How To Cook Everything Fast: A Better Way to Cook Great Food (How to Cook Everything Series, 6)

It takes a formidable cookbook to gain entry to my kitchen. Counter and shelf space is limited. I doubted a cookbook this year would make the cut. Then How to Cook Everything Fast came along, and now it's in the kitchen--which makes sense because some of my other books in the kitchen are Mark Bittman books.How to Cook Everything Fast is a veritable encyclopedia of how to get anything on the table in less time. With this book, you'll be able to fix something to eat much faster than by calling and waiting for takeout. It is a sturdy, hardbound book that lies open without the aid of a cookbook stand so that you can toss it on the counter and cook from it. The type for the actual recipes is a bit larger than I am accustomed to in my other cookbooks which is a huge perk. Those of you who buy cookbooks for the pictures will be a tad disappointed. In the tradition of Bittman's other "How to Cook Everything", you'll find a few sparse, line drawings. Bittman's recipes need no pictures. He is a concise and clear recipe author.Another reviewer noted this book might not be for a beginner cook or someone who has a difficult time with directions. I agree. Bittman uses the principle of multi-tasking to get food on the table more quickly. The recipes use both blue and black type. The black type is an actual cooking step while the blue type directs you to prep another ingredient while your dish cooks. It's a terrific layout that illustrates how a seasoned home cook gets food on the table. Think of how often you chop veggies while your pasta water is boiling, and you'll get the picture. He also utilizes some different cooking techniques to streamline the process or add flavor to your food such as putting a little oil in the bottom of a roasting pan to get a nice sear on your meat. I had a dozen "Why didn't I think of that?" moments when I paged through the book for the first time.Bittman also includes a terrific intro in the book that includes a handy substitution guide, the quickest methods to cut fruits and veggies, how to store pantry staples, what convenience items are worth the price, and how to reorganize your kitchen for speed. There is a short introduction before each recipe, and at the end of each recipe are lists of variations, suggestions to make the recipe faster or in some instances more leisurely (if you have extra time), and side suggestions. The ingredients are run of the mill, mostly whole foods that can be picked up at any supermarket chain. You will find that the end product may not be completely identical to the original will be just as flavorful. Recipes range from the practical (pizza wedges, creamed spinach, fish and chips) to the more updated (goat cheese truffles, cheddar waffles with bacon maple syrup, herb-rubbed leg of lamb with chopped Greek salad). There is something in this book for everyone!Sections include: salads; sandwiches, soups and stews; pasta and noodles; rice and grains; vegetables; beans and tofu; seafood; chicken; meat; breakfast; appetizers; sides; dessert. The index is wonderfully done. I applaud the ease of use. One can use the traditional index or the vegetarian index. There is also a separate index for "kitchen notes" if you wish to brush up on a kitchen technique and an index for "fast navigation". I can't say enough about the features packed into this book.I was absolutely floored by the pumpkin mousse. Having made a very technical mousse for a birthday party recently, the pumpkin mousse recipe was streamlined and a reminder of why fall is my favorite cooking season. The rosemary popcorn is also a new favorite. I also want to add that I have never had a Bittman recipe fail, and even top tier chefs deliver a flop every now and then!The bottom line? I could have written a ten page essay on why this book is a must have in your kitchen. You will not find a more useful or informative cookbook on the new release table this fall. Buy it and enjoy it!

I wish I could give this book 10 stars. After hearing Bittman on NPR, I was intrigued with his philosophy of healthy, delicious meals that can be cooked easily and QUICKLY. I used to find myself eating pasta or perogies most nights because I just didn't have the time to cook anything more complicated. I also agree with his philosophy on reducing meat consumption, although I am by no means a vegetarian!Without having tried it, I bought this book for myself, my sister (who's New Year's resolution was to cook new and different things on week nights), and for my friend who can only cook fried eggs and is herself a vegetarian.It took me a few weeks to use this after I bought it, but one night I found a piece of cod in the freezer and thought, how could I make this? I found a cod stew recipe and I had all the ingredients on hand (dark greens, chickpeas, garlic, & onion) and I threw this dish together in under an hour. I was hooked after that! The next night I found quinoa in the cabinet and thought, how can I make this? Looked it up and again, had an amazing dish in under an hour with out stopping at the store! (I made the Quinoa Puttanesca- highly recommend!)Based on Bittman's advice, I keep a well stocked pantry, frozen vegetables, long lasting items like garlic, onion, potatoes, carrots, and frozen fish or chicken and I can make a gourmet meal every night. I feel like I'm eating healthier, saving money, and finding time to get a little creative after a long day of work.I am an intermediate cook coming into this, I know how to do a fair bit, but Bittman's advice and layout of the recipes helps achieve the quickest results the first time making something. He also sets you up to make similar recipes based on what you have on hand (no bok choy? use spinach, sub any thick fish fillet for another, endless spice and marinade substitutions). I made my very own fish and veggie recipe last night just based his steam methods and some helpful spice combinations.This book is great for beginners just learning to cook because it sets up good habits early, but it's also great for advanced cooks because the recipes themselves are just wonderful! I HIGHLY recommend.The only thing I would note is that the directions are written in black and light blue. Black is what to add per normal directions, blue is what to do while things are cooking (chop garlic, peel veggies, etc). I have missed a couple things by skipping over the blue directions like when to add grated cheese to a dish. Overall, you get used to it, but it may trip up advanced cooks who "know what they're doing".TRY THIS and you won't be unhappy :)

Die Rezepte kochen sich super und brauchen meistens nur leicht weniger Zeit als angegeben. Absolute Empfehlung für alle die trotz wenig Zeit ordentlich Essen wollen.

I decided to write a quick review after considering an earlier comment that Bittman's book shows off his snobbery- a comment not explained as far as I could see. After my initial outrage at comment , because Bittman has made me a better, more efficient, and more economical cook with each cookbook of his purchased, I realized that some could find barriers to cooking with this particular volume. His earlier books do cover basics much more than this one but I find this book as indispensable as the others. Within days I was using the substitutions for ingredients and playing with recipe variations all with satisfying results. Frankly, the care and attention Bittman and his team have put into this book is obvious and appreciated. How that translates to snobbery is beyond me but to each his own. I tried it out through the public library first, then purchased it once I read it through. Size is a factor but recipes are plentiful and are easy to read. I recommend unreservedly but suggest you try one of the other "everything" books first if unfamiliar with Bittman. Happy Cooking!

The master of minimalist home cooking works on the recipe medium. The result? Synthetic and clear recipes with no surprise with regards to ease and duration. Like to cook but don't always feel you have time? This book will help. Want to start home cooking more? Ditto. You might even find yourself rewriting recipes in other cook book in a similar format.

Mark Bittman, of whom I am a big fan, wrote that he tried to create a system. Americans have, as a society, gotten sloppy in their cooking habits, preferring high-fat, high-sodium heat and eat products over truly cooked items. His first cookbook, "How to Cook Everything", was a success and is now still a classic because it took a basic approach towards cooking. That cookbook taught me how to cook and not be afraid to experiment. With this one, there are new recipes and it goes even a step lower in teaching others how to cook. This one would be good for overwhelmed two-income households or for a college student. Yet, it doesn't give the choice between the simple and complex that Bittman's prior cookbooks did. This only offers some new recipes and simple versions of Bittman's classics. If you just want simple and have never cooked very much, this one will help. If you know your way around the kitchen already you should stick to Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" and move up to other classics from there.

This book is enormous, and it's wonderful (not because it's huge, but because it's so well considered). I'm a reluctant cook – I don't much enjoy cooking, but I have to do it. I've made two recipes from the book so far, and both have been outstanding, not only because they tasted great, but also because I wasn't miserable while making them. Bittman lays out prep steps in order along with cooking steps, and knowing when to do each step has made me feel competent in the kitchen for the first time in my life. I also very much appreciate his suggestions of simple variations for each recipe ("swap ingredient X out for ingredient Y and do this instead...") I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning how to cook (there isn't much in the way of actual instruction, though, so be adventurous!), and for anyone looking to up their game. I anticipate I'll actually be able to have two pots going on the stove at once without pulling my hair out. Eventually.