If you think this is a skippable section, think again-you may want to clear out your pantry and start over after reading what he suggests. There is a photograph of butter dotting-the size of the dots and the space between them a photograph of batter for frying, threading from a whisk biscuit dough-what the ingredients look like in a proper 'shaggy mess.' Ever wondered how to peel ginger without losing half of it? It's not just you-it really is tricky unless you don't mind leaving behind a lot of peel and root.īut even before explaining (and showing) the difference between a boil and a simmer, or the right way to hold a knife, Bittman starts with setting up a kitchen. Now, with How to Cook Everything The Basics, Bittman has broken recipe instructions down to the most basic level, with photographs by Romulo Yanes illustrating both dish and technique.

But even the seasoned cook may wonder at times about certain things: dotting with butter-how small should the pieces be, how far apart? Batter for frying should be the consistency of thin pancake batter, but what if you don't make pancakes? Buttermilk biscuits shouldn't be overstirred-but what should the dough look like before that fatal overstirring? The books are big, they are densely packed with recipes and ideas, and they assume a certain level of competence and knowledge. Mark Bittman is so confident about his prowess with food that he calls his series of cookbooks How to Cook Everything, and after using his cookbooks, thousands agree that his confidence is not misplaced. How to Cook Everything The Basics by Mark Bittman (Wiley, $35 hardcover, 9780470528068, March 19, 2012)

How to cook anything book