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How to Boil Water: Life Beyond Takeout
- Shows beginning cooks how to do just what the title implies--and a lot more--without a hint of intimidations.- Features classic comfort foods such as no-flip fried eggs and soul-soothing grilled cheese for one and bolder, ethnic recipes like Tacos Picadillo and Southeast Asian Beef Salad.
- Exquisite photography and Food Network recipes, both inspire and build the confidence needed to make every dish a success.
- Hundreds of must-know hints, tips and short-cuts for those new to the kitchen.
- Exquisite photography and Food Network recipes, both inspire and build the confidence needed to make every dish a success.
- Hundreds of must-know hints, tips and short-cuts for those new to the kitchen.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2006
7 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
April 17, 2012
four stars because the food network is my guiding angel, and i support any book or magazine they put out because they have always been inventive in their recipes, clear in their directions, and i love the photography in this, and all of their books.
but, it is a cookbook for beginners, so if you are practically a celebrity chef like me, a lot of the techniques and tips will be old news.
but - man - those pictures.
for example, i make an amazing lasagna. but the picture of the one in here still makes me a little wistful. although i am sure mine can kick its butt. when i make lasagna, that pan weighs the same as a three-year-old with a twinkie habit.
and there is a vegetable gratin in here that is so beautiful with its alternating layers of green and yellow squash and red tomatoes,that i almost don't want to cover it with slabs of meat.
almost.
and i am definitely going to use the recipe for migas next monday. but i will probably irish it up with some black pudding instead of chorizo. 'cuz us celebrity chefs have pizazz!
this is one of those books i drool over while already eating my monday-afternoon big breakfast. it makes no sense to read cookbooks while eating, i know, but it's just something i do, my version of relaxing with the crossword over coffee.
and i love that even though i know a lot of this stuff already, it is all gathered together for easy access should i suddenly forget how long beets need to be roasted, or what baby spinach is good for.
there are still some valuable recipes like pb&j wings, which i think is why i initially bought the book. i have a serious weakness for all things pbj.
and although i did say i loved all the food network's publications, and love to support them in all they do for the world of food, i would be a bad friend to greg if i didn't include this picture:
sorry, food network, even my love has limits.
now i am going to go lie down and frantically try to digest all that i have forced into myself. i am like a giant snake...full of breakfast meats and tomatoes...
but, it is a cookbook for beginners, so if you are practically a celebrity chef like me, a lot of the techniques and tips will be old news.
but - man - those pictures.
for example, i make an amazing lasagna. but the picture of the one in here still makes me a little wistful. although i am sure mine can kick its butt. when i make lasagna, that pan weighs the same as a three-year-old with a twinkie habit.
and there is a vegetable gratin in here that is so beautiful with its alternating layers of green and yellow squash and red tomatoes,that i almost don't want to cover it with slabs of meat.
almost.
and i am definitely going to use the recipe for migas next monday. but i will probably irish it up with some black pudding instead of chorizo. 'cuz us celebrity chefs have pizazz!
this is one of those books i drool over while already eating my monday-afternoon big breakfast. it makes no sense to read cookbooks while eating, i know, but it's just something i do, my version of relaxing with the crossword over coffee.
and i love that even though i know a lot of this stuff already, it is all gathered together for easy access should i suddenly forget how long beets need to be roasted, or what baby spinach is good for.
there are still some valuable recipes like pb&j wings, which i think is why i initially bought the book. i have a serious weakness for all things pbj.
and although i did say i loved all the food network's publications, and love to support them in all they do for the world of food, i would be a bad friend to greg if i didn't include this picture:
sorry, food network, even my love has limits.
now i am going to go lie down and frantically try to digest all that i have forced into myself. i am like a giant snake...full of breakfast meats and tomatoes...
December 19, 2015
My parents LOVE to cook. They love to bake, they love to grill, they love making food in general. They also love teaching their kids. My mom taught me to use a computer before most of my classmates knew how to point and click. My dad put me on a bike and held me up, and after I finished my tantrum because he let go when he PROMISED he wouldn’t… I knew how to ride a bike.
Unfortunately, their cooking skills and their teaching skills don’t really mix. My mom’s idea of teaching me to cook was “don’t touch that and get out of my kitchen.” My dad’s was more along the lines of “Sure. No, let me do that. I got this. Here, let me- okay, you’re in my way.” So when I moved out and got to college I was a MASTER of using the microwave. I could make some gourmet level microwave stuff. I could even cook pizza rolls without them popping and spewing lava all over the microwave.
And that was fine for the dorms. I wasn’t allowed anything more than a microwave in my dorm room anyways. Not even a hot plate. BUT after a year of wanting to murder my roommate, we decided to move into an apartment and I was met with my foreign nemesis: The Stove. And their trusty sidekick: The Oven. I was terrible. My roommate and I turned cookies into hockey pucks. We turned baked apples into convincing meatball doppelgangers. We seared things INTO the pans. It was a disaster. Spaghetti sauce on the walls (one roommate was baffled by the idea of turning the heat down on the stove), blackened and charred pans. And if you can believe it, my sister was even worse than me. Somehow.
Yes guys, those are my actual attempts. But I still really wanted to cook. So I learned the hard way via trial and error and recipes and the internet. And I am proud to say I can now cook, or you know, at least not be a fire hazard and piss off my neighbors with the smoke detector. I also now have a lovely guy who also loves cooking. So this book was originally a gift for him because, like me, he had never actually learned how to cook. He just learned how to not blow the top off a pressure cooker and into the ceiling.
Fortunately that’s not his handy work. But anyways I got him this book and he left it laying around my apartment so I read the book. This is a great little cookbook whether you're just getting started or already have a little experience with cooking. Aside from including a bunch of great recipes this book is FULL of information. It talks about how to pick out meat, produce, etc. what to cook with, how certain seasonings interact with different foods etc. There's also a list of cooking utensils and appliances that any kitchen should be stocked with. And yes, it does in fact teach you how to boil water... I really wish I had a book like this when I was starting out because it would have saved me (and my roommates) a LOT of hassle, albeit at the cost of humorous stories and pictures.
Even now though, I still learned a good deal from looking through this book. It’s easy to understand, it has some really great information, and it’s colorful, fun, and full of pictures. So whether you’re just starting out (or know someone just starting to live on their own), or already have a little bit of expertise, this book is definitely worth having a look through. I highly recommend it!
Unfortunately, their cooking skills and their teaching skills don’t really mix. My mom’s idea of teaching me to cook was “don’t touch that and get out of my kitchen.” My dad’s was more along the lines of “Sure. No, let me do that. I got this. Here, let me- okay, you’re in my way.” So when I moved out and got to college I was a MASTER of using the microwave. I could make some gourmet level microwave stuff. I could even cook pizza rolls without them popping and spewing lava all over the microwave.
And that was fine for the dorms. I wasn’t allowed anything more than a microwave in my dorm room anyways. Not even a hot plate. BUT after a year of wanting to murder my roommate, we decided to move into an apartment and I was met with my foreign nemesis: The Stove. And their trusty sidekick: The Oven. I was terrible. My roommate and I turned cookies into hockey pucks. We turned baked apples into convincing meatball doppelgangers. We seared things INTO the pans. It was a disaster. Spaghetti sauce on the walls (one roommate was baffled by the idea of turning the heat down on the stove), blackened and charred pans. And if you can believe it, my sister was even worse than me. Somehow.
Yes guys, those are my actual attempts. But I still really wanted to cook. So I learned the hard way via trial and error and recipes and the internet. And I am proud to say I can now cook, or you know, at least not be a fire hazard and piss off my neighbors with the smoke detector. I also now have a lovely guy who also loves cooking. So this book was originally a gift for him because, like me, he had never actually learned how to cook. He just learned how to not blow the top off a pressure cooker and into the ceiling.
Fortunately that’s not his handy work. But anyways I got him this book and he left it laying around my apartment so I read the book. This is a great little cookbook whether you're just getting started or already have a little experience with cooking. Aside from including a bunch of great recipes this book is FULL of information. It talks about how to pick out meat, produce, etc. what to cook with, how certain seasonings interact with different foods etc. There's also a list of cooking utensils and appliances that any kitchen should be stocked with. And yes, it does in fact teach you how to boil water... I really wish I had a book like this when I was starting out because it would have saved me (and my roommates) a LOT of hassle, albeit at the cost of humorous stories and pictures.
Even now though, I still learned a good deal from looking through this book. It’s easy to understand, it has some really great information, and it’s colorful, fun, and full of pictures. So whether you’re just starting out (or know someone just starting to live on their own), or already have a little bit of expertise, this book is definitely worth having a look through. I highly recommend it!
June 16, 2019
This was a slow read because the book was so damned interesting when read in parts. A super book if you are not a good cook, know that “a good technique is better than a good recipe”, and are willing to learn (as long as the book is not boring). This book is FUN and the author (lots of good contribution) has taken the time to think about delivery.
June 13, 2020
I got this book for myself when it initially published in 2006 and still reference it in 2020. This book teaches how to shop, store, care for, prep, season, and cook food. It includes basic recipes and modern updates to challenge yourself when ready. Seriously I love this book. It fits in every kitchen. It’s also incredibly colorful with great pictures.
December 25, 2018
Excellent! May just have to add this to my kitchen library.
August 3, 2019
How to Boil Water is a great resource book for beginning cooks and not-so-beginning cooks.
April 6, 2024
Somehow managed to have too much and too little detail. Only a few simple recipes (complexity increased quickly). Meat heavy. Multiple recipies had insufficient cooking time listed.
February 9, 2009
got this as a christmas present (thanks sarah!). i've tried one of the recipes and managed to actually make decent chicken. i even made my first sauce from scratch!! the book assumes you know nothing and explains everything from how to hold a knife properly to where in your fridge to store various food items to where on the animal's body each cut of meat comes from. you know, the stuff i know nada about! it doesn't really give a whole lot of recipes, but it does a good job breaking down some basic dishes (pasta, soup) and explaining how to improvise, which to me, is a whole lot better than following a recipe. i am almost starting to feel somewhat competent in the kitchen!
December 10, 2016
Good things about this book:
1. it does what it says, provides a way for beginners to start cooking the basics.
Bad things about this book:
1. in the middle of a recipe it says, "see know-how page 96". For me, I think putting the "know-how" in each recipe would be more clear for beginners, instead of having to flip pages back and forth while cooking.
2. It has lots of little colorful bubbles of info on the pages, making them distracting. What is important to the cooking, and what is fun info? Too busy.
3. The binding of the book is poor, it started coming apart instantly the pages are falling out.
1. it does what it says, provides a way for beginners to start cooking the basics.
Bad things about this book:
1. in the middle of a recipe it says, "see know-how page 96". For me, I think putting the "know-how" in each recipe would be more clear for beginners, instead of having to flip pages back and forth while cooking.
2. It has lots of little colorful bubbles of info on the pages, making them distracting. What is important to the cooking, and what is fun info? Too busy.
3. The binding of the book is poor, it started coming apart instantly the pages are falling out.
April 29, 2007
This book is really helpful for its tips, more than the recipes. None of the recipes looked particularly tantalizing, but it seems to be a good reference for how to cut vegetables and fruits, what parts of the meat you're eating, baking wisdom, etc. There are some pretty basic recipes (toast, pancakes, etc.) but also some more challenging ones (Thanksgiving). I wouldn't recommend this for someone who is already a good cook. In addition, I'd like to check out Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For the Food; I know it's won the James Beard award for reference book.
January 9, 2013
I love this book! Cooking was a mystery, and an intimidating one at that. This is the perfect book for someone who never learned the basics of cooking: Great recipes from scrambled eggs to Thanksgiving dinner, with step by step instructions that are incredibly easy to follow; lists of what items you'll need & how to stock your kitchen cabinets, pantry & fridge; tips on where and how to store items, how long things stay good, how to pick out decent produce....this book has been a lifesaver. It's all written in an unassuming and non-condescending way. I could go on and on. Great stuff!
July 20, 2015
One day I demanded that Sean start cooking for me, so he set this book down in front of me and I was surprised by how AMAZING it was! Like, I wanna start cooking again! (You're welcome, Sean!) It goes over basic stuff that I actually care about and is interesting, but doesn't make me feel like an idiot. I loved that it had a lot of vegetarian options, but also showed you how you could meat-up the dishes. It even has a wine/beer section! Which is something that I enjoyed getting educated about. Additionally, I must mention the verrry pretty pictures.
March 17, 2011
This was the first cookbook I ever bought and actually used. I still use it frequently, although I consider myself no longer a novice chef. Its great for simple ideas and basic recipes. Most of them have ideas for "add ons" to make each recipe more interesting. It gives you basic information about the tools in your kitchen and how to choose good produce.
I would consider it a "must have" for anyone beginning to cook!
I would consider it a "must have" for anyone beginning to cook!
November 20, 2009
This is by far my favorite cooking book. I purchased it for my wife a year or two ago, and for me being someone completely clueless on what to do and when as far as cooking goes it is the perfect companion.
The diagrams breakdown the most basic of tasks in such a way that even a simpleton such as myself can follow the instructions with ease.
The diagrams breakdown the most basic of tasks in such a way that even a simpleton such as myself can follow the instructions with ease.
June 18, 2012
This is a fantastic book. Great for anyone just starting out but also a great read for anyone who wants to know why certain basic procedures should be done when preparing for cooking and searching for the perfect foods. How to Boil Water by Food Network Kitchens would make a great graduation or newlywed gift.
December 29, 2014
Great for beginners in the kitchen (as indicated by the title :P). Lots of pretty pictures but still meaty with good tips and content. A point-of-sale purchase that I'll actually use into the future!
April 17, 2009
i was given this book two summers ago and i sometime ilook inside and everything seems so brand new adn oh so yummy. I like this book. It make me feel healthy when really the menu is a little high in calories... but then again who's counting?... not me!
February 11, 2010
If you are a visual-oriented person who doesn't know how to boil eggs or cut veggies, this books is for you!
Great illustration! A little too single-person-with-lots-of-time-and-money, though. A little too much meat for me, also.
Great illustration! A little too single-person-with-lots-of-time-and-money, though. A little too much meat for me, also.
March 11, 2010
Really I like it more for the instructional pictures on cutting and other techniques. Not all of the recipes appeal to me but the ones I have tried came out well. If you are like me and were never taught how to cook when you were younger, then this book is a perfect start!
July 28, 2011
Good, solid cook book. I liked all the tips on buying, handling, chopping, etc. They like adding salt to everything, which seems to be common to most cookbooks. I thought salt was out of vogue as an additive because it's in so much processed stuff already.
February 22, 2008
This is a good book for a new cook. It helps explain what kitchen terms mean, from how to zest a lemon to how to pick a side of meat.
August 2, 2008
Oh, ranch dressing!
August 6, 2008
Don't laugh! It's a very helpful book! And the recipies are nice and easy!
January 23, 2010
Instructions on how to make microwave popcorn were nice... and I actually managed to successfully make it twice! 2/3 is not bad especially when you consider my track record.
March 27, 2010
Awesome. A keep-with-you-at-all-times kind of reference.
January 13, 2011
Perfect cook book for people who know very little about cooking, AKA myself!
January 27, 2011
3.5 for me. But higher for people that have never cooked.
There are a few recipes I plan on trying. Curious how much flavor they have though.
There are a few recipes I plan on trying. Curious how much flavor they have though.
February 22, 2011
Essential for anyone who is pretty helpless in the kitchen.
July 14, 2015
This is a great book for novice chefs. It teaches knife skills as well as other fundamentals of cooking. The recipes are easy to make and well laid-out. This is a great first cookbook for someone.
October 30, 2012
Didn't read all the recipes but jotted down a lot of notes on basics.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews