I won't ever technically finishing reading this, but I figured I'd throw it in here. Super comprehensive, and so handy to be able to flip to any ingredient or cut of meat and find a list of great recipes to try. I also like how he'll give you a base recipe and then give you a list of variations to try.

Mark Bittman is my new best friend.

Dang this book is good as heck for new cooks like me. This book has everything from beginner recipes like salad to complicated French desserts. The recipes are basic, but almost every recipe has suggestions to spice up the original. You could spend weeks re-making the same dish with all of Bittman's ideas.

Super clutch for me is the quick, easy recipe section for when I'm feeling lazy (often). The 100 Essential recipes is for when I'm feeling ambitious and want to add to my repertoire. Another feature I love is that in the index, you can search by recipe. I had a ton of chard from my community garden and found a ton of different recipes with chard.

P.S. The banana bread recipe with wheat flour has been an amazing find

This is my version of Mum's 1960s Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (minus the hair and makeup tips). All the basics, but updated and good.

This book's strength doesn't lie in its inventive recipes or earth shattering techniques, it's just a solid reference for American cooking. For example, growing up in an Italian kitchen, I have no need of the array of pasta recipes. I got pasta and sauces. But as a college vegetarian, I am clueless on how to cook a pot roast. Not a Thomas Keller 17-pot and pan pot roast, but a straightforward one with enough direction for me to get it done.

We hit up the pancake and waffle recipes all the time. Bittman has good suggestions for add-ins or substitutions without creating a whole new recipe for pancakes. I like that.

I was wondering what the fuss was about this book. Then I realized my library carried a different edition and perhaps there is something in the 1008 (!) page one that this 144 page one didn't contain. Just maybe.

That being said, this edition is what it is, and it isn't much. It has utterly obvious basics, like potato salad, caprese salad, tomato soup, pasta dishes, rice and grains, beans and vegetables for sides and then bread and dessert. Nothing new, inventive or an eye opener for anyone who has ever eaten food that didn't contain meat. The last time I needed a meatless brownie recipe was... yeah. I love his How to Cook Everything book, so I'd be interested to see if the 1008 page edition had genuinely interesting vegetarian recipes, as opposed to a stack of everyday recipes that don't happen to contain meat.

This book was really helpful for starting out in the kitchen. This edition doesn't appear to be as comprehensive as the newly expanded & updated edition, but it is very simply and easy-to-follow recipes covering the usual range. There aren't many recipes in each section, but that's to be expected in a 200-page cookbook.

This is one of my go to recipe books when I want to make something but not sure how or best way to cook it. Full of great basic cooking information. I love his fruit sauce recipe and use it to make my blueberry sauce for waffles.

My dust jacket is gone, the book is well worn which to me is a sign of a great cookbook!! If I had to get rid of most of my cookbooks (I have over 200) this would be one I would keep!!

Wow. Just...wow. I've been referring to this book since it was given to me as a housewarming gift. Simply put, this is a damned god cookbook.

I go back to this cookbook over and over. I've given copies to my sibs. I cannot recommend this enough as a good straightforward cookbook both for beginners and for those who have more experience.

Have I read the whole thing? No.
As someone who sort-of stinks at cooking, and someone who needs a lot of things explained to them (what's the deal with crockpots, or teflon, or egg noodles?), this is a great book.
I am not an adventurous eater. I like bacon. I like baked-goods. I like tater tots.
Recently, I have discovered this is probably not the greatest diet. So, I thought I'd learn to cook. Everything from meatballs to pork stuff to lamb-i-kins...sides, desserts, breads--the whole shebang is here in this superfantastic book for beginners.
Even measurement conversions!!!!!