Millbrook author updates Clueless in the Kitchen
A tried and true cookbook from an author in Millbrook has been refreshed and revamped for its latest release next week. Clueless in the Kitchen has adopted a more modern look since its initial publication in 1998. It’s being re-released Tuesday as Clueless in the Kitchen: Cooking for Beginners. When it first came out, it was called Clueless in the Kitchen: A Cookbook for Teens.
But author Evelyn Raab said it’s not just for teens, the recipes are for anyone, particularly those just starting out with their first kitchen.
“They are no nonsense, nothing too exotic in terms of ingredients, so it is accessible and it’s stuff you just plain want to know how to do,” Raab said.
The updated book has 175 photos. There weren’t any pictures before.
That meant some of the recipes were cut from the book though, which Raab had mixed feelings about.
Picture-perfect creations can often be intimating to new cooks and Raab wants cooking to seem “doable.”
That was the whole idea behind creating the book. Raab wanted to encourage people to feel comfortable in the kitchen and make cooking fun.
“Sometimes I think cooking has become very serious business and I couldn’t stand that, I want to deflate that. It’s important to approach it as just another part of life and make it fun and intergrade it into everything else you do,” she said. Raab wrote a column for Today’s
Parent for more than 20 years. She penned about cooking with her young sons Jared and Dustin.
After writing Clueless in the Kitchen, Raab also authored The
Clueless Baker and The Clueless Vegetarian.
The mother of two said it’s always been her mission to make sure people can cook.
Often times, basic kitchen skills are lacking if someone doesn’t grow up around an active kitchen, Raab said. That can make cooking seem “undoable.”
“So I wanted to make sure people knew it was not undoable – it was absolutely doable.”
Along with more than 150 recipes, there are some tips in the book, too.
There are shopping tips, such as how to shop for meat and cheese, tips on what’s needed to set up a kitchen and info on sanitation, safety and nutrition, all written in a humourous tone.
Recipes range from guacamole to beef stew, minestrone soup to stuffed peppers and fried rice to chocolate cake.
Many of the dishes are in Raab’s regular cooking rotation at home.
In fact, she still pulls out Clueless in the Kitchen every now and then, much to the surprise of her friends.
“I have friends who stop over and say, ‘I can’t believe you’re using your own book,’ – but I don’t remember how to make everything.” Clueless in the Kitchen: Cooking for Beginners is $16.95 and is available at bookstores and online.