''Mark is an important voice in American home cooking, and this new book is essential for anyone wanting tasty, easy, fresh recipes.''¿Jamie Oliver, Celebrity Chef and Activist

Photography by Romulo Yanes

Since its publication in 1998, Mark Bittman's award-winning How to Cook Everything has become an indispensable kitchen staple. This modern classic serves as both an endlessly inspiring recipe collection and comprehensive reference for cooks of all ages and abilities.

Now, with How to Cook Everything The Basics, Bittman has provided a book for true beginners and perennial students, one that captures the pleasure and simplicity of everyday home cooking and makes it accessible to everyone, in full-color, step-by-step action.

The Basics is the ultimate confidence-builder. Whether you're just learning your way around a stove or are hungry for detailed guidance, Bittman's sensible approach, along with instructive, realistic photography, offers just the encouragement you need.

How to Cook Everything The Basics is a rare cookbook that teaches by example. Each of the 1,000 gorgeous photographs and 171 recipes has a story to tell and a lesson to share (you'll find a list of them in the back of the book), all in a casual, unfussy way that makes meals as enjoyable to prepare as they are to eat.

The Basics also provides commonsense advice on how to stock your kitchen with equipment and ingredients, while special features scattered throughout offer useful information on general techniques like cooking pasta, choosing and using seafood, making bread, and 26 other skills for identifying and preparing foods from vegetables and beans to meats, soups, and desserts.

Along the way, Bittman's practical tips and variations, descriptive visual cues, and straightforward explanations will help you recognize doneness, taste and adjust seasoning, and learn to trust your instincts. How to Cook Everything The Basics is the next best thing to having America's favorite home cook right in the kitchen with you.