Cook books

[Shux]

Hi all I am new here but not new to running,

I am just wondering if any knows and can recommend a good all round cook book as when I up my mileage I can feel I need more fuel but I am awful at cooking, have been looking but every cook book review is from the author and says it is the best, so I thought I would ask here for any recommendations

Shux


Shux

[Run Amok]

"How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman is an excellent resource. I also realy like the "epicurious" and "myrecipes.com" websites. Lots of inspiration and well tested recipes. I usually avoid blogs but have had really good luck with 101cookbooks.com.

Also, lots of really knowledgable folks here- so if you need something, just ask!

[caribougrrl]

aw, Shux...

(I promise that's the last time I'll do that)


what do you like to eat?  how would you describe your skill level?  do you want a cookbook for athletes, or a more ordinary-people book?

[merigayle]

A good vegetarian cookbook is the Happy herbivore or Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbooks. The latter, is 30 minutes or less.

[caribougrrl]

there are some recommendations here: http://chrunners.net/forum/index.php?topic=83274.0

[redkitty]

If you want an everyday cook book, that I think is especially good for beginners or people who aren't good/don't like to cook (I fall into this category) I think the basic Better Homes and Garden red and white checked book book is good. It has sections that teach you the basics (and same "basics" within each category.)  It is well organized (by type of food...ie...poultry, beef, vegetables, cookies, cakes.)  I hate cookbooks that aren't well organized and just sort of thrown together.  It has vegetarian options, fast and easy, low fat, etc.  (and a lot of recipes you an alter to make healthier if you so choose.) 

[Shux]

Thanks for the replies

I like pretty much like any food that is on a plate, And i think i am easy to cook for, but as i am terrible at cooking (can't cook/don't cook) but I want to learn but by using the right info as I feel my diet is the part that lets my training down

Used to run a lot as a kid but started smoking which put a stop to that, stopped smoking 2 1/5 years ago and started running again done various races from 10k to marathons just feel that my diet is the bit holding me back

Shux


Shux

[diablita]

For starting out I don't think you can beat "How to Cook Without a Book" by Pam Anderson.

[monster2]

I second the better homes and gardens... It has lots of basics to build on.

Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk 2

[Yogi]

Congratulations on stopping smoking! That's huge.

Do you enjoy following recipes to the letter or do you prefer making it up as you go along? Sometimes a recipe can be overwhelming, don't be afraid to start out easy and learn a concept (i.e. roasting or pan-frying) and then just kind of get creative.

Anyway, I second "How to Cook Everything". Also youtube is your friend - there are some great food prep videos on there (I recently refreshed myself on how to peel and prep a kiwi, super easy and I love kiwis!).

[wherestheportojohn]

Yay for quitting smoking and getting into the art of meal prep.

Another vote here for the old standard BH&G cookbook. My copy is 30+ yrs old, and truly helped me in the early years.
Also thumbs up for 'how to cook everything'...great walk-throughs there.

[Shux]

Thanks for all the info

I Went from smoking 30 per day to running my local marathon that had not been run in 18 years in 9 months, the training was hard but worth the it, but as I have progressed I think my diet is holding me back

Does this book have good nutritional info with all the meals?

Shux


Shux

[Shux]

Congratulations on stopping smoking! That's huge.

Do you enjoy following recipes to the letter or do you prefer making it up as you go along? Sometimes a recipe can be overwhelming, don't be afraid to start out easy and learn a concept (i.e. roasting or pan-frying) and then just kind of get creative.

Anyway, I second "How to Cook Everything". Also youtube is your friend - there are some great food prep videos on there (I recently refreshed myself on how to peel and prep a kiwi, super easy and I love kiwis!).

I am pretty useless on the cooking front once I get beyond chilli con carne or spaghetti bolognese

Shux   


Shux

[Clementine]

One of the first ones I got when I moved out on my own after college was "Rosemary Brown's Big Kitchen Instruction Book". In addition to simple recipes, it explains different techniques, has a whole section on how to pick out different fruits and veggies at the store, and tells how to prepare each veggie (i.e. for asparagus, it has simple instruction on how to boil, steam, or saute it). It also has substitution tables (i.e. if you don't have A, substitute this much of B), tables of how long different ingredients will keep in the pantry/fridge/freezer, and a bunch of "food math" and measurement conversion tables. The recipes are mostly for home cookin' kinds of meals, but I think they're a good place to start if you're new to cooking.

Looks like you can get it for about $8 on Amazon right now. Less if you want a used copy.

http://www.amazon.com/Rosemary-BrownS-Kitchen-Instruction-Book/dp/0836267559/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370108564&sr=8-1&keywords=big+kitchen+instruction+book

[redkitty]

The better homes and garden cook does have nutritional information in it.  I would recommend checking out any of the cookbooks you are interested in from the library first.  That way you can decide if you like.  Not every book will be there, but LOTS will be.

[triciaflower]

I like Cook's Illustrated books.

The instructions are really easy and they explain WHY they are doing a certain technique.