Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th Edition by (2020)

Get started cooking now with Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th Edition! Are you looking to dig yourself out of microwave dinners and learn the ropes of home cooking? Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th Edition takes the intimidation out of cooking and helps you start cultivating your culinary prowess in no time. From learning fundamental cooking techniques like dicing, chopping, and saut?ing to creating delicious, easy-to-follow recipes, you'll discover how to cook up crowd-pleasing meals the whole family will enjoy—all without breaking a sweat! Even if you've never cracked an egg, this friendly, practical guide gives you all the ingredients to become a superior home cook. In plain English, it explains step-by-step how to master popular cooking techniques, such as dicing vegetables, hard boiling an egg, making quick and delicious sauces, planning menus, stocking your pantry, and so much more. Packed with more than 150 easy-to-follow recipes for every meal of the day, from mouth-watering mains to sumptuous sides to delectable desserts Helps you master grilling, slow cooking, baking, roasting, pressure cooking, and more Includes tips on adapting meals to meet the latest dietary trends, such as low-sugar, low-sodium, low-fat, plant-based, and vegetarian diets Covers shopping at farmer's markets and buying organic foods Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th edition is for every beginner cook or polished chef looking for a refresher on breathing new life into home-cooked meals. P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you're probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of Cooking Basics For Dummies (9781118922316). The book you see here shouldn't be considered a new or updated product. But if you're in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We're always writing about new topics! Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part 1 Getting Started with Cooking Chapter 1 Cooking with Confidence Creating a Cook-Friendly Kitchen Declutter your countertops Let there be lighting Organize your pantry Introducing Major Appliances: Friends, Not Foes Stovetop and oven Microwave ovens Refrigerator Freezer Dishwasher Garbage disposal Kitchen Safety 101 Now Get Crackin’! Chapter 2 Investing in the Essential Tools Collecting Your Cookware Basics Picking Pots and Pans Doing some comparison shopping Buying the essentials Getting fancy Selecting Tools for Mixing and Baking Considering Small Appliances Graters and Mashers and Peelers, Oh My! Chapter 3 The Bare Necessities: Stocking Your Pantr y and Fridge Dry Goods: The Pantry’s Backbone Stocking Up on Baking Supplies Spicing Up Your Life with Herbs, Spices, and Seasonings Working with herbs Studying spices Peanut Butter and Beyond: Bottled and Canned Goods Cooling It with Refrigerated and Frozen Staples Squeezing the Melon: Buying and Storing Fruits and Vegetables Where to purchase produce Going organic Selecting, Buying, and Storing Meat, Poultry, and Fish Beef Chicken Fish and other seafood Part 2 Know Your Techniques Chapter 4 The Cutting Edge: Working with Knives Buying Knives for All Occasions Investing in the three essentials Adding to your knife block Shopping wisely Caring for Your Knives Storing and washing Sharpening twice a year Honing before each use Using Knives Correctly (and Safely) Chopping, Mincing, Julienning, and More Chopping and mincing Julienning Cubing (or dicing) Halving tough-skinned vegetables Slicing Paring Carving Poultry and Meats Showing a turkey or chicken who’s boss Cutting a pot roast Slicing a leg of lamb Handling a ham Chapter 5 Boiling, Poaching, and Steaming Water, Water Everywhere . . . Now What? Making Hard- and Soft-Cooked Eggs Giving Your Veggies a Hot Bath Parboiling, blanching, and steaming veggies Boiling and steaming a dozen fresh vegetables Making vegetable purées Poaching and Steaming Seafood Chapter 6 Simply Sautéing Knowing When to Use Oil or Butter Combining Sautéing with Roasting Making Great Sauce from Bits in the Pan: Deglazing Getting Versatile with Your Sautéing Vegetables Firm, rich fish Chicken and turkey Beef Chapter 7 Braising and Stewing: Slow and Seductive Cooking in Liquid Browning before braising Taking time to stew Braising greens Keeping Herbs and Spices in Check Chapter 8 Roasting Poultry, Meats, and Veggies Roasting the Right Way Seasoning your roasts Brining to retain moisture Searing meat before you roast Basting during cooking Taking a rest Roasting Times and Temperatures for Poultry and Meat Putting Poultry in the Oven Mastering Roasted Meats Beef Pork Ribs Ham Lamb Remembering (to Roast) Your Veggies! Chapter 9 Coals and Coils: Grilling and Broiling Mastering Your Grill Charcoal grilling Gas grilling Grilling with wood chips Marinating for Flavor Perfecting Your Grilling Technique Making Each Dish Delicious Burgers Chicken Vegetables Steak and pork Seafood Chapter 10 Baking Basics Don’t Wing It: Measuring with Care Measuring dry ingredients Measuring wet ingredients Measuring other types of ingredients Working with Eggs Breaking with care Separating an egg Folding, Whipping, Kneading, and More: Getting the Techniques Right Perfecting Your Pie Crust Making Cakes and Quick Breads for a Sweet Treat Part 3 Expand Your Repertoire Chapter 11 Conquering Breakfast Starting the Day with the Incredible, Edible Egg Understanding the grade, size, and color of eggs Deciding whether to splurge on specialty eggs Cooking Perfect Eggs Simply scrambled Frankly fried Perfectly poached Beautifully boiled Craftily folded omelets Oven-worthy frittatas and stratas Making Mouth-Watering Breakfast Meats Breaking the fast with bacon Spicing it up with savory sausage Steak-ing your claim (to breakfast!) Taking a Tour of Breakfast Breads French toast Pancakes and waffles Blending Your Way to a Healthy Breakfast Chapter 12 Super Soups and Savory Salads Mastering Essential Soup Skills Sautéing meat and vegetables first Thickening your soup Skimming soups and stocks Enriching store-bought stocks Peeling and seeding a tomato Showing garlic, onions, and herbs some respect Trying Your Hand at Puréed Soups Stimulating Your Palate with Fresh Salads and Dressings The soul of the salad: Crisp, fresh greens Skipping the greens but keeping the salad So many dressings, so little time Ten easy salad ideas Chapter 13 From Sides to Mains: Great Grains and Pastas Sprucing Up Standard Rice Checking Out Other Grains Canoodling with Everyone’s Favorite: Pasta Don’t sweat the fresh stuff: Dried versus fresh pasta Pasta tips and tricks Name that pasta: Pasta types and cooking times Topping Your Pasta with the Perfect Sauce Chapter 14 Making Sensational Sauces: Fear No More Starting with the ABCs of Sauces Deglazing for Delicious Pan Sauces Whirling Light Blender Sauces in Minutes Sweetening Things Up with Delectable Dessert Sauces Chapter 15 Delectable Desserts Creating Creamy Chocolate Sweets Finding the Indulgent Side of Fruit, Fresh from the Oven Collecting Cookies: All You Need Is a Glass of Milk Taking on Tiramisu Part 4 Now You’re Cooking! Real Menus for Real Life Chapter 16 Taking It Easy with One-Pot Meals Slow Cookers: Small Input, Big Output From Oven to Table: Simplicity in a Casserole Dish Chapter 17 Making More (and Better) for Less Creating Big Dishes for Small Bucks Crowd-pleasing chili Stir-fry for pennies Dressing Up Your Meals with Super Sidekicks Root vegetables Seasonal vegetables Dried beans Chapter 18 Going Global with Asian and Mediterranean Dishes Discovering the Asian Pantry Stocking up on Asian staples Starting with the basics: Asian noodles Getting it right with Asian rice Exploring the World of Mediterranean Cooking Meeting popular Mediterranean meats Goat cheese and feta cheese Olives Preserved lemons Chapter 19 Quick Picks: Cooking with Fewer Ingredients Whipping Up Dinner with Convenience Foods Keeping Things Simple and Delicious Chowing down on cheese Serving more-substantial meals quickly Seeing the Pasta-bilities! Chapter 20 Summertime Soirees Planning the Menu Mixing Fruity Drinks for Thirsty Crowds Preparing in Advance for a Stress-Free Party Chapter 21 Feeding Holiday Hordes: Festive Winter Menus Planning the Menu Getting Yourself Organized All about Turkey Teasing the Palate with Fresh Dips Scrumptious Stuffings and Sides Last Man Standing: Holiday Desserts Warming Up with Holiday Libations Part 5 The Part of Tens Chapter 22 Ten Ways to Think Like a Chef Know the Basic Techniques Use Only the Freshest Ingredients Get It Together Understand Flavor Combinations Think about Your Plate Plan Your Menus in Advance Be Thrifty Don’t Be a Slave to Recipes Simplify Above All, Have Fun Chapter 23 Ten Common Cooking Myths Marinating Meat Tenderizes It Searing Meat Traps in the Juices Basting Chicken Creates Crispy Skin Adding Oil to Pasta Water Keeps It from Sticking Together Using Quality Olive Oil Is Important for Sautéing or Pan-Roasting Using a Garlic Press Extracts More Flavor Soaking Dried Beans before Cooking Improves Flavor and Texture Adding a Potato to an Oversalted Soup or Stew Reduces the Saltiness Cooking with Wine or Spirits Burns Off All the Alcohol Rinsing Raw Mushrooms Causes Them to Absorb More Water Appendix A Glossary of 100 (Plus) Common Cooking Terms Appendix B Common Substitutions, Abbreviations, and Equivalents Index Supplemental Images EULA Annotation Get started cooking now with Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5 th Edition! Are you looking to dig yourself out of microwave dinners and learn the ropes of home cooking? Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5 th Edition takes the intimidation out of cooking and helps you start cultivating your culinary prowess in no time. From learning fundamental cooking techniques like dicing, chopping, and saut?ing to creating delicious, easytofollow recipes, youll discover how to cook up crowdpleasing meals the whole family will enjoyall without breaking a sweat! Even if youve never cracked an egg, this friendly, practical guide gives you all the ingredients to become a superior home cook. In plain English, it explains stepbystep how to master popular cooking techniques, such as dicing vegetables, hard boiling an egg, making quick and delicious sauces, planning menus, stocking your pantry, and so much more. Packed with more than 150 easytofollow recipes for every meal of the day, from mouthwatering mains to sumptuous sides to delectable desserts Helps you master grilling, slow cooking, baking, roasting, pressure cooking, and more Includes tips on adapting meals to meet the latest dietary trends, such as lowsugar, lowsodium, lowfat, plantbased, and vegetarian diets Covers shopping at farmers markets and buying organic foods Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5 th edition is for every beginner cook or polished chef looking for a refresher on breathing new life into homecooked meals Set Up Your Space For Cooking Success Master Basic Techniques, Such As Boiling, Grilling, And More Prepare More Than 140 Simple Dishes Your Go-to Guide For Success In The Kitchen Ready To Do More Than Boil Water? Cooking Basics For Dummies Will Help You Expand Your Skills And Develop Your Confidence In The Kitchen. With Simple Instructions And A Fun-and-friendly Tone, This Cookbook Shows You How To Prepare Everything—from Traditional Dishes To The Latest Popular Foods, And From Brilliant Breakfasts To Delectable Desserts. Whether You're Looking To Make Dinner In A Pinch Or Crafting A Dish For A Special Occasion, You'll Find Everything You Need To Start Creating Delicious, Healthy Meals. Inside... More Than 140 Recipes To Try Essential Tools And Equipment The Lowdown On Baking, Sautéing, And Steaming How To Stock Your Pantry And Fridge With The Right Ingredients Chefs' Secrets That Will Have You Cooking Like A Pro Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th Edition (9781119696773) Was Previously Published As Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th Edition (9781118922316). While This Version Features A New Dummies Cover And Design, The Content Is The Same As The Prior Release And Should Not Be Considered A New Or Updated Product. Ready to do more than boil water? Cooking Basics For Dummies will help you expand your skills and develop your confidence in the kitchen. With simple instructions and a fun-and-friendly tone, this cookbook shows you how to prepare everything--from traditional dishes to the latest popular foods, and from brilliant breakfasts to delectable desserts. Whether you're looking to make dinner in a pinch or crafting a dish for a special occasion, you'll find everything you need to start creating delicious, healthy meals. - Provided by publisher Are you looking to dig yourself out of microwave dinners and learn the ropes of home cooking? Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th Edition takes the intimidation out of cooking and helps you start cultivating your culinary prowess in no time. From learning fundamental cooking techniques like dicing, chopping, and sauteing to creating delicious, easy-to-follow recipes, you'll discover how to cook up crowd-pleasing meals the whole family will enjoy--all without breaking a sweat! "Learn to master grilling, slow cooking, baking, roasting, sautéing, and more. Make tasty, affordable meals the whole family will enjoy. Prepare a complete holiday or party menu"--Cover