Title:	Stuff Every Cook Should Know
	Author:	Joy Manning
	Published:	October 25, 2016, Quirk Books
	No. of Pages:	144
	Cover Price:	$9.99 Hardcover, $7.99 Kindle

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Although there are dozens, maybe even hundreds of books with hints to make cooking easier, Stuff Every Cook Should Know by Joy Manning is by far one of the better ones. For starters, it is well-organized – many of the books out there just contain laundry lists of hints in no particular order, making it almost impossible to find something specific. This book contains hints and hows that are actually useful and will be a help to every cook, whether beginner or advanced.

There is information on organizing, planning a dinner party, caring for cast iron cookware, and sharpening knives. There are charts for common ingredient substitutions, heat conversions, and meat temperatures. Basic knife cuts – chop, dice, julienne, chiffonade, etc. is a very helpful chapter, and there are even illustrations where necessary. This book even tells how to prevent tearing when chopping onions. There is a chapter on sharpening knives, and which knives are essential to successful cooking in every kitchen.

Other helpful chapters include How to Reduce Waste, good flavor combinations, and storing spices. The book outlines the proper way to measure ingredients, the shelf life of some common ingredients, and gives step-by-step instructions on how to start an indoor herb garden. It’s amazing how much information is included in 144 pages.

All told, Stuff Every Cook Should Know is a perfect gift for a bride, or someone who is just learning to cook. The information contained in this little book will be helpful to everyone, and even seasoned cooks will learn something useful.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
Stuff Every Cook Should Know (Stuff You Should Know)