Does anyone know of a great one? I'm trying to get him to cook at home/prepare veggies and all that, and stop going out and binging on fast food whenever he's hungry! (He doesn't even keep food at home right now.) What I'm looking for specifically is something that will be realistic for a GUY who doesn't really care or want to spend a lot of time or effort on food preparation. Something that he'll actually use, that starts with the basics, and is healthy.
Thanks soooo much! :D
2007-02-10 13:38:14 · 9 answers · asked by melon_rose 2 in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
Betty Crocker has a cookbook that is filled with loads of pictures and simple recipes.
2007-02-10 13:45:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I echo the recommendation for a tried and true cookbook like Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Gardens. The "A Man, A Can, A Plan" cookbook series is basically pretty healthy and a more light-hearted approach to a cookbook.
Second I would also recommend you help him stock his pantry with essentials. Nothing is more frustrating when it comes to meal preparation than finding you are missing an ingredient that your recipe calls for. Here are a couple of nice web resources with pantry recommendations
http://home.ivillage.com/cleanandorganize/organize/0,,dl,00.html
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/pantryperils_03272002.xml&catref=cat320003
Third I would help him with some menu planning. Sit down with the sale flyer from you local grocery store, look at what is seasonal and what is on sale. Plan menus and a grocery list from there based on his taste preferences.
Cooking healthfully takes a planning and preparation and will always take more time and effort that fast food, take out or delivery. But the time an effort put in up front have a payoff in better taste, variety and healthfulness.
Good luck. Hope this helps!
2007-02-10 14:28:15 · answer #2 · answered by msamethyst1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You may want to try some of the FamilyCircle's Quick Short Recipe Cookbook collection. In addition to being quick and short, they have pictures for the preparation steps as well as for the finished product. They also have some tips on cooking at the beginning of the books.
Just for looking ahead or for yourself, the "Moosewood Cookbook" by Mollie Katzen, Ten Speed Press, has a lot of simple recipes, even for some exotic-sounding dishes. It doesn't have colorful pictures but it's really worth having a look.
2007-02-10 15:22:49 · answer #3 · answered by Observer 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hey, I have a pretty good suggestion! Standard cookbooks will of course have recipes, but they will not always be very healthy, and may take awhile to cook or prepare. The cooking for dummies book is probably a good one for basic information and basic meals. But there's another little book that might just be perfect in addition to the cooking for dummies one.
"The Abs Diet - Eat Right Every Time Guide"
(isbn 13 978-1-59486-238-0 ) or its
(isbn 10 1-59486-238-9 )
Its not a typical "diet" or anything... and its really easy for a guy. It has 60 six-minute meals and 789 Best On-the-Go Foods, and "Complete Supermarket Survival Guide".
Look up the book and see if you think it would be good for him, it will definitely be healthy meals but still fulfilling and easy for guys to do! It's not an advanced diet book so it would not be hard.
Oh also it was only $8!
Good luck!
2007-02-10 14:02:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Do you think he might like grilling? If so the Weber Big Book of Grilling is excellent (available in book stores and from Amazon). There is also a web site called charcoalbob.com that has tips for beginners and also a cookout calculator that can help anyone grill like an expert. It gives you instructions for how to grill steaks, burgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, etc. and is fun to use. It's almost like an online game for grilling except that it really works.
2007-02-11 03:56:49 · answer #5 · answered by Terry S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I hate to recomend Rachel Ray because, well, she's Rachel Ray, but it is a very good choice for a beggining cook. She has a ton of books, so it is easy to narrow it down for your specific purpose.
If you specifically want healthy, you've got another good choice: Healthy Cooking for Two (Or Just You) by Frances Price.
Amazon links are below, so you don't have to take my word on it.
Just remember though, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink...
2007-02-10 14:13:16 · answer #6 · answered by Jes 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that The Joy of Cooking is great there are some super easy things and complicated things. Everything is explained well and there a hundreds if not a thousand recipes. You can find menu ideas, how to do proper place settings as well as how many cups in a liter and stuff like that. Very very usefull for eveyday and beyond.
2007-02-12 09:25:26 · answer #7 · answered by Sandee 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Believe it or not, Cooking for Dummies is a really good place to start, they put it all together if you can just get by the Title
2007-02-10 13:45:51 · answer #8 · answered by Steve G 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
check out www.foodnetwork.com
Recipes are rated here as to difficulty. ALSO check out them on t.v. for loads of tips, etc.
2007-02-10 14:26:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋