Book Review: How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

I had heard a lot about this cookbook. Apparently, the author is known for a food column by the name, The Minimalist, because he goes for simple, easy recipes with few ingredients. So I got this one from the library to see what I thought.

At first, I was most impressed by the size. It's huge! But don't be fooled by the title. It won't really tell you how to cook everything. It does, however, teach basic cooking principles which would help you create your own recipes or analyze someone else's.

But after trying several recipes from the book, I am not sure it's worth it. The first one I tried, Kale and Potato Soup, was good, but not great. I put that down to the fact that I used canned broth instead of homemade. The next one, Easy Tomato Sauce, was too bland. It was easy, but it wasn't as good as the stuff from a jar. I also made the Bruschetta, and that was good. Then I tried the Bitter Chocolate Sorbet. It sounded so easy - just cocoa powder, sugar, and water. Well, it tasted and smelled great, but it melted right away and the texture was a little odd. It wasn't worth it, I thought. Tonight is the final test - I'm making Chicken Teriyaki with chicken tenderloins. It sure smells good.

Bottom line: borrow this one before you buy it. Some people will love it, but I think I already have cookbooks just as good as this one.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Diamond Cookie Pie

Happy Thanksgiving! I made this pie for the holiday this year and it was a big hit. Easy to make and yummy. Diamond Cookie Pie 1/2 c. butter, softened 3/4 c. brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 c. flour 1 c. chocolate chips 1 c. nuts - the recipe called for walnuts, but we used pecans 1 9-inch uncooked pie shell In large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Blend in flour. Stir chocolate chips and nuts. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 325 for 50 to 55 minutes or until top is golden brown or pick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Read more

Cranberry-Glazed Turkey

Image
Ready in less than 30 minutes Cranberry-Glazed Turkey 1 lb. turkey cutlets or 1 lb. turkey breast, sliced thin (freeze slightly before slicing) 3 Tb. butter 1 medium onion, sliced 1/2 c. cranberry orange sauce 1/2 tsp. sage 1/2 tsp. salt pepper Pound turkey cutlets until about 1/8" thickness. In large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter. Cook turkey cutlets, a few at a time, until tender and lightly browned on each side, about 3 minutes. Remove turkey to plate and reserve. In dripping, cook onion until tender. Add cranberry sauce, sage, salt and pepper to taste, plus 1/2 c. water. Cook until boiling, then scrape up pan. Serve sauce over turkey. Serves 4. Can substitute chicken for turkey.
Read more

Soda Cracker Candy

Soda Cracker Candy 35-40 or 1/4 lb. soda crackers 1 c. brown sugar 1 c. butter 1 c. chopped nuts 12 oz. milk chocolate chips Line jelly roll pan with foil. Fill pan with one layer of soda crackers. Boil brown sugar and butter for 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Add chopped nuts. Pour over crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top with chocolate chips and bake 1 more minutes. Smooth melted chocolate over pan. Cool.
Read more