Opening up How to Cook Everything: The Basics (Wiley 2012), Mark Bittman‘s newest book in the “Everything” series, one is tempted to play a questioning game.

Can you think of a basic recipe that isn’t covered in the book’s “All You Need to Make Great Food”?

Do you know all the recipes?

Have you graduated beyond the basics?

In fact, this is a book that goes way beyond basic recipes, with help for the beginning cook on how to choose pantry essentials, how to hold a knife and chop, and what simmering or gently bubbling means. It takes the place of a relative or friend in childhood going through the basics of cooking. With over 1,000 very helpful photographs by Romulo Yanes, it is a very easy-to-use course on cooking. And yet, it also includes easy fail-proof recipes that might come in handy even if you do know how to cook – those go to recipes when you can’t think of what to make.

Get How to Cook Everything: The Basics for someone who needs a lot of help: a student going to college or someone starting out in their first apartment, or even your friend who really can’t cook but finally has to. If you can’t be there to hold their hand and talk them through, then Mark Bittman will be their teacher.