Photo: Amazon.com

'Cooking From Above Classics'
Recipes by Keda Black
Photographs by Frederic Lucano
Hamlyn Publishing -- 2007
Buy it on Amazon

Taking its title literally, "Cooking From Above" showcases classic dishes such as scrambled eggs, spaghetti with tomato sauce and breaded fish fillets, and depicts each step of the cooking process with a photo taken overhead, to show the reader what each step should look like, including the finished product.

This book is geared to be Cooking 101 for novices, and really isn't for the skilled gourmet. Most cookbooks lack how-to photos, which can be crucial for beginners. Author Keda Black "offers this top-down view as if readers were standing at the kitchen counter with a teacher."

See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.

Takeaway tips: A simple glossary in the back provides explanations for terms such as "saute" and "simmer." It's easy to forget sometimes that novices are going into the kitchen blind, so having these terms readily available is crucial. The first section of the book, appropriately named "Classics," proves to be the most useful. Readers can learn how to make homemade salad dressings and timeless sauces such as béchamel, as well as how to cook a steak to his or her preferred temperature.

Quality of pictures: The one thing this book does not lack is photography -- bright, colorful and abundant photography. Since the gist of the tome is "cooking from above," photographs accompany each step of the cooking process.

We tested: Roast Chicken

Perfecting roast chicken can be a tricky task. This recipe caught the eye for its inclusion of roasted potatoes and a how-to gravy, using the leftover bits of chicken on the pan.

Cooks who are first-time bird roasters are likely to encounter some difficulties. The directions state to "peel the gingerroot and cut into thin slices. Slip the pared lemon zest and the ginger slices under the skin of the breast of the chicken." As this is a book for beginners, it would have been useful to describe in detail how to peel ginger, as well as to show an image of someone lifting the skin of the bird to stuff it.

A good tutorial on how to carve the chicken followed. But the final result was disappointing: The chicken was juicy, but had minimal flavor and the skin was not crisp. The potatoes were seasoned well, but their texture was soggy. The gravy was fine, but could have been better with additional bits of chicken.

On a positive note, at the end of the recipe, the author offers further ideas on how to use leftovers, such as making a salad.

Worth the investment: If you're looking for the perfect going-away gift for a college-bound student, this is it. If you know someone who just moved into his first apartment and is just starting to cook, it's perfect. Otherwise, a more experienced cook might find this book primarily enjoyable for its photography rather than its recipes.