Prep: The Essential College Cookbook

I'm a big believer in bringing kids into the kitchen to cook from a very young age and I also would love to see home ec brought back into schools, so it comes as no surprise that I love what this cookbook is all about. In addition to being super cute and perfect for taking with you to the supermarket, "Prep" is filled with useful information to get anyone started cooking.Although targeted specifically to college kids, "Prep" is a great resource for anyone who is new to cooking, whether living alone and cooking for one or feeding a family. The "Good Things to Know" chapter is filled with great information for any home cook - must-know terms for prepping and cooking food, kitchen ingredient staples, equipment to have on hand, and some basic knife skills. The recipes are all easy and nutritionally sound - way better than what college kids will get at the cafeteria! - and I especially like the "Choose Your Own Adventure" at the end of every recipe chapter. I've already purchased a few copies to give to high-school and college graduates!

I have 3 kids (elementary and middle school ages) and we bought this cookbook for a vacation trip with extended family where we were attempting to implement kids' cooking teams. This cookbook is awesome!! I have a few cookbooks for younger audiences and this one is my newest favorite. I know it's designed for college kids, but I love it myself as a parent, my 75-year-old mom loves it for her own cooking (we all struggle in this department!), and the kids had a great time following various recipes. Each recipe has just the right amount of guidance and simple education - in just the right places. Typically when we ask the kids to team-cook for the larger group, they insist on making pizza or pasta, so this cookbook helped them branch out and cook healthy yummy food, and the adults eating each meal were super grateful. Favorites so far are the roasted broccoli and the teriyaki salmon -- both pleased even our most picky eaters, so that makes me most grateful for this cookbook. I think this would make a great birthday gift for anyone, especially for a family with children of any ages.

We are loving the collection of recipes in this book! I originally bought it for my daughter to take to college, but I am finding that I am really enjoying going through the tips and recipes myself! There are so many cooking tips that I have taken for granted all these years I’ve been cooking, that I forgot how much a teenager or college student needs to learn. We are having a lot of fun reading through this guide for young adults and it’s also a great inspiration for anyone who needs some new ideas in the kitchen. Best of all, the tips and recipes are very instructive for the beginning cook. We love Katie‘s cooking! ❤️

I read this from cover to cover, including all the recipes and am totally impressed. It is a small, thin book. There are just a few pages of basic guidelines and tools for the new cook. Most of what follows are recipes and they are step-by-step in an easy to understand form. Included with each recipe are the list of tools needed and some ideas and tips on how to elevate the meal to the next level. Included are salads, veges, meats, desserts, etc. Also the ingredients are by no means bland. There a plethora of spices in some recipes but not so much as to be overwhelming.The two disappointments I have with this text are below.First, the author never mentions that quinoa has to be washed BEFORE cooking and not AFTER. There are saponins in quinoa that cause a filmy and soapy taste, unless the quinoa is of the pre-washed kind. Instead, the recipe calls for washing after cooking--not a good idea if one is venturing beyond the step-by-step instructions and adding their own ingredients to the dish as it cooks.Second, the author talks about making beans and using any kind. That is generally fine, but what is not fine is that there is no mention that kidney beans are poisonous (toxic) if not cooked correctly. The cooking method mentioned in the text for beans is not sufficient enough. I am sure there are other recommended methods but the best way to prepare them is to soak them overnight, drain the water, then boil them for ten minutes in more water to destroy the toxins, then drain and rinse again, and simmer them in fresh water for 45 to 60 minutes.Other than the two caveats above which I feel is a must to mention in the text, this is an excellent primer for new high-school and college-aged cooks. I know I am going to keep it in my library for the simple recipes alone. I already made the exceedingly simple softly scrambled egg recipe which comes out great and I am looking forward to trying her version of French toast.UPDATE 7/6/2019: I finally made the one-bowl chocolate chip cookies and they are very good. The recipe was exceptionally easy to follow and perfect for a college-aged adult who does not have many cooking implements. I attached two photos.

i gave this to my younger sister as a christmas gift as she’s moving into her own place next year. she LOVED the variety in the recipes and how easy everything was to follow and understand. would recommend!!

Just picked this up for my son, who is moving into his first apartment tomorrow. When I did the same thing, it was open the box, boil, and serve, but I am hoping to help him skip that step.It just arrived an hour ago, and I had a little bit of time to scan it before it got packed up.The recipes there look tasty, not too complicated, good hints on the equipment needed, and options on how to customize the meals.

This book is decent, but I bought it at the same time as https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1641529385/ and I use that one constantly; this one almost never. The format of the other is more easy / simple / friendly, and the recipes are delicious. If you're only going to get one college cookbook, I'd start with that one instead.