Where Cookbooks Fail
March 25, 2008
I mentioned in my first couple posts on The New Cook that cookbooks in general have a major flaw: they don’t teach you how to cook. I was inspired to write this by the Top Chef episode that I watched on Wednesday, not because of any particular dish, but rather due to my continued fascination and admiration with the way these chefs create incredible dishes without any books or recipes.
I understand that they have cooked for years, originally learning from recipes, but their experience and knowledge from culinary school have created a deep understanding of food and cooking – they are not just human databases of recipes. Is it possible for the average cook get to this point? And if so, how?
I don’t expect to ever have the talent of a professional chef, but increasing the breadth and depth of my knowledge of food and cooking is something that is certainly attainable. I want to create meals without a book, altar recipes, and know the reasons behind my actions in the kitchen. I think it is by knowing the fundamentals and the why behind the recipes that will take me to that next level.
Because I don’t have the time nor the money to attend culinary school, most of my learning will come from cookbooks. Two issues arise with the content of cookbooks: what they contain and how they convey it.
With regards to what they contain, most cookbooks are compendia of hundreds or thousands of recipes, occasionally interspersed with cooking tips or techniques. Take a standard American cookbook, Joy of Cooking, of which the newest edition contains around 4500 recipes, and let’s assume you only like a quarter of the recipes. That means there are still over 1000 recipes to try, or over three years of cooking if you make a new recipe everyday. Most focus too much on recipes and lack discussion of technique and reason.
For example, as I write this I am making a bolognese-style meat sauce from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, a book which is actually pretty good about explaining techniques. In the middle of the recipe, however, it instructs to add the tomatoes, simmer for an hour, then add salt and pepper and simmer for another hour. Why is the salt pepper added in the middle of this?
Maybe I am looking in the wrong books; this truly might be the problem and I welcome your recommendations for books that are more suited to my interests.
The other issue is how cookbooks present their content. They are great for making specific meals, but if you want to learn how to cook, they are not efficient. They rely on repetition to teach. I attempted multiple tomato sauces without learning the basic elements until a friend summed them up in a manner more easily learned: saute onion and/or garlic, add any sort of canned tomato (unless you have ripe fresh ones), then individually or in combination, add oregano, basil, thyme and/or bay leaf. Have those three parts, tomato, onion/garlic, and herbs, and you will have a good sauce. Will it be the best tomato sauce I’ve ever had? Probably not. But knowing this, I am more encouraged to experiment with these parts and find out what I like. This basic recipe is great if I want to make a quick sauce while I boil spaghetti, instead pouring a Prego on top. My point is that cooking can be learned more efficiently by learning the fundamentals first, and then moving on to specific recipes. I learned the tomato sauce recipe in seconds from my friend’s explanation of the foundation – a much more efficient method than learning by repetition from cookbooks.
I am looking for a book that teaches you how to cook, more in the form of a textbook instead of a collection of recipes. Cookbooks are great at what they do, but they are not effective at teaching cooking. Does anyone know of a book that matches what I am looking for? Is my best bet just to keep cooking and learn as I follow recipes?
photo credit: amy_b
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March 25th, 2008 at 11:02 am
I must confess that I don’t own cookbooks. I usually browse the Internet or my local library for ideas. That’s because food is like a part of me. I grew up around it, at age 10 I was already helping in the kitchen at my parents’ restaurant. So I don’t think cooking is learned in cookbooks. Can you get a part time job at a local restaurant? 10 hours a week watching other people cook would be my best recommendation, or watching a lot of cook shows. But don’t listen to me, I really don’t know much about this stuff. :-/
March 25th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Hi, Check out ‘la technique’ by Jacque Pepin, and “I’m just here for the food’ by alton brown
March 25th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Ben: I’ve considered a restaurant job, but I just don’t think I’m willing to put up with it to learn. I’ve worked in restaurants before and I was not a huge fan, not to mention I don’t really want to work lots of nights and weekends. It would be a great way to learn though. But I definitely like the idea of watching other people cook. I’ve started paying attention more when my mom or my girlfriend’s mom cook and it has been helpful.
Dave: Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll request them at the library and check them out.
March 25th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Your receipies are quite good since i too love to cook, sometimes.
I have forwarded your site to my friends who love to cook and specially to ones to want to try cooking new food. Keep up the good work.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
The best cookbook for learning how to cook is a person. Or people. I learned to cook from my mother and my grandmother, from watching, helping, and asking questions. I watched my mother heat the oil or butter in the pan and test it with a scrap of onion for bubbles (hot enough) before she added the garlic or onion for a sauté. I made dough with my grandmother, who made me stop and feel the silky texture of the dough when it was just right.
For absolute beginners or for people who want to learn more, I suggest bribing people you know who cook well to show you how they make up a dish and why. Concentrate on the details, and then improvise with them on your own.
Learning to cook is like learning a language. When you’re learning a language, you grasp certain words, categories and ingredients at a time. You can’t talk about literary theory yet in that language, but boy are you fluent in talking about fruit. Or numbers. Or whatever you learn first. From there, you build your vocabulary, using words in various contexts, experimenting, until one day you can talk about literary theory and anything else.
In cooking, you become fluent in, let’s say, tomatoes, then in sautéing, then in the way chocolate behaves when it melts. Once you grasp some concepts, you start playing with them, experimenting, and fusing them together, like sets of vocabulary in a language. You do use cookbooks, but you have enough of the cooking language learned that the recipe is simply a source of new vocabulary for your cooking, to help you branch out.
Food Is Love
March 26th, 2008 at 3:03 am
Check out “On Food And Cooking” by Harold McGee if you’re looking for a textbook style cooking primer. It’s the size of the “Joy of Cooking” with no recipes, just science. It will explain everything you were ever curious about and then some. It has helping my cooking technique immensely.
March 26th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Good point, never really thought about this until now. Cookbooks should be renamed recipe books because they don’t typically teach you how to cook. I went to Amazon.com and typed in cookbook and it’s amazing how many books come back that are just compilation of recipes.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I guess it really depends on the type of cuisine you want to cook – for example the fundamentals are quite different depending on whether you want to do classic French (- which is what most culinary schools teach and most people think as “the basics” or “fundamentals) or classic Italian, which is very rustic, or classic Chinese, which is another set of fundamentals from the other two.
The world of cooking has really gotten vast – with the influx of world cuisines and all different kinds of chefs from all over the world. I don’t think there is a set standard anymore.
I also agree with Debs that the best teachers are people. Talk to people whose cooking you admire and spend a day with them in the kitchen – it will be the most valuable.
March 26th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Debs: I like the language comparison, starting slow and using cookbooks to branch out from what I learn. I’ll definitely start paying more attention when other people cook.
Bret: I actually have On Food and Cooking, but I haven’t read it yet. It is good to hear it has improved your cooking. I got it more for the science and history just as something interesting, but I’ll start reading it more thoroughly if it will really help my cooking.
JennDZ: I hadn’t even thought about how the basics change for each different cuisine. Now there is even more to learn…
March 26th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
dave beat me to it. try alton brown for the science behind everything. it was a revelation to me because I am just like you – I just decided to learn how to cook, and I followed recipes, but as alton puts it, it’s like following a map but not really knowing how you got to your destination. a light bulb went off when I read that.
and I will also admit that I started out with something my mom sent me – the “for dummies” series book, cooking for dummies. it really helped in the early stages, explaining to me things like “what is braising? (hehe, I saw your post below… what is braising? it’s awesome is what it is!). but really, I would even recommend that one just to get the basic concepts down. very few recipes, mostly text and teaching.
March 27th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
My current favorite is ‘How to Cook Without a Book: Recipes and Techniques Every Cook Should Know by Heart” by Pam Anderson (not Pamela
).
March 27th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Alton Brown sounds like it is worth looking into. I like his show Good Eats quite a bit.
I actually have How to Cook Without a Book. It is great for learning a basic recipes and encouraging experimentation. I am still going through it now trying out the different recipes. The stir fry was excellent (although I haven’t quite mastered it enough to do it without the recipe), as was a sauteed chicken breast with an asian style pan sauce. Definitely a good book.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:25 am
You are absolutely right. Most cookbooks are not textbooks to teach how to cook, but rather to teach new recipes to someone who already knows how to cook. Julia Child is different. She not only gives you the recipes, she tells you how/what to do AND what NOT to do too. Her recipes are thoroughly tested for each and every step. She will also teach you about France and French ingredients. She also had plenty of television shows for you to watch carefully and did not use the “magic of television” to skip steps or ingredients, only to fast forward through say, an hour in the oven or in the refrigerator.
I would also recommend two other ways. 1. READ as many cookbooks as possible. Read them like novels. While you are reading, analyze the ingredients, the vocabulary, the steps, everything you possibly can. Compare recipes. If you want to make XYZ, get as many XYZ recipes as you can (Internet is great there) and compare all of them. What ingredients do they have in common? What steps do they have in common? That will reveal the basic technique. The rest are the variations which invariably chefs make to create their own recipes and because they each have their own unique creative style, likes and dislikes.
2. Know what real, good food tastes like. You cannot cook well if you do not know how to eat or what your dish or ingredients should taste like. Beware, many restaurants, especially chains, do not have a real chef in the kitchen, only cooks and helpers, and they do not use the best ingredients available. Know how individual ingredients taste. With practice, you will eventually be able to dissect a recipe’s ingredients. If you have a good palate you will eventually be able to identify even herbs and spices and could reconstruct a dish in your own kitchen just from having eaten it once.
April 1st, 2008 at 5:42 am
Thanks for the great advice. I will look for some Julia Child shows or cookbooks. My palate is pretty weak I think, but I am trying to taste and smell more herbs and spices so I can try to recognize them in foods.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Andy, you have a great list of friends here, all giving fantastic advice.
I have to admit that since watching TV chefs/cooks like
Alton Brown, Ina Garten (French cooking) and Michael Chiarello (Italian) – my cooking style and understanding has really changed.
If you get a chance, watch America’s Test Kitchen, (see if NetFlix has the series, PBS.org certainly does) that show will grow you for sure. They love finding the best ways to cook and then break it down for the audience. My favorite part is the appliance corner, where they test appliances for quality, function and price. There’s also a food science section and product tasting.
They also have a great magazine, Cook’s Illustrated, that is simply the show in print.
Your blog is wonderful; very intelligent, worth visiting over and over. Keep up the great work, no matter how many comments you get. We are reading, but we don’t always comment.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Andy,
Just ran across your blog, and thought I’d share a quick, relevant experience.
I am a “hobby” cook. Nothing fancy, I just enjoy cooking, and trying new things.
A few months ago, my son was getting ready for his High School Prom, and he and his friends were fretting about how expensive it was to go out to dinner. I suggested they make dinner for their dates. We decided on Fettucine Alfredo, (homemade pasta and alfredo sauce), Tomato Basil Bruschetta and Green Salad with a Balsamic Vinagrette.
The boys and I spent a couple of hours shopping and preparing the meal. We got everything done but the Alfredo and cooking the pasta.
When they arrived with their dates, they cooked the pasta and put the Alfredo sauce together, and put the bruschetta in the oven. It was a hit.
The payoff for me came when one of my sons friends asked if they could come over again for another “cooking lesson”.
We’ve done 2 more, and are planning more.
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:34 am
@ Jill: I have one issue of Cook’s Illustrated and love it. I really like the detail of what works and doesn’t. It is definitely more educational than a normal cookbook.
@Steve: That is a great story. There are so many benefits to learning how to cook, including impressing the ladies, which it sounds like your son and friends did.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
It sounds like the world of cooking could use a little theoretical underpinning. Can we expect a theoretical treatise both on WHAT the basics of cooking are and WHY those are the basics in the near future?
July 1st, 2008 at 11:16 pm
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July 29th, 2008 at 9:10 am
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September 8th, 2008 at 7:56 am
I’ve always enjoyed cooking. Many, many years ago I decided to learn to cook “gourmet,” something that wasn’t much done in the early 70’s. After thrashing about for 30 years, I believe I have become somewhat accomplished.
Julia Child was my great resource. I hold “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volumes I and II” in great reverence. These are still worth a look, even though they lack the sort of modern graphics that can be very helpful to the beginner. There’s a lot of information on basic technique, and the recipes are organized in a “Master Recipe/Variations” format that helps you recognize the fundamental patterns.
A few episodes of “The French Chef” from the 60’s and 70’s are also available on DVD. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I have really enjoyed these, mainly because of Julia’s occasional spectacular failure on camera. These would be edited out, today, but I find it comforting to know that even the great and mighty fail from time to time.
I agree that McGee’s “On Food and Cooking” can be very useful to those of a certain mindset. I find it fascinating–others may find it gross or just mind-numbingly dull.
I’ve watched “America’s Test Kitchen,” and, on the advice of friends, I subscribed to “Cooks Illustrated” for awhile. I think I’m in a minority on this, but I’m not impressed. They seem to spend a lot of time re-inventing the wheel and belaboring the obvious as they make their tortuous way to a dumbed-down, mediocre result.
Now a practical tip. You’ve hit on the basic pattern for tomato sauce. Take up white sauce next–flour, butter, and milk (Bechamel) or stock (Veloute). Once you’ve mastered this pattern, you’ll see it everywhere. Then take on emulsions of oil (Mayonaise) and butter (Hollandaise). These aren’t used as much, but they seem like magic to the uninitiated–You’ll impress the hell out of your friends.
Keep cooking.
November 4th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I started cooking when I was about 8 – yes, 8. I read my mother’s Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook cover to cover – she still has it, and I have my own well-worn copy (I’m 39 now). I recently bought the America’s Test Kitchen cookbook, and I find the two have many similarities – both have lots of information (tips, tricks & techniques) to get you started on learning how to do things, as well as containing many different recipes from all categories of food. They both explain things well, if not fully explaining why in some cases, but this you’ll figure out in time, as you become more experienced. Never haven taken any sort of cooking class, I would rate myself in the advanced intermediate level of cooking – I have even impressed some very good friends who are both culinary-institute-trained master chefs! I would recommend that you start with trying to replicate dishes that you know you like. Find recipes for them in cookbooks, on the internet, from friends or family, or cooking shows – it doesn’t matter. Take notes after each meal – what was good or great, and what wasn’t. Then keep trying until you find “The One.” When you do, then go back and compare all of the recipes and your notes, paying attention to both ingredients and cooking techniques for each, and see what was different. Then you’ll learn the why, and you can apply that knowledge to the next dish you choose to master. Over time, that will translate into your personal style – that je ne sais quoi that makes a truly wonderful chef, professionally trained or not. Just recognize that even if you were to attend formal cooking classes or a school, you don’t leave with Top Chef qualifications – that takes practice, and experience – and watching others, sometimes. Just don’t get frustrated – your first “Aha!” moment will keep you going for a long time!
Oh, and one more thing – buy the best you can afford for 4 tools that I think are crucial to good cooking:
#1: Chef’s knife – buy open stock, NOT a set. Hold the knife in your hand and select what feels good. 8″ is a quite popular length.
#2: Paring knife – see above, but shorter – 3-4″ length.
#3: Utility knife – see above, but intermediate length – 5-6″ length recommended.
#4: A good quality 12″ or 14″ NOT non-stick fry pan (gently sloped sides) and lid made of non-reactive metal – and here’s why: you have a hard time creating fond (the little yummy browned bits stuck to the pan) in a non-stick pan. Many people will recommend a saucepan instead, if you can only have 1 piece, but I prefer the fry pan because I find I have to cook things in batches because of the smaller surface area of a saucepan, but just about anything I can cook in the saucepan can be done in the fry pan, then transferred to the saucepan later, if necessary. I am currently saving for an All Clad Stainless Steel fry pan and lid for myself!
The most important thing – don’t forget to have fun! =)
December 16th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
I just stumbled across this – it is (so far) exactly what I wish existed back when I was getting started doing this.
Since I’m a latecomer to the party, I’ll note that Andy (our esteemed writer) has probably already discovered all these things, but for those who are reading the comments like I did, I completely agree with the suggestion that one should just start with a basic recipe and play with it. Don’t know why you throw in the salt and pepper in the middle of the cooking? Try it and see what happens … and you may find that you personally don’t care all that much whilst someone else spots some sort of subtle difference. That’s okay, you aren’t cooking for them.
Also agree with having a regular skillet vs. nonstick. As someone else put it, you can’t get pan scrapings with a nonstick, and that changes everything pretty dramatically. That’s also why you have to start with thawed meat, your sautee gets screwed up with all the melted ice (also found that out the hard way). And over and over.
Point being, you have to play, there really is no shortcut. That’s why I think Cook’s Illustrated is so good – they may or may not come up with something I like at the end, but they show me what experiments they tried to get there and what happened.
June 16th, 2009 at 10:44 am
I just came across this extraordinary blog and had to subscribe immediately. I agree with you about most cookbooks! I never follow a recipe exactly or prepare a meal the same way twice. Another problem with recipes: You often have to do a fair amount of advance planning to make sure you have all the ingredients on hand. I need to know how to throw together a meal out of what I already have, which is a mix of my pantry basics and whatever meat and vegetables were on sale that week. Other have mentioned Alton Brown, but I have to mention his name too, because Alton taught me how to cook. His book and his TV show have both been really helpful (especially the earlier episodes; now that the basics are covered, the more recent episodes are more often about specialty foods, not general techniques). He has recipes because you have to have recipes to be a successful food celebrity, but he also helps you learn how to cook without a recipe.
I do like Joy of Cooking though, because it includes a fair amount of basic information. For instance, when I was surprised to find scales on my fish fillets once, that book explained how to scale them. (Usually my grocery store takes care of this for me.) I use very few of the recipes, though. I keep a few bookmarked (like dumplings, because I can never remember the ratios when I want to make chicken and dumplings).
Thanks for a cool blog!