My primary resource was The Four Hour Chef by Tim Ferriss. It isn’t a recipe book (though it does contain recipes), but rather is a book describing how to actually cook, like how to do various techniques of cutting and braising, and what tastes go together, and how to learn what tastes go together.
I recommend it, but this isn’t the kind of high-quality recommendation you get from someone who’s tried a bunch of things and has an informed decision about which one is the best.
As I was working through the book, I asked a much more skilled-at-cooking friend for recommendations, and she said that On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee is highly regarded. I haven’t checked it out yet.
Thanks. I actually checked out Four Hour Chef but never actually got around to any chefing before it was due. It looked pretty good for people with no cooking skills.
Very inspirational! Do you have any resources in particular that helped you learn to cook?
I would recommend the book Ruhlman’s Twenty (http://www.amazon.com/Ruhlmans-Twenty-Techniques-Recipes-Manifesto/dp/0811876438). It’s not a cookbook, though it has recipes—it’s a thorough overview on the purpose of twenty basic ingredients in cooking (water, eggs, butter, salt, etc.).
Thanks for the recommendation.
My primary resource was The Four Hour Chef by Tim Ferriss. It isn’t a recipe book (though it does contain recipes), but rather is a book describing how to actually cook, like how to do various techniques of cutting and braising, and what tastes go together, and how to learn what tastes go together.
I recommend it, but this isn’t the kind of high-quality recommendation you get from someone who’s tried a bunch of things and has an informed decision about which one is the best.
As I was working through the book, I asked a much more skilled-at-cooking friend for recommendations, and she said that On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee is highly regarded. I haven’t checked it out yet.
Thanks. I actually checked out Four Hour Chef but never actually got around to any chefing before it was due. It looked pretty good for people with no cooking skills.