Step by Step, Bit by Bit (Good Housekeeping: Step-by-step Cookbook)

Member Name: x-cupcake-x

Product:	Good Housekeeping: Step-by-step Cookbook
Date:	20/09/09 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Concise and easy to follow, simple recipes

Disadvantages: -

I've always loved baking, I can remember as a kid being in the kitchen with a Ladybird children's recipe book and seeing what little cakes I could make and then leaving the washing up for my Mum or Dad.

What I never really learned though was how to cook meals, unless it involves minced beef my Mum used to joke that when I left home I would live on spag bol or cottage pie. Well she was nearly hit the nail on the head.

So when I spotted the Good Housekeeping Step - by - Step cookbook had been left in the canteen at work for by The Book People I had a quick browse, it seemed good and for the bargain price of £8 it was worth getting even if I didn't use it that much.

The way the book is set out is excellent and is what I really like about it, with technique and preparation guides.

There are different categories which are split into sections, and most of the categories are set out in the same way so you know whereabouts you need to look for the information you are after.

The categories are as follows:
*Kitchen Equipment -
Basic equipment and utensils
Pots, pans and bake ware
Electrical equipment

I think this is a brilliant place to begin a cookery book for beginners, it tells you what you will really need for your kitchen and saves you wasting your money on things that will just be shoved into the back of a drawer or cupboard.

The food categories are:
*Sauces, Dressings and Accompaniments
*Stocks and Soups
*Eggs
*Fish and Shellfish
*Poultry and Game Birds
*Meat and Game
*Vegetables
*Fruit and Nuts
*Rice, Grains and Pulses
*Pasta and Noodles
*Pastry - Making Pastry and Using Pastry
*Sweet and Savoury Breads
*Cakes, Cookies, Biscuits and Traybakes
*Chocolate - Using Chocolate and the Recipes
*Sugar - Working with Sugar and the Recipes
*Ice creams, Sorbets and Iced Desserts
*Preserves
*Herbs, Spices and Flavourings

The way in which each category is set out is that the first section is all about preparing the ingredient of that category, the next section is about the cooking of the ingredient and the last section contains the recipes.

I think this is a really excellent lay out for the a beginner's recipe book as it means that the recipes don't contain too much information which can be pretty daunting if you're not too sure of what you're doing.

On the recipe pages each recipe is laid out in the same way. On the left it tells you how many people the dish serves, the ingredients, preparation time, cooking time, nutritional information and which page to find the techniques on. There is also a little box which will contain a handy hint or tip.

Then on the right of the page is the method for making the dish, because the techniques are in another section this means that the method is broken down into easy to follow steps and there are normally around only three to five steps for each recipe. When you're a novice you don't want to be left feeling overwhelmed by a recipe that has tonnes of things to follows, it just makes it seem really complicated and you'll probably be put off from even attempting it.

The final part of the page is the photograph of the dish, these are nice and clear and the food is always nicely presented but not in an overly fancy way. It's done so you look at it and think "I could do that!"

The last sections of the book are:
*Microwaves - Using a Microwave and Cooking in the Microwave
*Useful Information
Health and Nutrition
Food Storage and Hygiene
Glossary of Cooking Terms

I like that there is a section on using your microwave, sometimes it's just not practical to cook everything in the oven or on the hob and some books make you feel a bit guilty for using your microwave.

Finally there is a full index so you can quickly find a particular recipe.

There is a nice variation of recipes with over 400 to choose from there is bound to plenty of recipes in there to suit everyone's tastes.
I think that the book is a great reference point for any beginner in the kitchen and even people with a bit more experience. I'm sure I'll be using it for many years to come.

I have also since bought the Delia Smith Complete How to Cook and prefer the GH book, I know they are both aimed at beginners but found it a little condescending being told how to make toast... please tell me that people don't need a recipe book for toast!!

The RRP of this book is £25 so I was very lucky with the price I paid for it, but I do think it is worth the full amount as it is something that will be used for years. If you shop around though, it can be picked up for around £19.
The link DooYoo have is for a different book and not the one I have reviewed.


* Hardcover: 464 pages
* Publisher: Collins & Brown (10 Sep 2007)
* Language English
* ISBN-10: 1843404133
* ISBN-13: 978-1843404132


Thanks for reading.

Summary: A brilliant book for beginners in the kitchen & a good reference point for the more experienced