Are you intimidated by the idea of cooking yourself a meal? Or is it someone you know, someone you secretly think about turning in to that Food Network show about the worst cooks? Those who do go on that show get put through a culinary boot camp, a way to learn basic skills and then build on them to become home cooks with a handful of recipes they’re comfortable with and the confidence to take on new recipes on their own.

But if you can’t get yourself or your friend/family member onto the show, you could just buy this book. How to Cook for Beginners is a great starting point for anyone who needs someone to take their hand and walk them through the most basic of kitchen skills to slowly build an understanding of cooking.

This book starts truly at the beginning, with a list of the most essential tools and pantry staples that are needed for a home cook. From there, you start to learn knife skills as well as how to measure ingredients, how to prep for cooking, how to plan for the grocery store and the cooking process, and how to mix ingredients. There are lessons on kitchen safety, so you’ll know what to do in case of a fire or a cut and how to prevent cross-contamination.

Once those basics are down, you start the cooking process. The first recipe is a simple spice mix that can be used in later recipes. A Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette is next, in anticipation of dressing salads that will come later with more knife skills. From there, cooking techniques are introduced with simple recipes to build courage and tasty dishes. Boiling comes with lessons on Hardboiled Eggs and a simple pasta, Cacio e Pepe.

Pan Cooking offers Stir-Fried Green Beans and a Cast-Iron Rib Eye Steak. Oven cooking brings recipes for Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables and Banana Bread. The last chapter on technique is about building flavors, from using salt and herbs to adding oil and acid. These flavoring tips come in handy for the Roasted Chicken and Chicken Gravy.

The rest of the book is filled with recipes for breakfast, snacks and small bites, salad and veggies, mains, and (of course) desserts. You have all the skills by this point to tackle any of these recipes, so you could make yourself or your friends an Apple Berry Dutch Baby, homemade Guacamole, a Greek Salad, Roasted Sweet Potato Fries, Maple-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples, Garlic and Tomato Steamed Mussels, and Chocolate-Chipotle Brownies, just to name a few.

Author Gwyn Novak grew up around great cooks but was never all that interested in it herself, not until she was in graduate school, pursuing a political degree and started using cooking as a way to relieve stress. It wasn’t long until she was trading in her grad school classes for culinary school, going on from there to be a professional caterer and a personal chef. Now she teaches others how to cook, and she brings all her experience and wisdom to the pages of How to Cook for Beginners.

This really is a wonderful resource for those just starting out and who feel intimidated by the idea of cooking for themselves. There are lots of photos to help along the way and detailed instructions on every step of the path to a warm, homemade dinner. An ideal gift for anyone scared to cook or just starting out in their own place!

A copy of How to Cook for Beginners was provided to me by Rockridge Press through Callisto Publishing, with many thanks.