can anyone recommend a beginners cooking book for me?

I would highly suggest the 'Better Homes and Gardens' cookbook, the one that's red and white check (sometimes pink and white for breast cancer awareness). It's been around FOREVER! My mother had this cookbook, I learned from this cookbook, and it's still around for a new generation to learn from. Separate from the actual recipes it teaches you the basics and what everything, the different terms, processes, etc. mean, different cuts of meat, measurements, basically everything. The new version is updated for today's times. Good luck and I hope you learn to love to cook!

If you consider yourself to be a beginner, you could try the Masterchef Junior cookbook (from the australian show) It has basic recipes for kids as well as some challenging ones that very talented kids managed to pull off, so if you can reach the fridge, you can make most of these.

There are also many good cooking shows on TV, I recommend the Lifestyle Food Channel, it's a whole channel dedicated to cooking, with people like Jamie Oliver and Maggie Beer showing many recipes.

And of course you can look online for recipes (try looking for kids ones if you feel you're a complete beginner, they tend to be very simple). Now some cooks and chefs are even making videos showing how to cook their dishes. I know Margaret Fulton does those, and I use her recipes all the time!

I really recommend Margaret Fulton's book, it even shows how to boil an egg, this is a great book that has been around for a while.

Good Luck with your cooking!

How Easy is That? by Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)

The Joy of Cooking

How to Cook Anything by Mark Bittman

Rachael Ray has some easy recipes in her books

Go online - epicurious.com

foodtv.com

food and wine.com

I first learned to cook with books by The Frugal Gourmet. He had a show on PBS a long time ago.

My recommendation is to watch cooking shows on tv, because a recipe in writing doesn't show you the basics of measuring, how to tell when something is cooked,and what not to do.

A very good show is on PBS(NY) called "Cooks Country"- thats on here on Saturday afternoon. The same people do another show on the other PBS channel...anyway theres like 2 recipes that they do. They show you the wrong way and the right way of doing it, they show you what meat to pick, what method of cooking works best, how to measure and why its important, its like a cooking class. They do taste testing and test equipment as well.

I grew up watching Julia Childs, it didn't matter what she made it was all the info and the variety of food I had never heard of.

Another good groups of shows are on ''Foodnetwork''. My fav. are Good Eats and Barefoot Contessa and you can get all the recipes from their website so you don't need to buy a book

I have a huge selection of cook books at home. My first one was Betty Crocker. From all the books I have I always go back to that one. They are easy to follow and the ingredients are things you would have in the kitchen. The basics are in there and you don't have to spend a lot of money for ingredients you won't use often.

Ron has a great idea about going to the library and looking at different cook books to match what you need. Go public libraries!

I have a zillion cookbooks (I like to get them on vacation about regional dishes), but my go-to is the Joy of Cooking.

Have fun and enjoy your new adventure!

Get the Joy of Cooking. It will cost you a few bucks but it will take you from sandwiches and fried eggs all the way to some very complicated dishes. You will cook from it for many years.

I am pretty sure Rachel Ray has some good easy cook books.

(wise) is on the right track, but you might do a little better going to your local library.

You can borrow a few books at a time, take them home, go through them at your leisure, decide which one(s) you think would be easy to understand and work with, then you buy that book or those books.

Thanks for asking your Q! I think I did my best to answer it.

VTY,

Ron Berue

Yes, that is my real last name!

Go to the store. Open any cookbook. If it is good ,it has all recipes, marked with difficulty, price and time - grades. The least difficult are for beginners. And those with pictures are for '3 years' old.

But nobody has to know - just don't tell.

Peace.