A few years back, one of my pals had a bunch of us over for dinner. It was a big deal since this fella had just moved into a place of his own for the first time. He was also the kind of guy that had mom cook for him his entire life and when left to his own devices did a lot of fast food. We were dubious about having a meal he cooked.
But as it turned out he found the most amazing little cookbook for men living alone for the first time, with reaaaaallly easy recipies that were not only delicious but pretty well balanced meals to boot. It even came with thick laminated pages so it wouldn't be easily destroyed by kitchen mishaps while in use. It is called
"A Can, A Man, and A Plan".
When each of my sons went off to college, I packed up a box of microwavable dishes and basic kitchen supplies with this book on the top of the contents. Each of them said it saved their lives and budgets, and taught them the fundamentals of cooking.
For more advanced cooks, the book that has become my bible in the kitchen has taught me everything my grandmother's didn't teach me. From how to choose the best cuts of meat and where on the animal they come from, how and when to use a lot of those implements you see in the kitchen isle at WalMart you always wondered what they were for. And how to alter baking recipies for high altitude, which in Denver is extremely important if your baking bread, cake, cookies or souffle's from scratch. Unless you want to learn gormet cooking it is the only cookbook you will ever need, "The Joy of Cooking" by good ol Irma Bombeck.
But as it turned out he found the most amazing little cookbook for men living alone for the first time, with reaaaaallly easy recipies that were not only delicious but pretty well balanced meals to boot. It even came with thick laminated pages so it wouldn't be easily destroyed by kitchen mishaps while in use. It is called
"A Can, A Man, and A Plan".
When each of my sons went off to college, I packed up a box of microwavable dishes and basic kitchen supplies with this book on the top of the contents. Each of them said it saved their lives and budgets, and taught them the fundamentals of cooking.
For more advanced cooks, the book that has become my bible in the kitchen has taught me everything my grandmother's didn't teach me. From how to choose the best cuts of meat and where on the animal they come from, how and when to use a lot of those implements you see in the kitchen isle at WalMart you always wondered what they were for. And how to alter baking recipies for high altitude, which in Denver is extremely important if your baking bread, cake, cookies or souffle's from scratch. Unless you want to learn gormet cooking it is the only cookbook you will ever need, "The Joy of Cooking" by good ol Irma Bombeck.
