That Husband wrote me the sweetest card recently. In it he listed some of the things he loves about me (these are the best kind of list you can ever make, I strongly urge you to create one for someone who you love, it’s the kind of thing they will hang on to forever), and one of them made a reference to my penchant for never cooking the same thing twice. Sure I’ve made Sheperd’s Pie, tacos, mashed potatoes, and other American staples when I can’t think of anything to make, but I’ve only made the same dish from a new-to-me recipe a handful of times.

All of this experimentation has led to a lot of failures, because I’m really not that great in the kitchen. Instead of practicing the same skills over and over, I rush from one recipe to the next never understanding why my meat is so tough, why the dough won’t rise, or any other number of kitchen conundrum I’ve faced.

Enter the best cookbook ever for cooking dummies like me:

I first learned of this book on Weddingbee, and when a family friend gave us a gift card to Barnes and Noble this book was the first thing I added to my cart. It doesn’t just provide recipes, it provides tips and tricks for how to make them work, and as long as I follow the instructions closely my dishes turn out great whenever I use Mark Bittmans recipes and ideas. I’d be more than happy to send you your own copy if you answer the following question in the comments below:

What’s your favorite cookbook and why?

Comments close at 11:59 pm on 2/25/2010, and the winner will be announced on Saturday. Entries that don’t answer the question will be deleted because I like when people follow directions. :)

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