Gentlemen Start Your Ovens

Gentlemen, Start Your Ovens -- For the guy who thinks home cooking means presenting take-out in serving dishes instead of straight from the container, here's a crash course in taking control of the kitchen. Sixty-five killer, easy-to-make recipes cover every hour of the day (or night)—from full-blown meals such as a chopped cobb salad, perfectly cooked steak, and a side of mashed potatoes to Chocolate Cherry Brownies. Snack for the big game? Chili-powder popcorn. Second date? Go for the baked Brie. Sound advice guides the uninitiated through the kitchen basics and not-so-basics with tips such as how to get the best cut of meat, which tools are really necessary (and which are not), and what to drink with each meal. Who knew Home Ec could be so manly?

Tucker Shaw has held many writing gigs, most recently as dining critic for the Denver Post. He is the author of Everything I Ate. He lives in Denver.