Cooking Basics For Dummies
5th Edition
Published on 30. December 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
456 pages
978-1-118-92231-6 (ISBN)
Description
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 Edition takes 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 edition is for every beginner cook or polished chef looking for a refresher on breathing new life into home-cooked meals.
Are you looking to dig yourself out of microwave dinners and learn the ropes of home cooking? Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th Edition takes 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 edition is for every beginner cook or polished chef looking for a refresher on breathing new life into home-cooked meals.
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Marie Rama | Bryan Miller
Cooking Basics For Dummies
Book
02/2020
5th Edition
Wiley
€24.00
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Previous edition
Bryan Miller | Marie Rama | Eve Adamson
Cooking Basics For Dummies
Book
01/2011
4th Edition
Wiley
€21.03
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Persons
Bryan Miller is a food and wine writer and a former restaurant critic for The New York Times. He has written and cowritten 11 books. Marie Rama grew up in the restaurant business surrounded by a large family of food professionals and entrepreneurs and has worked in various areas in the industry.
Content
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part I: Getting Started with Cooking 5
Chapter 1: Cooking with Confidence 7
Creating a Cook-Friendly Kitchen 8
Declutter your countertops 9
Let there be lighting 9
Organize your pantry 10
Introducing Major Appliances: Friends, Not Foes 11
Stovetop and oven 11
Microwave ovens 13
Refrigerator 15
Freezer 16
Dishwasher 16
Garbage disposal 17
Kitchen Safety 101 17
Now Get Crackin'! 19
Chapter 2: Investing in the Essential Tools 21
Collecting Your Cookware Basics 22
Picking Pots and Pans 23
Doing some comparison shopping 23
Buying the essentials 24
Getting fancy 28
Selecting Tools for Mixing and Baking 30
Considering Small Appliances 33
Graters and Mashers and Peelers, Oh My! 36
Chapter 3: The Bare Necessities: Stocking Your Pantry and Fridge 39
Dry Goods: The Pantry's Backbone 40
Stocking Up on Baking Supplies 40
Spicing Up Your Life with Herbs, Spices, and Seasonings 42
Working with herbs 42
Studying spices 45
Peanut Butter and Beyond: Bottled and Canned Goods 46
Cooling It with Refrigerated and Frozen Staples 49
Squeezing the Melon: Buying and Storing Fruits and Vegetables 50
Where to purchase produce 53
Going organic 54
Selecting, Buying, and Storing Meat, Poultry, and Fish 54
Beef 54
Chicken 56
Fish and other seafood 58
Part II: Know Your Techniques 61
Chapter 4: The Cutting Edge: Working with Knives 63
Buying Knives for All Occasions 63
Investing in the three essentials 64
Adding to your knife block 65
Shopping wisely 65
Caring for Your Knives 67
Storing and washing 67
Sharpening twice a year 67
Honing before each use 68
Using Knives Correctly (and Safely) 69
Chopping, Mincing, Julienning, and More 69
Chopping and mincing 70
Julienning 72
Cubing (or dicing) 72
Halving tough-skinned vegetables 72
Slicing 73
Paring 74
Carving Poultry and Meats 76
Showing a turkey or chicken who's boss 76
Cutting a pot roast 77
Slicing a leg of lamb 78
Handling a ham 78
Chapter 5: Boiling, Poaching, and Steaming 79
Water, Water Everywhere Now What? 79
Making Hard- and Soft-Cooked Eggs 80
Giving Your Veggies a Hot Bath 82
Parboiling, blanching, and steaming veggies 82
Boiling and steaming a dozen fresh vegetables 83
Making vegetable purees 85
Poaching and Steaming Seafood 86
Chapter 6: Simply Sauteing 93
Knowing When to Use Oil or Butter 94
Combining Sauteing with Roasting 95
Making Great Sauce from Bits in the Pan: Deglazing 96
Getting Versatile with Your Sauteing 97
Vegetables 97
Firm, rich fish 98
Chicken and turkey 98
Beef 98
Chapter 7: Braising and Stewing: Slow and Seductive 109
Cooking in Liquid 110
Browning before braising 110
Taking time to stew 110
Braising greens 111
Keeping Herbs and Spices in Check 112
Chapter 8: Roasting Poultr y, Meats, and Veggies 123
Roasting the Right Way 123
Seasoning your roasts 123
Brining to retain moisture 124
Searing meat before you roast 124
Basting during cooking 125
Taking a rest 125
Roasting Times and Temperatures for Poultry and Meat 126
Putting Poultry in the Oven 130
Mastering Roasted Meats 132
Beef 132
Pork133
Ribs 134
Ham 134
Lamb 136
Remembering (to Roast) Your Veggies! 137
Chapter 9: Coals and Coils: Grilling and Broiling 153
Mastering Your Grill 154
Charcoal grilling 154
Gas grilling 155
Grilling with wood chips 156
Marinating for Flavor 157
Perfecting Your Grilling Technique 158
Making Each Dish Delicious 159
Burgers 159
Chicken 159
Vegetables 160
Steak and pork 161
Seafood 161
Chapter 10: Baking Basics 171
Don't Wing It: Measuring with Care 172
Measuring dry ingredients 172
Measuring wet ingredients 173
Measuring other types of ingredients 174
Working with Eggs 174
Breaking with care 174
Separating an egg 175
Folding, Whipping, Kneading, and More: Getting the Techniques Right 176
Perfecting Your Pie Crust 179
Making Cakes and Quick Breads for a Sweet Treat 182
Part III: Expand Your Repertoire 191
Chapter 11: Conquering Breakfast 193
Starting the Day with the Incredible, Edible Egg 193
Understanding the grade, size, and color of eggs194
Deciding whether to splurge on specialty eggs 194
Cooking Perfect Eggs 196
Simply scrambled 196
Frankly fried196
Perfectly poached 197
Beautifully boiled 197
Craftily folded omelets 198
Oven-worthy frittatas and stratas199
Making Mouth-Watering Breakfast Meats 199
Breaking the fast with bacon 199
Spicing it up with savory sausage201
Steak-ing your claim (to breakfast!) 201
Taking a Tour of Breakfast Breads 202
French toast 202
Pancakes and waffles 202
Blending Your Way to a Healthy Breakfast 202
Chapter 12: Super Soups and Savory Salads 215
Mastering Essential Soup Skills 215
Sauteing meat and vegetables first 216
Thickening your soup216
Skimming soups and stocks 218
Enriching store-bought stocks 218
Peeling and seeding a tomato 218
Showing garlic, onions, and herbs some respect 220
Trying Your Hand at Pureed Soups 220
Stimulating Your Palate with Fresh Salads and Dressings 221
The soul of the salad: Crisp, fresh greens 221
Skipping the greens but keeping the salad 227
So many dressings, so little time 227
Ten easy salad ideas 231
Chapter 13: From Sides to Mains: Great Grains and Pastas 245
Sprucing Up Standard Rice 245
Checking Out Other Grains 247
Canoodling with Everyone's Favorite: Pasta 249
Don't sweat the fresh stuff: Dried versus fresh pasta 250
Pasta tips and tricks 250
Name that pasta: Pasta types and cooking times 252
Topping Your Pasta with the Perfect Sauce 252
Chapter 14: Making Sensational Sauces: Fear No More 267
Starting with the ABCs of Sauces 267
Deglazing for Delicious Pan Sauces 269
Whirling Light Blender Sauces in Minutes 270
Sweetening Things Up with Delectable Dessert Sauces 271
Chapter 15: Delectable Desserts 283
Creating Creamy Chocolate Sweets 283
Finding the Indulgent Side of Fruit, Fresh from the Oven 284
Collecting Cookies: All You Need Is a Glass of Milk 285
Taking on Tiramisu 287
Part IV: Now You're Cooking! Real Menus for Real Life 301
Chapter 16: Taking It Easy with One-Pot Meals 303
Slow Cookers: Small Input, Big Output 303
From Oven to Table: Simplicity in a Casserole Dish 304
Chapter 17: Making More (and Better) for Less 317
Creating Big Dishes for Small Bucks 317
Crowd-pleasing chili 318
Stir-fry for pennies 318
Dressing Up Your Meals with Super Sidekicks 318
Root vegetables 319
Seasonal vegetables 319
Dried beans 319
Chapter 18: Going Global with Asian and Mediterranean Dishes 327
Discovering the Asian Pantry 328
Stocking up on Asian staples 328
Starting with the basics: Asian noodles 330
Getting it right with Asian rice 331
Exploring the World of Mediterranean Cooking 332
Meeting popular Mediterranean meats 332
Goat cheese and feta cheese 333
Olives 333
Preserved lemons 334
Chapter 19: Quick Picks: Cooking with Fewer Ingredients 349
Whipping Up Dinner with Convenience Foods 349
Keeping Things Simple and Delicious 350
Chowing down on cheese 351
Serving more-substantial meals quickly 352
Seeing the Pasta-bilities! 352
Chapter 20: Summertime Soirees 361
Planning the Menu 361
Mixing Fruity Drinks for Thirsty Crowds 363
Preparing in Advance for a Stress-Free Party 364
Chapter 21: Feeding Holiday Hordes: Festive Winter Menus 375
Planning the Menu 376
Getting Yourself Organized 376
All about Turkey 377
Teasing the Palate with Fresh Dips 379
Scrumptious Stuffings and Sides 380
Last Man Standing: Holiday Desserts 381
Warming Up with Holiday Libations 382
Part V: The Part of Tens 395
Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Think Like a Chef 397
Know the Basic Techniques 397
Use Only the Freshest Ingredients 397
Get It Together 398
Understand Flavor Combinations 398
Think about Your Plate 398
Plan Your Menus in Advance 399
Be Thrifty 399
Don't Be a Slave to Recipes 399
Simplify 400
Above All, Have Fun 400
Chapter 23: Ten Common Cooking Myths 401
Marinating Meat Tenderizes It 401
Searing Meat Traps in the Juices 401
Basting Chicken Creates Crispy Skin 402
Adding Oil to Pasta Water Keeps It from Sticking Together 402
Using Quality Olive Oil Is Important for Sauteing or Pan-Roasting 402
Using a Garlic Press Extracts More Flavor 403
Soaking Dried Beans before Cooking Improves Flavor and Texture 403
Adding a Potato to an Oversalted Soup or Stew Reduces the Saltiness 403
Cooking with Wine or Spirits Burns Off All the Alcohol 403
Rinsing Raw Mushrooms Causes Them to Absorb More Water 404
Appendix A: Glossary of 100 (Plus) Common Cooking Terms 405
Appendix B: Common Substitutions, Abbreviations, and Equivalents 413
Index 419
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part I: Getting Started with Cooking 5
Chapter 1: Cooking with Confidence 7
Creating a Cook-Friendly Kitchen 8
Declutter your countertops 9
Let there be lighting 9
Organize your pantry 10
Introducing Major Appliances: Friends, Not Foes 11
Stovetop and oven 11
Microwave ovens 13
Refrigerator 15
Freezer 16
Dishwasher 16
Garbage disposal 17
Kitchen Safety 101 17
Now Get Crackin'! 19
Chapter 2: Investing in the Essential Tools 21
Collecting Your Cookware Basics 22
Picking Pots and Pans 23
Doing some comparison shopping 23
Buying the essentials 24
Getting fancy 28
Selecting Tools for Mixing and Baking 30
Considering Small Appliances 33
Graters and Mashers and Peelers, Oh My! 36
Chapter 3: The Bare Necessities: Stocking Your Pantry and Fridge 39
Dry Goods: The Pantry's Backbone 40
Stocking Up on Baking Supplies 40
Spicing Up Your Life with Herbs, Spices, and Seasonings 42
Working with herbs 42
Studying spices 45
Peanut Butter and Beyond: Bottled and Canned Goods 46
Cooling It with Refrigerated and Frozen Staples 49
Squeezing the Melon: Buying and Storing Fruits and Vegetables 50
Where to purchase produce 53
Going organic 54
Selecting, Buying, and Storing Meat, Poultry, and Fish 54
Beef 54
Chicken 56
Fish and other seafood 58
Part II: Know Your Techniques 61
Chapter 4: The Cutting Edge: Working with Knives 63
Buying Knives for All Occasions 63
Investing in the three essentials 64
Adding to your knife block 65
Shopping wisely 65
Caring for Your Knives 67
Storing and washing 67
Sharpening twice a year 67
Honing before each use 68
Using Knives Correctly (and Safely) 69
Chopping, Mincing, Julienning, and More 69
Chopping and mincing 70
Julienning 72
Cubing (or dicing) 72
Halving tough-skinned vegetables 72
Slicing 73
Paring 74
Carving Poultry and Meats 76
Showing a turkey or chicken who's boss 76
Cutting a pot roast 77
Slicing a leg of lamb 78
Handling a ham 78
Chapter 5: Boiling, Poaching, and Steaming 79
Water, Water Everywhere Now What? 79
Making Hard- and Soft-Cooked Eggs 80
Giving Your Veggies a Hot Bath 82
Parboiling, blanching, and steaming veggies 82
Boiling and steaming a dozen fresh vegetables 83
Making vegetable purees 85
Poaching and Steaming Seafood 86
Chapter 6: Simply Sauteing 93
Knowing When to Use Oil or Butter 94
Combining Sauteing with Roasting 95
Making Great Sauce from Bits in the Pan: Deglazing 96
Getting Versatile with Your Sauteing 97
Vegetables 97
Firm, rich fish 98
Chicken and turkey 98
Beef 98
Chapter 7: Braising and Stewing: Slow and Seductive 109
Cooking in Liquid 110
Browning before braising 110
Taking time to stew 110
Braising greens 111
Keeping Herbs and Spices in Check 112
Chapter 8: Roasting Poultr y, Meats, and Veggies 123
Roasting the Right Way 123
Seasoning your roasts 123
Brining to retain moisture 124
Searing meat before you roast 124
Basting during cooking 125
Taking a rest 125
Roasting Times and Temperatures for Poultry and Meat 126
Putting Poultry in the Oven 130
Mastering Roasted Meats 132
Beef 132
Pork133
Ribs 134
Ham 134
Lamb 136
Remembering (to Roast) Your Veggies! 137
Chapter 9: Coals and Coils: Grilling and Broiling 153
Mastering Your Grill 154
Charcoal grilling 154
Gas grilling 155
Grilling with wood chips 156
Marinating for Flavor 157
Perfecting Your Grilling Technique 158
Making Each Dish Delicious 159
Burgers 159
Chicken 159
Vegetables 160
Steak and pork 161
Seafood 161
Chapter 10: Baking Basics 171
Don't Wing It: Measuring with Care 172
Measuring dry ingredients 172
Measuring wet ingredients 173
Measuring other types of ingredients 174
Working with Eggs 174
Breaking with care 174
Separating an egg 175
Folding, Whipping, Kneading, and More: Getting the Techniques Right 176
Perfecting Your Pie Crust 179
Making Cakes and Quick Breads for a Sweet Treat 182
Part III: Expand Your Repertoire 191
Chapter 11: Conquering Breakfast 193
Starting the Day with the Incredible, Edible Egg 193
Understanding the grade, size, and color of eggs194
Deciding whether to splurge on specialty eggs 194
Cooking Perfect Eggs 196
Simply scrambled 196
Frankly fried196
Perfectly poached 197
Beautifully boiled 197
Craftily folded omelets 198
Oven-worthy frittatas and stratas199
Making Mouth-Watering Breakfast Meats 199
Breaking the fast with bacon 199
Spicing it up with savory sausage201
Steak-ing your claim (to breakfast!) 201
Taking a Tour of Breakfast Breads 202
French toast 202
Pancakes and waffles 202
Blending Your Way to a Healthy Breakfast 202
Chapter 12: Super Soups and Savory Salads 215
Mastering Essential Soup Skills 215
Sauteing meat and vegetables first 216
Thickening your soup216
Skimming soups and stocks 218
Enriching store-bought stocks 218
Peeling and seeding a tomato 218
Showing garlic, onions, and herbs some respect 220
Trying Your Hand at Pureed Soups 220
Stimulating Your Palate with Fresh Salads and Dressings 221
The soul of the salad: Crisp, fresh greens 221
Skipping the greens but keeping the salad 227
So many dressings, so little time 227
Ten easy salad ideas 231
Chapter 13: From Sides to Mains: Great Grains and Pastas 245
Sprucing Up Standard Rice 245
Checking Out Other Grains 247
Canoodling with Everyone's Favorite: Pasta 249
Don't sweat the fresh stuff: Dried versus fresh pasta 250
Pasta tips and tricks 250
Name that pasta: Pasta types and cooking times 252
Topping Your Pasta with the Perfect Sauce 252
Chapter 14: Making Sensational Sauces: Fear No More 267
Starting with the ABCs of Sauces 267
Deglazing for Delicious Pan Sauces 269
Whirling Light Blender Sauces in Minutes 270
Sweetening Things Up with Delectable Dessert Sauces 271
Chapter 15: Delectable Desserts 283
Creating Creamy Chocolate Sweets 283
Finding the Indulgent Side of Fruit, Fresh from the Oven 284
Collecting Cookies: All You Need Is a Glass of Milk 285
Taking on Tiramisu 287
Part IV: Now You're Cooking! Real Menus for Real Life 301
Chapter 16: Taking It Easy with One-Pot Meals 303
Slow Cookers: Small Input, Big Output 303
From Oven to Table: Simplicity in a Casserole Dish 304
Chapter 17: Making More (and Better) for Less 317
Creating Big Dishes for Small Bucks 317
Crowd-pleasing chili 318
Stir-fry for pennies 318
Dressing Up Your Meals with Super Sidekicks 318
Root vegetables 319
Seasonal vegetables 319
Dried beans 319
Chapter 18: Going Global with Asian and Mediterranean Dishes 327
Discovering the Asian Pantry 328
Stocking up on Asian staples 328
Starting with the basics: Asian noodles 330
Getting it right with Asian rice 331
Exploring the World of Mediterranean Cooking 332
Meeting popular Mediterranean meats 332
Goat cheese and feta cheese 333
Olives 333
Preserved lemons 334
Chapter 19: Quick Picks: Cooking with Fewer Ingredients 349
Whipping Up Dinner with Convenience Foods 349
Keeping Things Simple and Delicious 350
Chowing down on cheese 351
Serving more-substantial meals quickly 352
Seeing the Pasta-bilities! 352
Chapter 20: Summertime Soirees 361
Planning the Menu 361
Mixing Fruity Drinks for Thirsty Crowds 363
Preparing in Advance for a Stress-Free Party 364
Chapter 21: Feeding Holiday Hordes: Festive Winter Menus 375
Planning the Menu 376
Getting Yourself Organized 376
All about Turkey 377
Teasing the Palate with Fresh Dips 379
Scrumptious Stuffings and Sides 380
Last Man Standing: Holiday Desserts 381
Warming Up with Holiday Libations 382
Part V: The Part of Tens 395
Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Think Like a Chef 397
Know the Basic Techniques 397
Use Only the Freshest Ingredients 397
Get It Together 398
Understand Flavor Combinations 398
Think about Your Plate 398
Plan Your Menus in Advance 399
Be Thrifty 399
Don't Be a Slave to Recipes 399
Simplify 400
Above All, Have Fun 400
Chapter 23: Ten Common Cooking Myths 401
Marinating Meat Tenderizes It 401
Searing Meat Traps in the Juices 401
Basting Chicken Creates Crispy Skin 402
Adding Oil to Pasta Water Keeps It from Sticking Together 402
Using Quality Olive Oil Is Important for Sauteing or Pan-Roasting 402
Using a Garlic Press Extracts More Flavor 403
Soaking Dried Beans before Cooking Improves Flavor and Texture 403
Adding a Potato to an Oversalted Soup or Stew Reduces the Saltiness 403
Cooking with Wine or Spirits Burns Off All the Alcohol 403
Rinsing Raw Mushrooms Causes Them to Absorb More Water 404
Appendix A: Glossary of 100 (Plus) Common Cooking Terms 405
Appendix B: Common Substitutions, Abbreviations, and Equivalents 413
Index 419