cover image Your Shirt Is Not an Oven Mitt!: A Kitchen Survival Manual with 150+ Foolproof Recipes

Your Shirt Is Not an Oven Mitt!: A Kitchen Survival Manual with 150+ Foolproof Recipes

Debbie Puente. St. Martin's Griffin, $16.95 (256pp) ISBN 978-0-312-33124-5

Puente all but explains how to boil water in this cookbook for the culinarily challenged. Aimed squarely at recent graduates, newlyweds and""kitchen novice single bachelors,"" the book provides hints, lists and recipes for cooks willing to branch out beyond corn flakes and milk. Puente (Elegantly Easy Creme Brulee) assumes her audience knows nothing (witness such lines as""Never put... your hand inside a working blender or mixer"" and""The shell protects the egg and if it is cracked or damaged, the contents will deteriorate rapidly""). Her recipes rely on such pre-made items as unbaked piecrusts, cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup and boxed cake mix, and encourage the use of microwave ovens and slow cookers. However, her book will be a godsend for brand-new chefs. Generally healthy and economical, the recipes vary from simple (Fluffy, Soft Scrambled Eggs) to inspiring (Asian-Style Mini-Drumsticks) and classic (Beef Stroganoff with Buttered Noodles) to frightening (Italian Ramen).