Some are born cooks, and some have cooking thrust upon ‘em. My father falls into the latter category; recently widowed, he's fending for himself in the kitchen for the first time in, oh, about 80 years.

So I've been searching for a cookbook that covers the basics and offers simple, satisfying recipes for the novice cook. I nearly gave up after looking at a number of cookbooks supposedly aimed at beginners; either the book assumed the user knew more than a true newbie like my dad, or the recipes were too elaborate and exotic for my father's plain palate.