Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (Three Ring Binder Edition) (Ring-bound)

by 'better Homes and Gardens' (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Discover why every kitchen worth its salt has a flour-dusted, bouillon-stained, batter-encrusted and whisk-maimed copy.

From Publishers Weekly
A chapter on Grilling and one devoted exclusively to Pasta are among the additions to the fresh and updated 11th edition of the famed red plaid cookbook from the nation's heartland. Also new are half of the 1200 recipes, symbols for quick and low-fat dishes, 450+ photographs and individual nutrition analyses. Still in place, however, is the Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen reliability that has made this basic and comprehensive guide a staple in millions of American kitchens since the 1930 first edition. The lead chapter, Cooking Basics, covers ingredients, techniques and menu plans. The following 20 chapters are arranged alphabetically by main ingredients (Beans, Rice & Grains; Meat) or course (Appetizers & Snacks; Desserts) and are marked (in the ring-bound edition) by color differentiated tabs. Tradition and today's thinking coexist comfortably here, with the recipes for Grits and for Cheese and Basil Polenta with Tomato-Basil Sauce appearing side by side. There's a Pepper-Lime Chicken a few steps away from Chicken Divan Casserole; Chocolate-Cherry frozen Yogurt next to a trifle recipe, and Chili Rellenos Casserole following a venerable Welsh Rabbit. Recipes calling for fresh ingredients healthfully and sensibly prepared and notably straightforward instructions on masterfully designed, inviting and family cook-friendly pages mark this comprehensive collection. 855,000 first printing; $1 million ad/promo.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Ring-bound: 540 pages
• Publisher: Better Homes and Gardens Books (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0696201887
• ISBN-13: 978-0696201882
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8.5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (176 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #644,284 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New to Cooking, or Prefer Traditional Meals?, October 25, 2002

By	A.Trendl HungarianBookstore.com "RIP MJ" (Glen Ellyn, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: New Cook Book (Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen) (Ring-bound)

You need a basic cookbook. This is it.

No frills. No essays about the enduring history of kumquats, and how they saved Milwaukee 1,000 years ago. None of that. Just a cookbook with lots of helpful tips, to be used by ordinary people.

What do you get? A good old fashioned cookbook filled recipes you'll actually use, with ingredients you've seen before.

From this cookbook, I've made yeast donuts, breads, BBQ ribs, various sauces, and more. My copy has a few stains on it; good eating makes small messes. I like to think of the stains as battle scars.

Buy if you can the ring-bound version, as it will nicely open as you cook. I have the paperback edition, and use a bag of sugar to keep it open (place the sugar at the top of the open spine).

Helpfully included are photos of meat cuts, so you know pork ribs from beef ribs. There is a similar chart of grains and pastas.

Also, there are general instructions for preparing fruit-pie fillings, methods for cooking meat, and how to can produce. There's shopping tips, nutritional charts, measuring techniques.

Ever wonder the difference between cubing and dicing is? That, and many more great tips are explained here.

I fully recommend "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" for any basic kitchen cooking need you have. However, I am sorry, but detailed kumquat information will need to be found elsewhere.

Anthony Trendl

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Cookbook for Novice and Experienced Cooks Alike, January 14, 2003

By	"racantwell" (Eastsound, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Cook Book (Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen) (Ring-bound)

If I had to cut my extensive (over fifty) cookbook collection back to just one book this would be the "keeper!" When my beloved twelve-year old copy of this cookbook finally fell apart I purchased the 11th edition thinking I would mostly be replacing what I already had and knew well.

There was so much new and useful information included in the eleventh edition I wished I'd let go of my old copy earlier. I am especially fond of the nutrition analysis included with each recipe and the tips for making recipes lower in fat. The prep-times included with each recipe were also a new, and very useful, feature to me. Plus the editors upgraded the book to reflect the wider availability of formerly "exotic" fruits and vegetables now in the everyday market.

The fledgling cook will find everything needed to confidently accomplish any task from hard-boiling an egg to properly setting the table for a family meal or a buffet-style party. Pesky, but common, cooking terms like "al dente" and "crisp-tender" are explained in a straight forward manner in the cooking basics section where you will also find great tips for stocking a pantry or purchasing the basic cooking equipment you might need when just starting out.

Useful features for all levels of cook are scattered throughout the text. For example, there is a full-page photograph of different pastas with the name under each (finally! I now know the difference between Gemelli and Fusilli!). Also very useful are the extensive illustrative photos of retail cuts of meat cross-referenced to the wholesale cut and listing the best way to cook each cut.

One of my favorite things about the hardcover cookbook is the three-ring binder format. This makes it possible to lay the book flat on the counter or prop it up nearby with, or without, a cookbook stand. It also makes it easier to add your own notes right alongside your favorite recipes.

I love to give this cookbook as a gift to a young person just starting out -- inside a big crockpot or tied together with some fun kitchen tools.

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All in the family., May 26, 1999

By A Customer

This is not the only cookbook I have but the only one I use. It is reliable and proven by time. My parents had one when I was little and I loved looking at the pictures. My dad taught me how to cook using it. When I got married, it was a wedding present. I have since bought several new additions and have given one to each of my children as they have moved away from home. Everything you need to know is in there from the basics like measuring, storage and definitions to more complex recipes. Even though I am a grandmother now, I still like the pictures. Nice to know what some things are supposed to look like :o)