Craig Claiborne's Kitchen Primer
This is THE cookbook to buy for a first-time cook. Pen-and-ink drawings illustrate the difference between a cheese grater and a sauce pan, and the easy-to-follow recipes will have anyone making crème brûlée in a Bain Marie (this involves the tricky art of boiling water in your oven without scalding yourself!)
http://www.amazon.com/Craig-Claibornes-Kitchen-Primer-Claiborne/dp/0517189895/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291490889&sr=8-1The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook
Good-for-you recipes, sound nutrition information, AND a Julia Child Cookbook Award Winner. Plus, the Whole Wheat Biscuits on page 228 are guaranteed to make you look like a bread-baking genius!
http://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Williams-Sonoma-Cookbook-Solutions/dp/0848725832The New American Plate Cookbook
I bought a copy after flipping open the cover and seeing the very first recipe, "Roasted Beets with Dill Dressing." (I thought it was the least I could do after practically licking the full color photograph.) It's chock full of cancer-fighting nutrition information, too!
http://www.amazon.com/New-American-Plate-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/0520242343/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291482766&sr=1-1the cookbook and more information can be found at:
http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reduce_diet_new_american_plate_cookbook
The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook
Good-for-you recipes, sound nutrition information, AND a James Beard Foundation Award Winner... what else do you need to know? The Seared Salmon with Cilantro-Cucumber Salsa is the perfect dish to serve a mixed guest list of vegans and non-vegans... just use the same searing technique with firm tofu!
http://www.amazon.com/New-Mayo-Clinic-Cookbook-Eating/dp/0848727584/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291482819&sr=1-1the cookbook and more information can be found at:
http://bookstore.mayoclinic.com/products/bookDetails.cfm?mpid=30
