Cookbook recommendation

minnie1012

DIS Veteran
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Hi. My Mom (73) is asking for a “good cookbook” for Christmas. I think I have the only Italian mother who doesn’t like to cook! Lol! So she is looking for one that has easy recipes. She doesn’t have a slow cooker, or instant pot or anything fancy so it has to be stove top, oven etc. My Dad has heart issues so they don’t eat a lot of beef or pasta. Does anyone have a recommendation? Thank you!
 
I love the Skinnytaste One and Done. It has recipes for the Instant Pot, Air Fryer, etc. but it also converts them to stovetop or oven. In addition there are one sheet pan recipes, dutch oven, and skillet recipes. I love the Skinnytaste cookbooks but O&D is my favorite since it is only one dish cooking. (Still requires other dishes and stuff for prep though)

Check out skinnytaste.com for some of her recipes.
 


This might sound strange for a 73 year old lady but have you looked at some children's cookbooks? If you want simple recipes that don't call for complicated cooking methods or crazy ingredients a cookbook aimed at younger chefs might be a good idea.
 


I would go with any of the Betty Crocker cookbooks. They are basic, fairly simple, and have foods that are basic types of meals. Some of the new types of cookbooks might be simple but I find they have a lot of unique ingredients that older people don't necessarily want.

Also, since your dad has heart issues, an American Heart Association cookbook might be good also.
 
America's Test Kitchen has The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything You'll Ever Want to Make. I also really like their Family Cookbook. It is an excellent all-round cookbook that covers all of the basics, but it is out of print. I bought my daughter The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Great Cook, which does cover pretty much everything, but it is a HUGE book and I'm not sure if that would be overwhelming or not.
 
This might sound strange for a 73 year old lady but have you looked at some children's cookbooks? If you want simple recipes that don't call for complicated cooking methods or crazy ingredients a cookbook aimed at younger chefs might be a good idea.
Or cookbooks for college students.
 
If she doesn't really have much for cookbooks, I would get her a 'classic' one, like Betty Crocker or Better Homes & Gardens. The latter is one I refer to all the time for classic recipes.

I was going to say the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It has a lot of great reference material in addition to the recipes. The recipes aren't really fancy but are good, basic recipes for all kinds of different things.
 
I was going to say the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It has a lot of great reference material in addition to the recipes. The recipes aren't really fancy but are good, basic recipes for all kinds of different things.

I like these too!
 
If she doesn't really have much for cookbooks, I would get her a 'classic' one, like Betty Crocker or Better Homes & Gardens. The latter is one I refer to all the time for classic recipes.
These. Solid with all the basics and easy to understand. They also have conversions for measurements and lists for substitutions. Want to make beef? Flip open the beef tab. Bread? Flip to that tab. I am somewhat of a cookbook junkie but these are the ones I go to most.
 
The Taste Of Home cookbooks are great basic cookbooks. They are mostly down-home, tried-and-true, no-frills recipes that use simple, easy to find ingredients and tools. All the recipes are tested and tweaked by a staff of professional cooks so they have clear instructions and are basically fool-proof.
 
I give novice cooks the Cooking for Dummies book. There are some good recipes in there along with good instructions.
 
I have been on a cookbook buying spree lately. I got the above mentioned Americas Test Kitchen cookbook. Wow what a lot of good information!

I also got Magnolia Table. I can’t wait to make recipes from this book!!! And then I rounded out my cookbook buying with Pioneer Woman Dinnertime. A lot of quick and easy recipes in there too.

Now to decide what to make first!
 

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