A fabulous cookbook for kitchen doughdoughs!

Before I tell you how excited I am about my new cookbook, I thought I'd better look up the definition of dodo and make sure I'm using it the right way. Of course, the first definition was about the bird. It reminded me that the dodo is extinct. Let's hope that as a cook and a blogger I don't end up extinct like the dodo! The second definition was "a. one hopelessly behind the times b: a stupid person." Okay, so I don't think it would be wise to insult my readers by calling them "kitchen dodos," i.e. stupid people. I am a beginner in the kitchen, and I've definitely done my fair share of stupid things in the kitchen, but I'm not stupid, and I know others aren't either! However, I would say I am behind in my kitchen skills, especially for being married almost 9 years! 9 years of mostly eating out. 9 years of spaghetti, tacos, and a few other recipes that are super easy. It is time for me to learn how to cook!

I'm certain my new book will help me. I bought The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook at Costco for about 20 bucks. It is so user friendly, and has all the basics. My main cook book for reference has been the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It had great info, but every time I looked through it for something to make, nothing popped out at me. We have a couple recipes we make from it, but other things we've tried haven't been that great...I'm sure because I've messed them up! The Test Kitchen book tests recipes over and over, so I'm hoping I'll get better results. There are tons of pictures and step by step instructions. I love that on every few pages there are pictures of what things should look like, and what they shouldn't look like. Just by flipping through the cookie and cake sections (which are marked by tabs), I have found the correct way to do things I messed up on last week when baking for Max's party. The creators promise on the back, "Our recipes work, the first time and every time. As we like to say, 'We make all the mistakes, so you don't have to.'" I'm sure I'll still make mistakes, which is how I learn, but I'll sure feel better if there aren't as many at once!

Blog Glossary:
Kitchen dodo: someone that has done stupid things in the kitchen
Kitchen doughdough: someone that wants to further their knowledge about things pertaining to the kitchen

"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma." ~Eartha Kitt

"Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back." ~Chinese Proverb