So much great information here on kitchen equipment, techniques, buying food, what to keep on hand. I've read the entire book now, but have barely scratched the surface of the recipes. All that I have tried are simple and classic. I do get a bit frustrated with the many variations he provides that are VERY different from the original recipe but rather than create a complete recipe, Bittman adds a paragraph explaining the changes to the original. This creates a frustrating back and forth during preparation. Also, I'm a sucker for pretty food pictures and this book only has a few black and white sketches.
Overall, the best cookbook that I own or have come across.