The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks
The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks book cover

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks

Paperback – Illustrated, September 25, 2012

Price
$16.41
Format
Paperback
Pages
304
Publisher
Penguin Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0143122173
Dimensions
5.52 x 0.71 x 8.4 inches
Weight
10 ounces

Description

"This could be the most important book you'll ever read." --Morgan Spurlock, Super Size Me “…[A] terrific, inspiring book…” -People (A People Pick, 4 stars) "If you are going to read one book to change your diet and your life, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School is it." -AP "Kathleen entered the kitchens of strangers and took the time to understand how they think about food before changing their cooking forever."xa0--Amanda Hesser,xa0Food 52, The Essential New York Times Cookbook “A life-changing book--entertaining, inspiring, and deeply educational." --Erica Bauermeister, The School for Essential Ingredients "A funny, thoroughly engrossing book...get ready to be inspired--and to eat well along the way." --Molly Wizenberg, Orangette.com, A Homemade Life "An engaging...book on the joys of home cooking and the teaching thereof." - The Wall Street Journal "The author''s humble approach is inviting and shows why her students were enthusiastic." - Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) "Flinn guides you patiently in the kitchen like the mom you always wish you''d had to learn to cook from...the women gained confidence under Flinn''s wonderfully encouraging tutelage, and fearlessly faced their kitchens and grocery stores with useful knowledge." - Publishers Weekly "Flinn winningly offers inspiration to anyone who cares about cooking but lacks basic tools and skills." - Booklist "An amiable companion to cookbook stalwarts such as Mark Bittman''s How To Cook Everything , Pam Anderson''s How To Cook Without a Book , and Michael Ruhlman''s Ratio , this title provides encouragement where the others offer direction. A mash-up of inspiration and reference, it will appeal to readers who enjoy a story with their instruction." - Library Journal — The Kitchen Counter Cooking School Kathleen Flinn has been a writer and journalist for nearly twenty years. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune , the Chicago Sun-Times , USA Weekend , Men’s Fitness, and many other publications. She is a proud member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Author’s Guild. She divides her time between Seattle and southwest Florida.

Features & Highlights

  • The author of the New York Times bestseller
  • The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry
  • tells the inspiring story of how she helped nine others find their inner cook.
  • After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, writer Kathleen Flinn returned with no idea what to do next, until one day at a supermarket she watched a woman loading her cart with ultraprocessed foods. Flinn's "chefternal" instinct kicked in: she persuaded the stranger to reload with fresh foods, offering her simple recipes for healthy, easy meals. The Kitchen Counter Cooking School includes practical, healthy tips that boost readers' culinary self-confidence, and strategies to get the most from their grocery dollar, and simple recipes that get readers cooking.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(213)
★★★★
25%
(89)
★★★
15%
(53)
★★
7%
(25)
-7%
(-25)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Might not be for everyone but I loved it!

I loved this book! Perhaps it was because I completely resonated with EVERY one of the ladies who took the cooking class. I grew up in a house where my mom hated to cook; still does. A typical meal was Hamburger Helper or a grilled meat with a side of Rice-a-Roni or Kraft Mac and Cheese. As I grew older, I led a similar processed food life until I started reading more about food and nutrition. Now I love to cook and own lots of great kitchen gadgets/ tools to assist me. Julia Child would be proud of my kitchen! The problem is my confidence. I am so caught up in reading a recipe and following it to the letter. I lack the know how to open my fridge and create a meal without the assistance from a famed cook / chef. The book put a lot of things into perspective for me and I loved reading that others have a similar story to me. The suggestions and tips were practical and the recipes sound yummy. The book has inspired me to bite the bullet and cut up a chicken, make my own stock, and finally...at the age of 32....roast my first chicken. If you are an experienced cook, I doubt that the book is enjoyable for you. But if you are like me, this book is for you!
4 people found this helpful
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Awesome book.

This is an excellent read for anyone remotely interested in cooking. It teaches you how to test different types of food for your own personal preference. It also has great tips on how to improve the recipes you already have.

Excellent self-exploratory book for the kitchen.
3 people found this helpful
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Highly recommended for cooking novices like me

This is a fascinating read and it is really teaching me a lot about cooking basics that I did not know. The author lost her job in corporate America and followed her dream to go to cooking school in Paris. Once back in America, she goes on the radio in Seattle where she is from, and offers cooking classes to people who know nothing. So this is her story of taking 9 women who know next to nothing about cooking and turning them into confident cooks for their families. I'm learning a TON about cooking with real food and how to save money by not buying convenience products,etc. Hopefully this will make menu planning much less painful and time consuming.

I have never reviewed an amazon purchase before but I just couldn't resist on this one. This book is like having your grandma who is an amazing cook, sit down with you in your kitchen and teach you all that she knows.
3 people found this helpful
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My Whole Perspective is Changed

This book changed the way that I approach cooking at home. I've always enjoyed making breakfast on the weekends or baking treats for a special occasion, but the thought of cooking at home (and using whole foods instead of processed starters) was rather daunting for me as someone who works fulltime, and didn't seem necessary as someone who lives alone. Kathleen's easy approach to home cooking made realize that not only was this doable but it was necessary for my health (and didn't have to hurt my wallet). Not only did I love this book, but I gave to 12 of my friends for Christmas. This is a must have!
3 people found this helpful
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I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book. The way it was written made it easy to follow and kept my interest. I was intrigued by the Project and how each of the volunteers took what best fit them from it. I also walked away with some cooking knowledge.
2 people found this helpful
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Inspiring!

Wonderful inspiration for cooks or non-cooks! Love the story of how she helped 9 non-cooks find there "inner chef." I also love the wonderful recipes that are included. I have been inspired to try some things I have never done before, like roast a whole chicken! I turned out great.
2 people found this helpful
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The Results

I have not read this book, but I have tasted the results. Amazing! After reading this book my wife has transformed our culinary experiences.
2 people found this helpful
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Fall in love with cooking

How often do you prepare and cook a home cooked meal? If the answer is not often enough, you are in good company. Perhaps you feel you don't have the time or it is less convenient than frozen, boxed or fast food. This book will change your mind. Cooking is worth the time. The author teaches 9 volunteers who don't normally cook to conquer their fears in the kitchen. Mostly what they took away from the class was self confidence. In the end, they all changed the way they plan and prepare meals, some more than others. I loved this book. Even though I usually prepare all my own meals, I learned a great deal from reading this book.
2 people found this helpful
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Five Stars

Love the story made me want to learn to cook more healthy meals.
1 people found this helpful
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It’s like attending cooking school. I keep it on my kitchen shelf.

I LOVED this book. I am a very capable home cook but I learned so much from this book. I no longer buy soup stock, I make it myself and it is awesome. My refrigerator and cabinet shelves are different, more organized and emptier too. I am wasting less food. I have given this book to two friends already as gifts. The book is part memoir and part educational. It is well worth the money and your time reading it.
1 people found this helpful