For many people, cooking can feel intimidating. After a series of failed attempts to recreate that mac n’ cheese recipe your mother made so well, it’s possible you’ve thrown in the towel. Even looking up simple recipes online and trying to mimic the finished product can be discouraging. If you’re willing to give the kitchen another shot, COOK has some great cookbooks for beginners. Take a look at some of our favorites and stop by to pick one up for your kitchen!

What to Cook and How to Cook It by Jane Hornby

Jane Hornby provides easy-to-follow recipes with step-by-step images which are very helpful when you feel you’re veering off course. As you read along, you’ll discover tips on testing your eggs for freshness, choosing avocados at the store, pantry essentials, and more! This cookbook is perfect for beginners and covers a lot of ground with its various recipes whether its a simple eggplant parmigiana or crispy duck pancakes.

The Kitchen Shelf by Eve O’Sullivan and Rosie Reynolds

If you’ve just moved away from home and have been struggling to get things started in your kitchen, this is a perfect place to begin your culinary ventures. The recipes in this book are based on 30 pantry essentials. After highlighting the importance of each, the authors dive into a variety of recipes that can be creating by adding just two other ingredients. By using The Kitchen Shelf as your guide, you can develop the improvisational skills needed to whip up something impressive – even if you’re snowed in your house. This is also a great gift for young grads heading off on their own for the first time!

Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child

While you won’t find a ton of complex recipes in this book, what you will get is far more valuable in the kitchen, advice from Julia Child herself! Understanding the when, where, and why’s of cooking something are far more valuable when learning to cook than simply following a recipe. Learn the basics of roasting a whole fish, the difference between stewing,  braising, and poaching, as well as various techniques for cooking your vegetables.

The Zwilling J.A. Henckels Complete Book of Knife Skills by Jeffrey Elliot & James P. DeWan

It’s time to break out that quality knife set that’s been collecting dust and use it with the agility and confidence of a seasoned chef. Being able to quickly and efficiently use your knife to prep food is half the battle of pulling together a great meal. The way you cut your ingredients will affect not only the presentation but the way it’s going to cook. Jeffrey Elliot and James P. DeWan elaborate on the importance of having knife skills in this step by step guide with pictures to demonstrate the different techniques to cut anything whether its a pineapple, a turkey, or a soft shell crab. And if this title is of interest to you, join us on Sunday, September 11 for a knife skills class with author Jeffrey Elliot himself–the enrollment fee includes a copy of the book!

These cookbooks and many more are available for purchase at COOK, so visit our retail boutique Tuesday through Sunday from 12 – 5pm except when class is in session!