I am an intermediate cook. I can make food that isn’t awful. But at the same time I rarely make food that is wonderful. A few weeks ago I finally reached my breaking point. I was tired of making food that just didn’t turn out the way I hoped it would. I wanted tried and true recipes that would tell me what to do and how to do it so I could turn out culinary masterpieces. Or at least something that would leave me with fewer meals that turned out…awful. Enter the Joy of Cooking, the book that is changing my life.
The first thing I noticed about the book is that it is thick. The pages are crammed with recipes as diverse as Beef Wellington, Lentil Stew, and Scotch Eggs. It clearly delineates the steps to make meals. It talks about menu planning and the best way to prep ingredients. If you are a beginning cook, you can learn from this book how to make just about anything. If you are an experienced cook, this book will suggest new recipes to help you break out of your routine.
Basically, buy this book. Make food. Be happy.
Dramatic Lyric 
lol – I have been following a new eating regimen which is very much about no processed foods, no prepared foods. Cooking from scratch. All I can say is that after 6 weeks, I am SO TIRED OF CHOPPING VEGETABLES. 🙂 The food comes out fine, but really cooking is a lot of work. I had no idea! I need a sous chef. 🙂
I feel you! Prep work is at least half the time! But eating more fresh foods makes me feel better about what I’m eating.
that is true – and physically I do feel better. But after a long day at work, I miss the ease of popping something half ready into the oven. 🙂 My newest plan is to make a whole lot of things on Sunday night so I can reheat my way through the week. 🙂
Ooh that sounds like a good plan. The only thing that has stopped me from doing that so far is the fear of food spoilage.
just follow good food safety rules, and you should be good for 4-5 days with most things.