100+ recipes in this `simple cookery course and recipe book all-in-one' - Rated 
from Mary Berry.
n.b. Previously published as `The New Cook'.
From the back cover:-
`Need to learn how to cook for yourself?
Want to start producing home-made food for your family?
Long to create a delicious meal for your friends?
Follow Mary Berry's guidelines in `How to Cook' and begin a new life in the kitchen.
A simple cookery course and recipe book all in one.
Step-by-step photography with clear instructions.
Over 100 foolproof recipes.......
Small hardcover format with 256 high quality shiny pages split over 5 chapters:-
Master Recipes
Recipe Collection
Techniques
Ingredients
Equipment
sandwiched between an introduction, cook's notes and an index.
From the introduction:-
`I have so enjoyed writing this book and the process of going right back to the beginning and rethinking cooking techniques and how to simplify them. I have written this with a clear eye for today's new cooks who want fresher, lighter food.
I have a soft spot for people who are just beginning to cook, and I want them to have fun with cooking and enjoy the results. For the novice, even opening a recipe book can be incredibly daunting, so my aim with this book is to make cooking as easy and uncomplicated as possible.
The twelve Master Recipes are designed to get you off to a good start. These will be your master keys, opening up a collection of basic, but essential cooking skills........'
Each of the `Master Recipes' is well laid out with the list of ingredients on the left, the title, the number of servings, an opening note and a clear, numbered method, followed by a full-page colour photograph of the finished dish then the `step-by-step' procedure, including variations, if applicable, and pictures over at least a further two pages.
These recipes include how to make:-
Classic French Omelette
Tagliatelle Bolognese
Chilli con Carne
Roast Chicken
Double-Crust Apple Pie
Victoria Sponge
The recipe chapter opens with relevant notes, then the recipes which follow the same written format as the Master Recipes, described above.
This section is sub-divided into:-
Egg Dishes
Soups
Pasta
Grains & Pulses
Pan-fries
Stir-fries
Char-grills
Grills
Roasts
Accompaniments
Salads
Fruit Desserts
Cakes and Cookies
Bread
This section is only lightly interspersed with photography....which may be a little disappointing for those who like to see what they are aiming for on the plate!
A taste of the other recipes within:-
Quiche Lorraine
Crepes Suzette
Cheese Soufflés
Minestrone
Clam Chowder
Meat or Vegetarian Lasagne
Tabbouleh
Garlic Prawns
Cajun-Style Chicken
Hoisin Pork
Steak with Onion Marmalade
Real Beefburgers
Tandoori Chicken
Vegetable Curry
Beef Wellington
Yorkshire Pudding
Coleslaw
Caesar Salad
Meringues with Raspberry Coulis
Lemon & Lime Cheesecake
Chocolate Brownies
Lemon Slices
Anchovy Pizza
The main recipes all have a `nutritional information' table.
The `Techniques Section' includes preparation and cooking of various ingredients such as:-
Eggs
Rice
Fish, Poultry and Meat (inc `Cuts of')
Vegetables
Fruit
Pastry
Sauces
Crumbs & Croutons
Leaves and Herbs
as well as basic recipes e.g. Polenta, Mashed Potatoes, Custard, Mayonnaise and Bouquet Garni.
This section is very well laid out and has plenty of photographs, including `step by step', where applicable, e.g.:-
`Carving a Large Bird'.
It is littered with helpful tips, such as the making and keeping/freezing of chicken stock or beating and making meringues.
The last two chapters are recommended ingredients and equipment.
Good value for an all round reference for the beginner, but could also prove useful to those more experienced, needing a helping hand in greyer areas, e.g. `Skinning Fish Fillets' or `Making a Pastry Case'.
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