How to Cook [Hardcover]

Delia Smith (Author)

Book Description

Series: DK American Original | Publication Date: May 2, 2001

Best-selling author Delia Smith presents a simple and enjoyable cooking course for people of all ages and abilities.

We live in a time when everyone can buy food products from literally anywhere in the world at the local supermarket, when people can assemble instant suppers from food bars, where on almost every city corner there's a take-out or fast-food chain. But many people have forgotten the joys and simple pleasures of putting together a delicious, nutritious meal on their own. In a busy world where people have less and less time for cooking, many feel intimidated by even the thought of cooking. Delia's How To Cook restores a respect for food in its simplest, purest form, bringing everyone back to the basics skills of cooking. Adapted for the US market, Dorling Kindersley's How To Cook is a combination of two separate volumes Delia published in the UK on the basic art of cooking. In Book One, she starts at the very beginning, explaining in detail the staple ingredients of all cooking -- eggs, flour, potatoes, rice, and pasta. Book Two proceeds through the fundamentals of preparing fish, meat, poultry, fruit, and vegetables. In her typically friendly, accessible style, she guides beginners through the basics that will serve them for a lifetime of cooking. Boiling and poaching an egg, bread and pastry baking, making sauces and cooking all kinds of rice -- these are some of the many techniques she presents that will remove intimidation from the cooking process and inspire total confidence. For those who have already mastered these techniques, who are already accomplished cooks, How To Cook provides a sparkling collection of recipes, incorporating new ideas such as fat-free white sauces, french 'fries' you don't have to fry, and souffles that don't collapse, all presented in Delia's inimitable style.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (May 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789471868
• ISBN-13: 978-0789471864
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,054,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good introductory book to cooking..., January 4, 2002

By 

Alexis Rosoff Treeby (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How to Cook (Hardcover)

I'd really like to give this 4.5 stars, as my quibbles are fairly minor; just enough to prevent a perfect rating.

when this book came out in England, there were complaints about how overly simple it was. I think those reviewers missed the point. How to Cook is not aimed at people who can whip up a soufflé with ease. Its target market is people who have never been exposed to basic cooking, though it's also an excellent refresher for people who have been cooking for some time and want to get back to the building blocks.

The recipes are organized thematically--eggs, pasta, potatoes, and so on. This doesn't necessarily mean main ingredient--there may also be recipes that are complementary to it, for example trifle in the egg chapter (to illustrate custard) and roast lamb in sauces (to show different gravies).

However, many of the recipes are suitable for more advanced cooks as well and are clearly written and explained. Delia Smith describes herself as a cook, not a chef, and although she's a little didactic, her attitude and style is just what's needed to make a fledgling cook feel more confident.

Although she's a champion of traditional British food, and there are some very traditional recipes (toad in the hole, custard tart, trifle, rice pudding) the recipes themselves draw on a wide range of cuisines with the stipulation that they are all designed and tested for the home cook.

The book has been thoroughly Americanized. Ingredients are given in American style volume as well as metric weight (eg: 1 cup/200g sugar) and the introductory information in each chapter has been altered to suit American ingredients (discussion of heavy cream instead of double, for example). There are a few funny things: In the vegetable chapter names have been directly substituted, without reordering, so eggplant (UK aubergine) appears between asparagus and beets. On the whole, though, well edited; I have seen some British cookbooks that were barely touched in the transfer.

A couple of minor quibbles:

1) Lots of pork recipes, but no veal. Given her strong statements against battery chickens perhaps she's opposed to the conditions for veal calves but still, an unfortunate omission. (especially for us non-pork eaters).

2) She says use half lard, half butter for pastry, mentions that it `may be unsuitable' for vegetarians but does not say what to do if you cannot use lard.

3) I don't know if this was an error in the original or the Americanization process. There are 2 kinds of dry yeast in the USA, active and rapid-rise. Delia tells you to put active dry yeast in with the flour and add the liquid in her chapter on bread. this is NOT the correct procedure: active dry yeast should be dissolved first, then flour added. Only rapid-rise may be used directly. The rising times seem closer to active dry, but the procedure is for rapid-rise. I've sent a note to the publisher and hopefully this will be corrected.

On the whole, though, a good book for people who want to get down to the fundamentals of cooking.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stylish Recipes and Intoxicatingly Beautiful Photographs, June 24, 2001

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How to Cook (Hardcover)

This is a combination of two separate volumes published on the art of cooking. This book was first published in the UK, but has been "Americanized" so American cooks can follow the recipes with confidence.

At the start of each new chapter, Delia guides the new cook through the basic principles and fundamentals of preparing the basic foods used in the recipes to follow.

Part one contains a section about eggs, precise instructions on how to make an omelet, delicious breads, fine pastries, cakes and cookies, flour-based sauces, batters, potato treats, rice and then pasta.

Part Two delves into the contents of the serious cook's pantry, making fish without fear, cooking meats, roasting chicken, buying vegetables year round and discovering the simple joy of making salad dressings. You will also love the section on the growing array of dairy products, exotic fruit, cheese and chocolate.

A source for cookware, specialty food and produce is also included and I am eager to find out more about some of the fun UK sources I had never heard of, like Mermaid's Cookware.

Have you ever dreamed of making Cheesecake with Greek Yogurt, Honey and Pistachios? When you see the picture, you will want to make it. There is also a recipe for Melting Chocolate Puddings that are those "molten" chocolate cakes you find in restaurants. A smoked fish pie is not something you will find everyday in America and it is a real treat to find a recipe. There are quite a few smoked fish recipes to try.

There are also many recipes with International flair. Egg and Lentil Curry with Coconut and Pickled Lime is just one of the selections. I was also delighted to find a recipe for Old-Fashioned English Custard Tart that is a childhood favorite of mine. Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Corn, Beef Curry, Fresh Coconut Layer Cake, Traditional English Custard, Gratin of Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables, Shrimp Risotto with Lobster Sauce, Roast Chicken with Apple, Sage and Onion Stuffing, Classic Creme Caramel, Minature Choc Ices, Fava Bean Salad with Pancetta and Sherry Vinegar and Crunchy Roast Potatoes with Saffron are just a few of the delicious recipes you will find.

My highest recommendation ever for a cookbook and I think this just might become my new favorite cookbook. Delia's writing style is delicious and her headnotes are informative and inspirational. She even makes toasted cheese look gourmet.

"Something happens to vegetables when they're cooked very slowly for a long time: their flavor becomes mellow but at the same time more intense, and your kitchen is filled with aromas of goodness. This soup is also completely fat-free." -pg. 371, Slow-Cooked Root Vegetable Soup

In our busy world, we have less time for cooking. However, I can promise you, you will be so intrigued by this cookbook, you will set aside time to cook! It is that good. If you don't have time to cook very often, but want a book to add to your collection of reading material, this won't stay on the shelf for long.

Cooking from Delia's Cookbook will make you feel like a chef. This is a cookbook for new and experienced cooks alike. This is truly an exciting collection of recipes!

~The Rebecca Review

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly comprehensive "how to" cook book, November 21, 2001

By 

Mark Publow (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: How to Cook (Hardcover)

I'm 40 years old and have been cooking since I was seven. I've tried a lot of recipes, and checked out a lot of cookbooks (usually through the library). However, when I checked this cookbook out, I knew it was one to keep What I appreciated most about this cookbook was that not only included many good recipes, but it also provided in-depth basics about how to cook various foods. As one simple example, I never knew until I read this book about how the age/freshness of eggs affects their suitability for preparing hard-boiled eggs. And I finally made "perfect" mashed potatoes through following the directions in this cookbook. The book has wonderful basic recipes, as well as interesting new recipes (e.g., Egg and Lentil Curry with Coconut and Lime).

Another very nice feature of this July 2001 U.S. publication is that it combines two previously separate volumes (1 & 2) that were published in the U.K. This provides for a truly comprehensive cookbook, which I highly recommend.