The New Basics Cookbook
D**E
Still Manages to be Fresh and Relevant Today
I have owned The Silver Palate Cookbook for around a decade now, and I am still surprised by how much I enjoy the recipes in it. The Monterey Chicken is a summer staple at our house so we decided to invest in The New Basics Cookbook in the hopes that it could prove as useful to our supper routine.The New Basics Cookbook is heavy at 849 pages. A rough overview of chapters includes: amusements; at table; beautiful soup; pizza pizzaz; prime time pasta; risotto rage; salad daze;vegetable magic; grains and beans; achool of fish; seashore shellfish; chicken, game hen, tukey, and duck; the elegant eggg; hot off the grill; meat know-how; beef; chili, burgers; meatloaves, and hash; south of France; the pig; herbs and spices; lamb; bravo Italia; taming game; a fresh loaf; the cheese course; chocolate; cake and coffee; the fruit orchard; island fruits; desert fruits; all-American pie; nuts about nuts; cookies and milk; creme brulee; soda fountain; microwave miracles; basics; panic proof kitchen; basic pantry; cooking terms; and conversion charts.You probably found the list exhausting, right? That's the point. The book is a nearly exhaustive compendium of food information. I think of it as a culinary education in one volume for those of us without the cash for a professional education in cooking. Imagine crossing the basic information about whole ingredients with delicious, imaginative recipes and that is what you get in this volume. You will find loads of information covering fruits, veggies, meats, etc. including how to buy, store, prepare, and cook them. There are numerous charts littering the pages to help you select herbs and spices to season the aforementioned ingedient or a wine to complement it. You will read whole page asides on preparing roasted turkeys or the perfect omelet. In my opinion, the recipes are just icing on the cake.The book is full of simple but charming black and white sketches and food related quotes. You won't find any flashy photography here.I was afraid with a publication date of 1989 that the book wouldn't be relevant anymore or the food would seem dated. Flip through a copy of Bon Appetit or any other entertaining magazine and you'll see that recipes in here have managed to hold their own over time. There are still unique flavor combinations in there after all this time. The book manages to stay front and center for me. I recently joined a CSA and couldn't find great squash recipes for some of the lesser known varieties. The New Basics covered it for me. I am still a little surpised.The binding could stand to be a little more durable. The book will wear out quickly with moderate usage. I would like to see a revised addition with some of our newer varieties of fruits, for example, included.I really enjoy this book and will always own a copy to guide me in the kitchen.
C**N
Must Have Cook Book
I have many cookbooks but this is my all-time Fav
R**N
Shipping issue.
The shipping took about 2 weeks and had some kind of problem along the way. But I should add that I got a hardcover copy for a really low price. I would use this seller again, just be prepared for the delay.
P**E
Best cook book
Best cook book I own. It is my go to.
T**K
This has been the most practical cookbook I've had over the years.
I bought one of these years ago when it was first published. The recipes I've used over the years have always turned out well. The little tips throughout, like toasting flour on a sheet pan prior to using it to make gravy and such, have made this my go to reference. I bought this copy because I lost the first in a recent move. Unfortunately, even though thanks to amazon, I've been able to replace it, I've lost the years of notes I'd written evaluating each recipe or tip I tried.In fact, I value it so well, I'm going to buy another to give to my recent high school graduate when he gets his own place.
S**.
Our family’s treasure!
This is the 3rd time I’ve had this perfect cookbook. I received it in 1993 for a wedding shower gift. After using it so frequently for 25 years—the pages were falling out— I bought myself a brand new copy in 2018 . This most recent copy (3rd one!) I bought a few months ago was as a gift for my 24 yr old daughter, now planning her wedding. Every single recipe in this cookbook is not only delicious, but also unique. Grateful to the authors for writing such a treasure for our family.
M**N
Love this cookbook
I think I originally bought this cookbook in like 1995. Loved it then and still love the recipes today. Unfortunately the original finally said that it was past its useful life. It was actually two books as it had torn in half. It needed replacement. I probably have 50+ cookbooks but this remains one of my favorites
K**B
Fantastic book, great recipes and tips.
Actually, this does tell you how to boil an egg (and for how long too, which is good because that's something I always forget).I received this a long time ago when I got married and have learned so much from it over the years. When one of my cats peed on that copy, I bought a replacement for it since I missed it so much.Some of the recipes can be intimidating for a brand new cook but there is a lot of good basic information in there from how long to cook different cuts of meat to info about different types of fruits and veggies and when their peak seasons are. They cover everything; appetizers, salads, meats, poultry, fish, desserts and more. Once you get more comfortable using the basic techniques and recipes, you can start to tackle the more complicated recipes and not feel so overwhelmed.Whenever I want to try something new or want to learn about a food and how to prepare it, I grab this book first and hit the index. It's a must-have for newbies and seasoned cooks alike.
C**N
This is American, and uses American (cups) measures, and reflects American tastes
If you are in the UK, then, unless you are keen to cook in the American way, using food mixtures that are easy to buy in the US, this is probably a waste of money.
E**N
Lovely cook book
I love this book my old one has which I bought 20yrs ago had just fallen apart due to continuing use.
A**E
The Classic, Never Bettered
An absolute classic - I finally got the Kindle version after many years of leafing through my battered old copy that I've had for nearly 30 years! As much as I love to explore and discover other chefs/cookbooks, I will always come back to this book for tried, tested, a frankly delicious recipes. A favourite and one everyone should own.
P**E
A collectors book
If you love "silver Palatte" then you will want and love this. It contains the famouse Brisket recipe and the price is worth it for that one recipe alone! A classic!
O**Y
More Than Basic
A really great cook book packed with recipes. Well written and uncomplicated but different from the usual run-of-the-mill 'basic' cook books. I have hundreds of cookery books and this is now one of my favourites.
Trustpilot
3 weeks ago
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