This is laid out so well in a series of articles that Beard writes on his experiences with food, chefs, and restaurants. He not only talks about the purchase, prep and cooking, but also exquisite accounts of his memories of the recipe as he ate, sometimes with others.

Especially see his ideas about grilling hamburger. So luscious, with heavy cream, onions! So good!

This volume is chock full of treasures of tidbits from the easily recognized giant of the American culinary craft.

Although the cover fell off my copy years ago, I still use the book. It only makes sense there's no cover. After all, my cookbook is a first printing from about forty years ago, and was passed on through at least two other families before making its way to me.

This book covers the basics of North American/western European cuisine. I learned how to make killer omelettes (plain, or oven-puffed with cheese sauce) with this, and my terrified-of-the-kitchen hubby learned to make a delicious ham supper. Whenever I'm sick and can't cook but we're expecting company, he always goes for this particular cookbook. If he can't find it, he whinges ferociously. None of my other books are as clear and concise, I guess.

The James Beard Cookbook is an excellent book for anyone. For the absolute novice, it details the best ways to cook bacon and eggs. For the kitchen maestro, it explains numerous sauce and souffle techniques. So, if you're looking for a good basic cookbook for yourself or for a lost-in-the-kitchen bachelor(ette), I strongly recommend this book.

I learned to cook using an early edition of this cookbook. When it wore out, I bought another. I am now ordering a copy for my 18 year old son. He discovered in on my shelves and always goes to James Beard first. Basic techniques, theme and variation, putting together menus and learning how ingredients go together - learning by doing! - James Beard wrote the book.

This cookbook is the basis for most of what I know and love about cooking. I read it over and over as a young person - I was fascinated by James Beard's appreciation for simple but elegant dishes. I differ with the earlier reviewer's comment that the dishes are "fancy". In fact, most of the recipes are basics - how to roast a chicken, how to cook green beans, and so on. With many of the recipes are suggestions for which dishes would go well with them. Granted, the recipe for whiskey cake does start something like, "Cut a pound of raisins in half," and you have to actually start this task to realize just how many trillions of raisins there are in a pound. I've usually avoided this excessive raisin involvement by substituting currants or chopped dates, but somehow the freshly-halved raisins do make the cake go from excellent to great.

This book comes highly recommended, as this is my only bread book. I have not found the need to refer to other books. The collection of recipes and the tips for baking bread have been quite complete. I have tested a lot of the recipes, and most of them have come out excellent.
I have had to warn those who have borrowed this book to reduce the salt. On his own admission, James Beard seems to like his bread salty.
Despite this however, it is a truly comprehensive book. And yes, it does tell you very nicely that each time you bake bread it almost always comes out different. Beard actually encourages you to try his recipes to find them out yourself. I have, and I am happy I have this book!

This is the book I refer to when baking for someone who hates whole grain bread (my usual baking). James Beard has some wonderful and unusual recipes. I particularly recommend the saffron and sour cream bread recipes. However the book has some serious flaws. His whole grain recipes lack variety and imagination, and his recipes as a whole tend to the unhealthy - i.e. lots of butter, oil, sour cream, etc. in most recipes. So for someone looking to bake healthy breads, this isn't the book for you. If you want a better book for whole grain baking, try "The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book", which does a magnificent job, and doesn't require that you bake white bread first to do a good job with whole wheat.

This is my favorite simple bread book. The book I would buy for anyone interested in learning to bake yeast breads. It is filled with classic bread recipes from brioche to whole wheat bread. James Beard was a pioneer in appreciating American cooking. His recipes are clear, easy, informative, and most important in a cookbook, inviting. Highley recommended are the challah, pita, and white bread recipes. If you are yeast phobic, don't worry, he has plenty of non yeast recipes. But, beware,once you open the book, it will be hard to resist trying some of the yeast bread recipes. Bread machine users should note this book was written way before these machines were invented