chintzier than in Help! go hungry or plan accordingly.

At first, I tried to subsist on The Healthy College Cookbook alone. However, I found the serving sizes too small to feel satisfied. I also wanted more comfort food options to get me through the transition to home cooking. I felt like I had transformed into a rabbit before my tastes had time to adjust. I reverted back to my plain pasta/greasy spoon restaurant routine until I purchased Help! I've stuck with Help! because it's easier to plan grocery shopping and menus when I know how long and difficult a recipe will be and realistically how many servings it will make. Also, nearly everything I make in Help!... seems to call for garlic, onions, or canned tomatoes so shopping is more straightforward and perennially in season. Read more ›