Elizabeth M. (CiderSapling) reviewed Usborne Beginner's Cookbook (Cooking School) on + 13 more book reviews
My daughter and I use this cookbook. [ISBN: 074603380X It's a quality paperback book, 194 pages.] Most of those pages are recipes, though a recipe usually takes up two pages. Each recipe has step by step directions and features many illustrations. There is a real photograph of the finished food and drawings that highlight individual steps. The recipes are broken into four categories: Beginners, Pasta and Pizza, Vegetarian Cooking, and Cakes and Cookies.
The back cover of this book indicates that the recipes are also available under separate titles: 'Cooking for Beginners,' 'Pasta and Pizza for Beginners,' 'Vegetarian Cooking for Beginners,' and 'Cakes and Cookies for Beginners.' So if you currently own one of these other Usborne titles, you should expect the same recipes in the relevant subject.
I would recommend this book for any beginner, as it is straightforward and offers lots of recipes. I don't think of the recipes as "kids food" - the pancakes don't have smiley faces, the pizza doesn't have a face, etc., but they are appealing and the directions are clear. I prefer this type of recipe for cooking with my daughter because she's learning recipe basics that she'll be able to use as an adult. Two great things about this book are that the user learns how to read and execute a recipe and it contains helpful tips for success. After some experience with this book, a traditional cookbook is much easier to work with.
Some recipe examples: Spinach Strudel, Stuffed Peppers, Roasted Garlic Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Marshmallow Crispies, Spaghetti Sauce, Tropical Spiced Rice, Three Bean Dip, Breadsticks, Chicago Pizza Pie, Minestrone Soup, Carrot Cake, Lemon Honey Cheesecake - and lots more.
In addition to the recipes, there are also "tips" sections. Some examples of the included tips: 'Before You Bake,' 'Baking Tips,' Alternative Pasta Shape recommendations, and 'Cooking Hints.'
The back cover of this book indicates that the recipes are also available under separate titles: 'Cooking for Beginners,' 'Pasta and Pizza for Beginners,' 'Vegetarian Cooking for Beginners,' and 'Cakes and Cookies for Beginners.' So if you currently own one of these other Usborne titles, you should expect the same recipes in the relevant subject.
I would recommend this book for any beginner, as it is straightforward and offers lots of recipes. I don't think of the recipes as "kids food" - the pancakes don't have smiley faces, the pizza doesn't have a face, etc., but they are appealing and the directions are clear. I prefer this type of recipe for cooking with my daughter because she's learning recipe basics that she'll be able to use as an adult. Two great things about this book are that the user learns how to read and execute a recipe and it contains helpful tips for success. After some experience with this book, a traditional cookbook is much easier to work with.
Some recipe examples: Spinach Strudel, Stuffed Peppers, Roasted Garlic Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Marshmallow Crispies, Spaghetti Sauce, Tropical Spiced Rice, Three Bean Dip, Breadsticks, Chicago Pizza Pie, Minestrone Soup, Carrot Cake, Lemon Honey Cheesecake - and lots more.
In addition to the recipes, there are also "tips" sections. Some examples of the included tips: 'Before You Bake,' 'Baking Tips,' Alternative Pasta Shape recommendations, and 'Cooking Hints.'
