Last Christmas, my dad and stepmom got me some high quality
stainless steel cookware and The Fannie
Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham. I wasn't annoyed at these
not-so-subtle hints about my kitchen experience; I'm pretty good at winging it
and can usually figure out how to make most things with a little trial and
error. I’ve just never owned the proper utensils or guide.
Of course, I couldn’t bear to use the gleaming pots and pans
in my current crappy-ass kitchen, so I stowed them away for future use. The cookbook, on the other hand, has served (and is currently still
serving) as the best thing that ever happened to my cooking lifestyle.
Now, I’m not saying I’ve used the cookbook consistently as
I’m more a reluctant chef than anything. However, anytime I need pressing
information, the Fannie Farmer Cookbook
has just what I’m looking for. It's totally comprehensive; in addition to more
than 1,990 recipes of all sorts, there’s liquid and dry measurement equivalents
and useful baking equivalents (for changing ounces and pounds to cups); info on
how to tell if an egg is stale; the proper boil time for anything from broccoli
to eggs; how to properly dissolve yeast; and the roasting temperatures for all
types of meat. Warnings about salmonella and other health concerns are also
highlighted as well as the best ways to cook using a microwave oven,
explanations of a microwave’s best use in cooking, and recipes specifically
designed to take advantage of its virtues.
I recommend it to anyone who’s just starting out, and even
to those who think they know what they’re doing. Hey, it hasn’t been
continuously published since 1896 for nothing — people actually use this
thing!
