This is another book that just about everyone's got a copy of lying around somewhere. I grew up with a different version. It was a dog-eared paperback with a cover that looked like a red and white checked picnic tablecloth. I think my grandmother had picked it up at her savings and loan back in the 80s when banks used to give you things like cookbooks and free coffee instead of trying to steal your money. But I digress. I had a bit of trepidation about this new edition. The older one is one I learned a lot from...how to properly hard-boil an egg, how to make a proper potato salad...you know, things all proper cooks should know. The new edition looked much glossier, had a ton of pictures (my old one had none), and seemed like it couldn't possibly hold all the meat the old one did. But it does. And then some. It's been updated for the modern world, and honestly, the pictures hold a thousand words. They reallly do. The good old instructions for boiling eggs are still there, but there are also picture diagrams for things like how to cut up a chicken or identifying exotic fruits and vegetables. It's still my same tried-and-true old standby, but vastly improved. Definitely indespensible. The recipes are much like those in The Joy Of Cooking. They won't be blowing the socks off any gourmand, but if you're trying to feed your family (or just yourself), simply, and inexpensively, or even if you just want to learn the basics, this book is a clear, stood-the-test-of-time winner.
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