Along with Joy of Cooking, this is one of the basic cookbooks that belong in every kitchen. If you have someone moving out on his or her own, this is a perfect housewarming gift, for instance. And if you yourself are just venturing out into the wide wonderful world of scratch cooking, this book will give your self-confidence a much-needed boost. Bittman makes everything clear.

Bittman provides recipes, yes, but more importantly he provides technique; each section contains information on the main ingredient being covered, plus ideas for variations on the basic recipes, possible substitutions, leftover ideas, and so on. It's a "teach a man to fish" book as opposed to a "give a man a fish" book, which is why I find it so invaluable.

Caveat: For baking advice, you cannot go wrong with Joy of Cooking. It beats Bittman hands down. For everything else, though, Bittman is the first book we consult. If it ain't there it's probably a pretty specialized topic.

Lynn Siprelle, Editor