foodstuff: cooking school

while perusing the cooking section of our fabulous little local library this week, i found this...

upon discovering this book, i was reminded that earlier this year i watched a friend cook his entire way through it 'julie and julia' style.

although i do not have plans to undertake such a monumental and impressive adventure, i decided that i would like to take a leisurely stroll through the book in the comfort of my own home.

so, i checked it out.  it is resting comfortably on my kitchen table.  i have been reading it every morning at breakfast.

i'm only a few chapters into this massive work, but my opinion so far is this:

it thoroughly covers all the essential cooking basics, it is thoughtfully designed, and it has simple, beautiful photography...

here is a series on martha's website that presents photography and videos based on the book.

this is definitely a book i would recommend for anyone who wants to learn basic cooking fundamentals or who wants an excellent reference resource upon their shelf.  think 'joy of cooking' but way more educational, modern, and organized.

oh, and loaded with foodie photography galore.  as a visual learner, i love this aspect of the book.

tomorrow morning i begin the chapter on vegetables...

but let's face the facts:

i can hardly wait to get to the desserts...