Can anyone recommend a beginning cookbook?

[spinbaby]

I’m teaching an adult with autism to cook something beyond microwave meals and am finding that he needs incredibly detailed instructions and they need to be written down. He likes to cook microwave meals precisely because the instructions on the package are very clear and explicit. I wrote down instructions for scrambled eggs for him that took an entire page. He’s very uncomfortable with the fact that I can’t provide an EXACT amount of time to cook the eggs. Somewhere out there is a cookbook for beginners that has very detailed instructions, preferably with pictures. Any recommendations?

[hlthe2b]

1. well, there is a reason most of us grew up on Betty Crocker to learn, rather than Julia Child...

Simplicity. But if you peruse the cookbook shelves of your local Barnes & Nobles I think you will find a plethora of simplistic step-by-step instructional cookbooks, differing mostly by the type of food featured.

Nice of you to help teach this person. Good luck.

[rampartc]

7. i guess my mom had a betty crocker

and one of local recipes (as well as her old notes from her mom and neighbors);

my wife uses betty crocker and also better homes and gardens

joy of cooking is incredible, but not for your application.

mom started me on breakfast. boiling eggs. grits and such. it is easy to do. teaches basic skills, and the dpg loves when you make a mistake.

[wryter2000]

2. You might want to see if there are books for kids

Unless he'd find that insulting.

[gibraltar72]

3. A second on the Betty Crocker cookbook.

complete instructions and pictures. I think ours was a wedding gift.

[essaynnc]

4. The joy of cooking is what I learned from...

Tons and tons of basic knowledge, ideas, and information, but can be a little dated..

[spinbaby]

6. I learned from Joy, too

But I’m looking for something smaller and less intimidating. I have high hopes for this one I just ordered from Amazon:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1641529318/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[jpak]

5. Fanny Farmer

Yup

[Nikossitti]

8. Betty Crocker and Better Homes

Betty C and Better Homes are both great for beginners. I know Better Homes has a children’s version (probably Betty, too), which I bought for my daughters.

[cyclonefence]

9. I wonder if he would enjoy working from a Cooks Illustrated magazine issue

Not only are the recipe instructions pretty detailed (I think he might appreciate the reliance on an instant-read thermometer) but each recipe is preceded by an explanation of "why this recipe works," explaining how the ingredients were tested to arrive at the flavor desired. Some of the more complicated dishes might really make him proud--I know they make me proud!

[Tetrachloride]

10. Pasta salads : user friendly.

The only thing that needs high clarity is the pasta.

—/

Scrambled eggs give me trouble also. Oil and fry pan temperature and egg mixture vary. plus distractions. I don’t like standing.

——/

Tomato sauces are user friendly.

[Marthe48]

17. I time my egg with the toaster

I usually make a 1 egg omelet with cheese. I put the bread in the toaster, and mix the egg with a tsp of water, and pour it into the heating pan, add s&p, then the cheese. Then I start the toast. When it pops, my egg is done. Once in a while, I cook an egg over easy, and it works for that too.

[Tetrachloride]

11. Carrot cake. Spinach lasagna

i do well with these.

[werdna]

12. Google "autism cookbooks", plenty of options to choose from. n/t

[spinbaby]

13. Really, there's such a thing?

Off to the google

[sir pball]

22. "Cookbooks for special needs adults" is much more productive.

These came up right off the bat, I'm sure a deeper dive would.get you plenty more. Cheers!

Let's Cook!, Revised Edition: 55 Quick and Easy Recipes for People with Intellectual Disability https://a.co/d/0jYdW20

Accessible Chef https://accessiblechef.com/

Look, Cook, and Eat https://www.lookcookandeat.com/

[spinbaby]

14. We'll, that was disappointing

Autism cookbooks seem to be All about cooking special diets that are supposed to be good for autism.

[AllaN01Bear]

15. a friend of mine gave me a cook book a while back . its title is:

discovering cooking by tim an parker. depending on the level the person is . this book was meant for children

https://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Cooking-Tim-Ann-Parker/dp/B001835274

there are other sellers on the internet.
edit: was meant for children.

[PJMcK]

16. The Starving Artist's Cookbook

It’s a great beginner book with simple recipes for beginners. It’s written with a great wit and it’s terrific fun, too. This book also has many tips and hop in setting up a simple kitchen.

Good luck!

[Marthe48]

18. If he likes using a timer

When you find recipes he can follow, he can set the timer for the various steps. I use the timer so I mix jello for exactly 2 minutes and other things like that. I pretty much set the timer for anything I cook. I'm used to all of my appliances, ingredients and meals, but the timer keeps me on track, so I don't burn the bread or undercook the chicken.

There are a lot of cooking videos on You Tube. Maybe you can watch some of those with the new cook and see which methods he likes, and choose a cookbook that way.

[rsdsharp]

19. You might try either the America's Test Kitchen or Cooks Country

cookbooks. They are very detailed, almost persnickety, but if you follow the instructions, the recipe turns out every time.

[ReluctanceTango]

20. Better Homes & Gardens

With the red & white gingham cover. Preferably in the binder, not the paperback. It has simple recipes, plus tons of helpful advice about measurements, substitutions, techniques, and more.

I still have my mom's BHG from 1973, and a later copy I got in the late 90s. Hers has held together for nearly 50 years now. The one from the 90s broke down after only 1 year of cooking.

[Retrograde]

21. Try your local library

This will at least give you an idea of what's out there, and how detailed and specific the instructions are in different books. If they have cook books targeted at young adults take a look at those as well.

Borrowing the books will let him test out some recipes: if he likes the style of one, then you can actually spend the money to buy it (and any others in the series, if it's something like America's Test Kitchen)

This is how I've been buying cookbooks these past several years: if I read a review that sounds interesting, I'll borrow the book and see how likely I am to actually use it before buying it.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

23. Look at cookbooks aimed at children.

When my sons were young I got one of those and we used it so that they could fix meals for the family. Alas, I have no recollection of what that specific cookbook was, but surely there are several of them out there.

[Demsrule86]

24. I have a cookbook...old that is a step by step cookbook...very basic. I will see if it is still

available. If not, I don't use it and would be willing to send it to you PM me.

[spinbaby]

26. Thank you for the offer

But the solution seems to be, not a cookbook, but printing visual recipes from the Internet.

[spinbaby]

25. The magical phrase turns out to be...

…visual recipes. It turns out that if you Google “visual recipes,” you get very detailed illustrated recipes intended for disabled persons. My guy doesn’t need pictures, but he loves the extreme detail.