Some people learn by reading. Other people are strictly hands on learners. Still others need to watch someone else do it before they themselves are able to tackle the task. When it comes to cooking, the first group are easily satisfied with a clearly written cookbook. The hands on folks tend to just head into the kitchen and mess around until it comes out right. There's always food TV for the people who learn by watching, although that has it's flaws as well, since it's hard to stop and start a cooking show while you're standing at the stove stirring your risotto and keeping an eye on the roast in the oven.
Someone recently brought a new website to my attention that seems to have been designed for the people who learn by watching but were getting left behind by conventional cooking shows. It's called StartCooking.com and has really clear, easy to follow video instructions that take you step-by-step through basic techniques like cooking rice and browning ground beef as well as more complex recipes. It is perfect for the beginner cook (and as an added bonus, the website is nicely designed and easy to navigate).
According to Jill Dupleix, the 
Cheese Course: Brebis Pardou
A transcendent summer tomato salad
Sliced bread turns 80 today
