Leslie Sharr

My mother didn't teach me a LOT of things - including how to cook anything beyond hamburgers and macaroni. In fact when I got married in 1971, we pretty much lived on Hamburger Helper. I watched Julia Child and got interested but I needed real instruction in everyday dishes and terminology. One day I found this book - it cost $1.50 and the cover is so different from the ones shown as available used now. It taught me so much including how to read other cookbooks and what I needed in my kitchen in order to be able to cook something other than hamburger helper. Using this book, along with watching Julia on TV, gave me the confidence I needed to turn into a decent cook and put good tasting and nutritious meals on the table. I use less salt and sugar and cook more white meat than beef but for when this book was written, and the basics it teaches, it's still a great book. I'm still on husband #1 and haven't killed either one of us (or the kids) so I'd say Ms. Coudert did something right.