Every once in a while a book comes along that makes a huge difference in my life. Getting Things Done, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and QBQ! fall into that category for my productivity. Recently I added Scrum to that list. In the kitchen I’ve got loads of cookbooks, but there haven’t been many I use for regular reference. Weber’s Real Grilling was the first book I used more for the reference than for the recipes, despite having awesome recipes. But I’ve been looking for more kitchen reference books. Sometimes opportunities develop in the most unexpected ways.
When the Hastings bookstore chain filed for bankruptcy, our small town was devastated. This was the only large bookseller in Hutchinson, and despite the recent addition of a couple of smaller bookstores, this was the place I generally browsed for cookbooks. But like everybody else, I bought a large proportion of my books from Amazon. It’s just too danged convenient! 
As Hastings wound down, they started discounting books. Every week I would go in and peruse the latest deals. I’d rummage through the cookbooks looking for values. As the weeks went by, book prices dropped precipitously. I’m not adverse to used books (or pre-loved books as I like to call them), so I kept an eagle eye for them on the shelves. I’d started with a max budget, and to stay on track I set a book-cost limit. It started at no book over $5.00. As the prices dropped, I somewhat ironically also dropped my per-book max cost.
There were days I departed with nothing. Others I had a small handful of books. But near the end, books were marked down to $1.00 or below. On those days I walked out with armfuls. The last day I went, two employees had to help me carry out my haul!
I had increased my kitchen library many times over, but honestly I knew it would also take ages to get through all the gems I’d found.Â
Some months later I was looking for a diversion. Not a book to actually read, but something I could leaf through and not get invested. I happened to grab Cooking Essentials from Cooking Club America. I sat down and started to browse. Six hours later I’d gotten halfway through and was totally fascinated. I learned more from this book than any other kitchen tome I’d ever opened!Â
Not only is this book chock full of usable information, the visual design is amazing. The first 100 pages are general reference, with deep dives into the pantry, equipment, and techniques. The amazing mixture of solid writing and visually appealing photographs grabs your attention and doesn’t let you go.
The next fifty pages cover master recipes that can be used as the base for dozens of variations. The visual recipe for Double-Crust Apple Pie is one of the best explanations that I’ve ever seen!
The remainder of Cooking Essentials lists recipes that sometimes harken back to the master recipes, and other times go much further. Honestly I could spend an entire year cooking solely from this cookbook, applying variations to the recipes. The best part is, I don’t think we’d ever get tired of the fare!Â
There is nothing pretentious or fancy here. It’s a reference book that is anything but dry. On the contrary, it’s juicy and nuanced. There is so much information I have yet to open the pages and not discover something new. It’s a treasure trove of information presented in a visually stunning style that I simply can’t put down.Â
While the new version of the book costs $11.99 for the hard cover version from Amazon, I was able to get my pre-loved version for $1.19. There are plenty of copies available at Amazon and other online, as well as brick-and-mortar sellers, between those two prices. Let’s face it, you’ve had awful meals for $12.00. This book can provide you with months of spectacular feasts for the same price.Â
One of my hopes in life is that I’ll be able to pass on my love for cooking and everything kitchen-related to the Hectic Kids. I really want to make it a great day in the kitchen for them. So don’t spill the beans and tell them that I’ve got copies for each one of them!Â
Seriously, if you’re looking for an amazing general kitchen resource for yourself, a friend, or one of your kids, you can’t go wrong with Cooking Essentials!Â
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