anyone know of a cookbook that actually teaches you HOW to cook? as opposed to just gives you recipes?

I mean a cookbook that explains to you what each step is for?

I'm sick of buying cookbooks that just give me a recipe and a bunch of instructions. You don't learn anything from that except how to make one meal.

I want a cookbook like they would use to teach aspiring chefs who wanted to create their own meal through like a few techniques. And a cookbook that tells you the purpose of each spice. The definitions, you know.



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Anyone heard of a cookbook such as this?


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I have it, just haven't used it yet

All of the cookbooks I own have sections on basic skills...

you can always google stuff too

I guess i want a cook book that is all basic skills, no recipes. or mostly basic skills

OR if they do have recipes they explain to you what the recipe is for...

lol

if I don't find a book like this soon, I'm going to write one!

http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Textbook-Cul...8303&sr=1-1

i think what u want is a textbook and not a recipe / cook book. they should be a bit more expensive and boring though. i googled cooking textbooks and the above came up. no, ive never used one. gl.

did you even consider my suggestion?!

attend cooking classes
I'm sure they'll give you tips

screw the cookbook watch alton brown

that would have to be a best-seller. There is somethin that I would buy haha. SOunds more useful then average cookbooks where you get a list of ingredients that are hard to come by(and expensive) that usually come out strange-tasting.

I use youtube

Videos are very helpful!

Yeah, youtube videos are helpful b/c you see what they're doing step by step.....There's a book called the "Joys of Cooking", which is for beginners

1. textbook idea = very smart

2. oOOoo youtube.

hehe

anyone know of any good videos that you can buy and just plug into the tv on cooking?

These may be a little pricey, but these will probably be the best ones for you. (one or the other)

The Professional Chef - The Culinary Institute of America
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Chef-Cu...0638&sr=1-8

Le Cordon Bleu - Professional Cooking
http://www.vms-online.com/Professional_Coo...ition_P2056.cfm



Don't buy recipe books. Most of them won't show you the techniques. There are also a lot of recipes by the some of the greatest chef in there. These two are the only ones you'll need.

I learn how to cook American food from watching shows from the Food Network and Chinese food from TVB's cook shows like Chef Chow and So Good.

i have never consulted a cookbook in 5yrs

cookbook are useless because you don't need one to fry bacon and eggs.

That's because cookbooks are designed and written for people who are actually passionate about cooking and who would know how to use one. There are cookbooks for idiots and cookbook for the general public, but I feel most cookbooks are written for chefs.

no never heard of such a cookbook but i would love to give you simple recipes to cook, and i am in the midst of doing a book, where the techniques are so simple ... that anybody can create a gourmet dish...

Cooking is learned through experienced.
There may be hundreds of books about cooking and their techniques ...
none will teach you cooking like actual experience
(much like sex, books may help but there's no subsitute for the real thing)

Having said that, you should now undertsand that recipes don't teach you cooking.
It is the actual cooking that will let you learn how to cook.
You learn that the feel of cooked meat is firmer than uncooked meat.
And pulling a roast out of the oven, you need to let the meat rest if you want it to remain juicy inside.

After cooking a few meals, you learn the pan drippings from searing meat is where a lot of flavor resides.
And, that using white or red wines, you can deglaze the pan and get all that flavor out.
Or, you can add some flour and start making a rue from which to continuing cooking other things.
Use of spices will come to you once you know what flavor you want to bring about.
Spicy, bitter, sour, sweet, salty ... Which spices goes go with which other spices?

If you read from a book about all this stuff, you will forget cuz you won't relate it to anything.
You have got to do some cooking with someone who knows how to cook.
Or watch a whole lot of cooking shows.

Sorry I'm no help.

that's pretty cool
i just bought the first one

that's exactly what im looking for

thanks chris