The New Cook Cookbook: An Easy and Imaginative Guide for Getting Started in the Kitchen

Formerly entitled How to Cook , this primer encourages the novice cook to try his or her hand at oldies-but-goodies including angel-food cake, poached eggs, steak and fried chicken. ``Writing with intelligence and humor, Sokolov demystifies . . . a variety of kitchen equipment and the arts of shopping, recipe reading and pot scrubbing,'' said PW. (Nov.)