Help! What Are the Best Cookbooks for Beginners?

Question:” I’m 18 and I’m going to college this coming september. I would like to get a really good cookbook to help with my everyday cooking. I’ve been practicing with recipes that friends and family have given me, but I want a book that would be handy, keep me up with the cooking basics and last a long time. Do you have any suggestions for a good back-to-collegel recipe book?”
Sent by Ornella

Editors: Well congrats Ornella! About a good list of cookbooks, I’m sure our readers will share a lot of suggestion in the comments below. For now, here’s our 5 favorites right now, without specific order of preference. We think these are great start books for beginners:

• How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
• Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook by Martha Stewart
• The Big Red Cookbook by Betty Crocker editors
• The Professional Chef by Culinary Institute of America
• The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity by Karen Page

Readers, what are the best cookbook for beginners according to you? Please help Ornella and share your views in the comments below.

(Photo by Tim Sackton via Flickr)