Looking for cookbook for college son in first year of apartment living

Parent Cafe
1

Hi. I’m looking for a cookbook for my son, who is a junior in college, and is living in an apartment this year, so somewhat doing his own meal preparation. He likes to cook, and knows how to prepare a number of fairly basic things – rice, pasta, and such – but he needs to expand his repertoire. I’m thinking of a basic cookbook that meets a few criteria (which I’ll list below), that he can use perhaps once a week, and then maybe after a year, he’ll have found a number of dishes that can become more regulars for him. And he’ll hopefully have gotten ideas for other directions to go in, cooking-wise.

Here’s the criteria:

At least 100-200 recipes (but not too big).
Fairly basic, in terms of the ingredients, equipment, and techniques required. It doesn’t have to be quite to the degree of “only four ingredients”, and he does live near a couple of large grocery stores as well as a few international markets (including a couple of Asian markets), so he can get some perhaps not so common ingredients.
He’s not entirely bland in what he likes, but he doesn’t like (hot) spicy food. For instance, we’ll go out to a Thai or Indian restaurant, and he’ll be very happy getting chicken satay or some kind of fried rice or noodle dish, or Tandoori chicken. Another dish he really likes is Greek Chicken.
A fair number of international/ethnic recipes, including cuisines like Italian, Mediterranean, Asian, Mexican, …
It should have some fairly standard things (e.g., burgers, pizza, tacos, lasagna) as well as some more unusual things.
It should have main courses, side dishes, salads, desserts, breakfast, etc.
The recipes should be healthful and modern.
Some photos would be good.

I’m going to guess that some people will recommend just looking for recipes online, but I think in this case a cookbook will be better. For looking online, you kind of already need to have some idea of what you’re looking for; I think having a cookbook in front of him will give him some specific ideas. After he gets comfortable with the recipes and foods in it, he can try different things.

In case it’s relevant: He’s got two roommates, and my impression is that their cooking abilities and
desires are similar to his.

Thanks!

2

I hate to say this, but his best source would be online. I was married for 30+ years and my ex did all the cooking. I now get all my recipes online. D1 likes to entertain, but never cooked while living at home, and she also gets all of her recipes online.

3

He can find tons of recipes online.

We did get each of our kids a basic cookbook that had basic cooking information in it.

DD has Betty Crocker Cookbook.

DS has Joy of Cooking.

But they get most of their recipes online also.

4

We have an entire cupboard of cookbooks–my most common resource is the Internet! My kids similarly mostly search online for free recipes that sound good and mesh with ingredients they want or have. Once in awhile they’ll call me and ask how to prepare a family favorite and I will walk them through it. There are a ton of cookbooks at our local Costco but most folks seem to skip them and cook from Internet recipes

5

I get most of my recipes online as well. If I got any cookbook for a young man I’d probably look to get one that has quick (30 minute or so) recipes without a ton of ingredients. Perhaps you could also type/write out some of your favorite recipes for him.

6

I bought this at the recommendation of several CC’ers a couple of years ago. S seemed interested in it and I thought it was set up really well. Basic recipes like roast, meat loaf, perfect scrambled eggs, french toast, basic soups etc. GREAT photos!

Mark Bittman is of course well known and respected
https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060

7

Have to agree with all of the above. If you want to give him a cookbook, how about one of favorite family recipes. My Mom gave each of her daughters, not sure about son, a folder of family recipes. That is the only one I ever refer to. Otherwise I look online for recipes.

8

The Mark Bittman recipes are online too!

I think it’s fine to have one basic cookbook.

What about a subscription to a cooking magazine…? We like Eating Well, and Cooking Light. Both have pretty easy recipes in them.

9

Online recipes can use a lot of terms that a true novice doesn’t understand. The Bittman cookbook literally explains terms like “whisk”, “how to separate an egg” - SO many BASICS.

True that it’s easy to look up recipes online. But a cookbook runs in the $20ish range - I think it’s still a nice idea to have one overall cookbook - who doesn’t become a little inspired when leafing through a cookbook?!

If you like, stuff a few family recipes inside the cookbook on index cards. :slight_smile:

10

I’m with @abasket and would recommend Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.

11

Betty Crocker Cookbook. My mom bought it for me when I went off to college 30 years ago and it’s still a great resource because it’s so much more than recipies. It tells you how to cut a head of cabbage or a chicken and everything in between and it’s more efficient to learn said basics than the internet. From that, he can launch to internet recipies.

12

I appreciate the responses, but, please folks, the suggestions to look for recipes online are really not helpful. I do that all the time myself, but realize that it won’t work for someone in my son’s situation. He won’t know where or how to begin looking. He’s just beginning to learn how to cook for himself. With a cookbook with a limited number of recipes, he’ll try some of them, and will learn more what kinds of things and what kinds of ingredients he likes (and doesn’t like). That’s what he needs now.

Regarding a “basic” cookbook like Betty Crocker or The Joy of Cooking, the problem is that they have too much in them – they’re too big, they cover too many things, and they will be kind of daunting.He doesn’t need something that will help him master a wide variety of techniques and foods, just something with a good number of basic, interesting recipes. (They’re also too old :slight_smile: ).

I have seen other recommendations for Mark Bittman, and I did pick up a copy of How to Cook Everything: the basics" (the one @abasket mentioned) from our local library, and am going to have my son take a look at it. (They also had the full HTCE book, but that was in the too-big-and-daunting class.) I did pick up a couple others to check out as well, but am hoping to get some more good suggestions.

Thanks again.

13

There are some good cooking for two cookbooks out there. That might be worth looking at. The recipes would be the right size!

14

I got How to Cook Everything for my 20 YO son for Christmas. He seems to like it.

I LOVE Joy of Cooking but it’s a bit more advanced IMO. It is a LOT and would probably be a bit overwhelming for someone who was just learning the basics. I got it as a gift when I was in my 30’s I think. Loved it and found it very useful–still do in my late 40’s. But I’m not sure it would have been too helpful when I was 20 and single.

15

“Cheap. Fast. Good!” although it doesn’t have pictures. But lots of friendly recipes. Cook’s Illustrated cookbooks are interesting to read but I think they can be a little off-putting, especially for new cooks. They can make you think that everything has to be perfect for the food to taste good.

16

Another suggestion - I know its not what you asked for - would be to gift him a few weeks of those food services like Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, Sun Basket, etc. I know a lot of people who have used them to try new recipes, ingredients, learn new cooking techniques. It’s a great way to play around with ingredients you might not be familiar with. You can cancel anytime once used to cooking on your own,you have the recipes to keep, and you can find coupons easily to get several free weeks.

17

I gave my kids a Betty Crocker Cookbook, and added recipes from other cookbooks. I chose BC because I grew up with it myself and the book describes basic techniques, substitutions, and traditional recipes. Each section starts with a few pages of introduction. For example, the meat section describes different cuts of meat, cooking times and techniques.

18

I would get him an Instant Pot Pressure cooker and a cookbook to go with it. My 22 year old son started using mine summer of sophmore year college and asked for one for his birthday. He really loves it and his roommates also use it.

19

I got both my older kids “Help, My Apartment Has a Kitchen” and both found it helpful. It’s got lots of tips beyond the basics, and rates the recipes by difficulty. I just looked it up and the most recent version has many vegetarian recipes too. But the original is always around at Goodwill or used bookstores. Here’s a link:
https://www.amazon.com/Help-Apartment-Has-Kitchen-Cookbook/dp/0618711759/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486791358&sr=1-1&keywords=help+my+apartment+has+a+kitchen

20

@csdad2 “He won’t know where or how to begin looking. He’s just beginning to learn how to cook for himself.”

You’re kidding, right???!!??? My 10 year old could do this. You’re underestimating your son big time.

Write down 5 or 10 of his favorite family recipes (i.e., Mom’s meatloaf) and www.allrecipes.com is the best. Have him search the word “easy” before everything. “Easy meatloaf.” “Easy guacamole.” On this site you can search by ingredient and adjust the recipes to serve 2 or 8 or however many you want.