The Can't Cook Book

September 16, 2013
In her third cookbook, Seinfeld (Deceptively Delicious) guides newbie cooks through their first steps “out of Can’t Cooksville.” With her encouraging attitude, Seinfeld is a cheerleader for beginners and has created an inviting primer designed to end kitchen phobia and dependence on processed foods. Following an introduction psyching up cooks with “less than zero experience,” Seinfeld promises a fearless and fun approach. A well-illustrated section on basic kitchen equipment with instructional photos shows inexperienced cooks how to slice, dice, and prep citrus, onions, garlic, avocado, nuts, shrimp, and more. Main dishes like “Your First Chili” and “Rosemary Chicken Under a ‘Brick’ ” make for well-rounded, family-friendly meals. Multiple pasta dishes and a healthy “Quickies” section offer more “no-fail fare.” Scannable icons for smartphones and URLs connect cooks to mini-movies and online support, and “Don’t Panic” recipe headers provide quivering cooks words of encouragement and simple reminders. There are useful charts outlining seasonal foods, meat temperatures, measure conversions, and tips for food storage.

September 15, 2013

Seinfeld (Deceptively Delicious) has written this guide for "Can't Cooks," or readers whose limited cooking experiences have yielded inedible (not to mention embarrassing) results. To help them become proficient and empowered home cooks, she offers step-by-step how-to's (often supplemented with online videos), clear instructions, and constant encouragement ("Look at you! You're holding a cookbook!"). Fresh and mostly from scratch recipes such as herb-roasted beef with potatoes and carrots, slow cooker lasagna, Your First Chili, and broiled honey-nut bananas emphasize straightforward preparations. VERDICT This nonjudgmental beginners' cookbook is a great choice for teens, college students, and young professionals and families. Highly recommended.

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