Cooking Basics For Dummies

Get started cooking now with Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th Edition! Are you looking to dig yourself out of microwave dinners and learn the ropes of home cooking? Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th Editiontakes the intimidation out of cooking and helps you start cultivating your culinary prowess in no time. From learning fundamental cooking techniques like dicing, chopping, and saut?ing to creating delicious, easy-to-follow recipes, you'll discover how to cook up crowd-pleasing meals the whole family will enjoy—all without breaking a sweat! Even if you've never cracked an egg, this friendly, practical guide gives you all the ingredients to become a superior home cook. In plain English, it explains step-by-step how to master popular cooking techniques, such as dicing vegetables, hard boiling an egg, making quick and delicious sauces, planning menus, stocking your pantry, and so much more. Packed with more than 150 easy-to-follow recipes for every meal of the day, from mouth-watering mains to sumptuous sides to delectable desserts Helps you master grilling, slow cooking, baking, roasting, pressure cooking, and more Includes tips on adapting meals to meet the latest dietary trends, such as low-sugar, low-sodium, low-fat, plant-based, and vegetarian diets Covers shopping at farmer's markets and buying organic foods Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th editionis for every beginner cook or polished chef looking for a refresher on breathing new life into home-cooked meals. P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you’re probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of Cooking Basics For Dummies (9781118922316). The book you see here shouldn’t be considered a new or updated product. But if you’re in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We’re always writing about new topics!

Introduction 1 Part 1: Getting Started with Cooking 5 Chapter 1: Cooking with Confidence 7 Chapter 2: Investing in the Essential Tools 21 Chapter 3: The Bare Necessities: Stocking Your Pantry and Fridge 39 Part 2: Know Your Techniques 61 Chapter 4: The Cutting Edge: Working with Knives 63 Chapter 5: Boiling, Poaching, and Steaming 81 Chapter 6: Simply Sautéing 95 Chapter 7: Braising and Stewing: Slow and Seductive 111 Chapter 8: Roasting Poultry, Meats, and Veggies 125 Chapter 9: Coals and Coils: Grilling and Broiling 155 Chapter 10: Baking Basics 175 Part 3: Expand Your Repertoire 195 Chapter 11: Conquering Breakfast 197 Chapter 12: Super Soups and Savory Salads 217 Chapter 13: From Sides to Mains: Great Grains and Pastas 247 Chapter 14: Making Sensational Sauces: Fear No More 269 Chapter 15: Delectable Desserts 285 Part 4: Now You’re Cooking! Real Menus for Real Life 303 Chapter 16: Taking It Easy with One-Pot Meals 305 Chapter 17: Making More (and Better) for Less 319 Chapter 18: Going Global with Asian and Mediterranean Dishes 331 Chapter 19: Quick Picks: Cooking with Fewer Ingredients 353 Chapter 20: Summertime Soirees 365 Chapter 21: Feeding Holiday Hordes: Festive Winter Menus 379 Part 5: The Part of Tens 399 Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Think Like a Chef 401 Chapter 23: Ten Common Cooking Myths 405 Appendix A: Glossary of 100 (Plus) Common Cooking Terms 409 Appendix B: Common Substitutions, Abbreviations, and Equivalents 417 Index 425