Slashfood Ate (8): Best Cookbooks for New Grads

by Nicole Weston, Posted Jun 15th 2006 @ 2:01PM

Ah, summer. The time when the weather heats up, grills get dusted off from winter storage and new graduates begin to do their own thing. Sarah already covered her best foodie graduation ideas, but what a graduate really needs to go with a reasonably outfitted kitchen are cookbooks, so he or she can figure out how to get dinner from somewhere other than the local pizza delivery place. Cookbooks are not, with very few exceptions, "one-size fits all," so these are broken down by who you're buying for.

The total newbie: Help! My Apartment has a Kitchen! - This is perfect for someone moving into their first apartment. It may not keep them from getting takeout all the time, but every little bit helps.

The interested beginner: Betty Crocker's Basics: Learning to Cook with Confidence - Betty Crocker's book approaches cooking concepts in a very helpful, easy to understand way. Every term and technique is explained thoroughly, so it can set a good foundation for future endeavors

The eager amateur: How to Cook Everything: The Basics - This cookbook is a little more sophisticated than the Betty Crocker book, and had been described as "a streamlined Joy of Cooking" that has a little more personality than that standard

The perfectionist: The New Best Recipe - There won't be too many missteps with this book, so a cook can rest easy knowing the everything will turn out like it should

The Food Network junkie: Food Network Favorites: Recipes from our All-Star Chefs - This should satisfy any Food TV fat because not only does it include recipes from each chef, but it has interviews, tips and lots of exclusive photos.

Too busy to cook: Cooking Outside the Pizza Box: Easy Recipes for Today's College Student - Quick, easy, uncomplicated meals are great for anyone who is too busy (or too uninterested) in cooking elaborate foods

The adventurous new cook: Mexican Everyday - Rick Bayless's book offers simple recipes that still offer the same great flavors found in some of his more extensive collections. For someone who wants to branch out to plantains from potatoes, this is a good way to start

The Baker: Small Batch Baking - Chances are good that a recent grad doesn't need four dozen cookies when s/he wants something sweet, so having some built-in portion control with the recipes is a great idea.

Filed Under: Lists, Slashfood Ate, Books
Tags: best cookbooks, cookbook, cookbooks, gift, grad, graduate, list, new cook, present, slashfood ate, young