Favorite Cookbooks? :)

I don't have a favorite "cookbook" but I do love allrecipes.com, in fact they even have an app for my ipad.

Fanny Farmer. There are many different ones. I have a paperback one that's like 800 pages. It tells all the basics from how to carve meat to how to identify ripe veggies. It has lots of recipes too, but I think the best benefit is learing the basics - how to bake chicken, how to best cook different cuts of steaks (whole section just about the different cuts of what they are best used for). I literally have never NOT found what I needed in this book. I bought it at a garage sell years ago and now it's almost falling apart. I had bought a 'new' one but gave it to my SIL who was just starting to cook. I also plan to buy one for each of my kids when they get older to use when they first move out on their own. Look on Ebay.

I am addicted to the Taste of Home small cookbooks you find in the checkout aisle of the grocery store; they have little tear out cards and they always have awesome, easy meals. They let you know how to reheat the stuff you cook too, so you can almost always make one big dish and freeze 1/2 for a later date! Awesome time saver!

I like Cooks Illustrated -- the cookbooks aren't flashy, but they are realistic and explain the reasons why certain methods and ingredients are used, which will teach you to be a better cook. Here's a good one to start: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Simple-Recipes-Americas-Kitche...

Don't forget about online recipes -- which are FREE and at your fingertips. I like www.epicurious.com, www.williamssonoma.com (click on recipes to search), www.foodnetwork.com and www.marthastewart.com.

Lastly, your local library is a great source for cookbooks. Mine has an entire aisle dedicated to them.

I like America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated (same people) for cookbooks.
My favorite is ATK's 10 Year Anniversary Cookbook. It has recipes for everything you could want to make, with very clear, easy to follow instructions, even if you aren't a great cook.

P.S. Are you really in Butte?

ETA--Read your SWH. I was born in Butte. :)

"How Easy Is That?" by the Barefoot Contessa. I think I've tried every recipe in that book, and every last one has turned out GREAT. Most have only a few ingredients and don't take that long to prepare. My kids like them, too!

If you really are "useless" in the kitchen...I suggest "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman. It is a really handy basic guide. It has directions on how to prepare everything.
I'd also suggest going to the library before you go to the bookstore.
I find cookbooks to be a very personal thing. What works for you, that is. :)

Better Homes and Gardens cookbook! It has a little bit of everything in it and the recipes are all simple and straighforward. You can easily tweak the recipes to your own tastesIf you like slow cooker recipes "Fix it and forget it" is awesome. Also, If you are new to cooking, a kids cokbook is a great way to learn the basics.

-good luck!
M.

I love my Everyday Italian cookbook by Giada DeLaurentis. The dishes are not all gourmet, they are very good. LOVE the Salmon Baked in Foil, Chicken Piccata, Baked Stuffed tomatoes, roasted chicken, Steak, everything..

I like Barefoot Contessa as well.

Try the Food Network website and you can get a lot of good ideas.

Now, if you are a beginner, gob with the standard Classic cookbook to get your start.

I never follow a recipe. I read 1-3 recipes and then incorporate things we like into them. I can't help with cheap foods... I get all meat fresh from the butcher prime quality, fresh veggies and fruits daily, etc. I don't go cheap on my food.

I like the Pioneer Woman's website and cookbook. Everything I have made using her recipes has been fabulous. Also, I like all of Taste of Home cookbooks/recipes. You can pick up their magazines or cookbooks, which are a compilation of their magazines. Also, for basic cooking and lots of explainations, try Fanny Farmer's cookbook. My mom gave me one for my wedding, and it has been a mainstay for me. I wore it out, but loved it so much that I had my mom get me the same one for my 20th anniversay a couple of years ago. It explains everything. Enjoy!

I love The soup Bible.
I find soups to be for most cheap, easy to cook, they fill you up, and avoiding the creamy once even healthy, you can make a big pot and freeze in 2 or 3 containers and just take them when you need them.
Now, for healthy eating I like Tosca Reno Eat Clean books.

How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman (he also has a column in the NY Times which is very good - you can find the articles online even if you don't have a subscription)

The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins (I need a new one, mine is in 3 pieces)

The Joy of Cooking by Rombauer and Rombauer Becker

Epicurious is a great online resource - be sure to ALWAYS read the comments before making a recipe - they will almost always tell you if there is something wrong in the recipe (needs more salt, less garlic, cook at a higher temp, etc).

"Our Best Bites" is fabulous. I've tried 8 different recipes in it & they're all AMAZING! (The title also says "Mormon Moms" on it, so hopefully that won't turn you off.) My husband raves to everyone about my cooking too. The Rosemary Balsamic Pork Tenderloin is to die for & SUPER EASY! I even used the same marinade on pork chops last week & it was equally as good. Most of the recipes are easy & use easy to find ingredients or things that you would have in a regular stocked pantry. There are a few ingredients that I have had to buy specifically, but the food has turned out amazing.

I also subscribe to "Cooks Illustrated" and cook from there quite often. Although, quite a few recipes call for some more obscure ingredients. You just have to plan ahead when using them.

Also, I frequent "FoodNetwork.com" when I'm searching for something tasty to make. But, more often than not, I just go through my recipe boxes. I've been gathering tasty recipes since I was in high school, so I've got a lot of recipes on hand.

Good luck on your new journey. PM me if you have anything specific you want to make & I'll look and see if I've got a recipe for it!

Shellie

The Starving Students Cookbook is full of beginner recipes and breaks down step by step on the techniques. It doesn't assume you already know kitchen terms and techniques. It gives basics of cooking all the way up to some impressive meals.

But honestly, cookbooks suck. Too one dimensional and not adaptable. I'd rather get my recipies online. If I want to know how to make chicken pot pie, i'd type it into allrecipies.com, sort it by highest rated, read the recipie and a few of the reviews and if I dont like the ingrediants, I look at the next one until I find one that sounds delicious and easy and doesn't require so many ingrediants. Then I have the option to convert, increase, decrease, see a video tutorial, etc. Much better than looking at one option on a page.

Best cookbook EVER...Six O'Clock Scramble!!! It all about how to put a delicious, healthy recipe on the table after a busy day! It's a great cookbook.

Allrecipes.com is my go-to but I also love Taste of Home magazine, website and cookbooks, and love my Pampered Chef cookbooks since they use easy to find ingredients that you usually have in your pantry.

Since my family recently turned vegetarian, we love the recipes that I have made so far from the "Peas and Thank You" family-friendly cookbook. I, like you, am totally useless in the kitchen (except when it comes to the microwave oven). If I can make these recipes, anyone can! (If you choose to add meat and real dairy products, you can just substitute them for the vegan versions in the cookbook.) Happy cooking!

I will second the Our Best Bites cookbook...I also frequent their blog. But the cookbook rocks, we have made tons of the recipes and my family loves them. They also have a 2012 calendar with 12 new recipes (not in the book or on the blog) and cookbook #2 is in the works.

One of my best buddies was in your situation a few years back. I got her one of the Rachel Ray cookbooks, and she loved it, because everything in it was tasty, reasonably nutritious, and didn't take all day to make. The directions were simple and clear, and the illustrations were helpful.

Hi J.,

Congratulations on deciding to start cooking : ) You are going to save tons of money!

I cook a lot, and I also like Barefoot Contessa. The pictures are gorgeous, the recipes are pretty simple, and as Catherine C mentioned, they almost always turn out. Before buying one you might want to borrow it from the library or print up a few recipes from your MIL's computer.

Mark Bittman is a good resource as well, for technique. So is the old standard, The Joy of Cooking (though no pictures). Bon Appetit magazines, and the web site, have a special section devoted to technique...very useful, but some of their recipes require expensive ingredients. Others are quite simple.

If I were on a desert island with three cookbooks (lol) I would take the Gourmet cookbook, because it has a recipe for everything you can imagine, Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, and Mary Risley's Tante Marie's Cooking School cookbook. The latter two are excellent at explaining tricks used in Italian and French cooking. Italian cuisine in particular can be done very cheaply, and well, if you buy what's in season.

And don't forget Mamapedia...I've gotten some great recipes here too. Have fun!