The best cookbooks for beginners

"The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook" teaches you all you need to know about this heart-healthy, weight-busting, delicious, and good-for-you style of eating and cooking.

The Mediterranean diet is a cooking philosophy, method, and group of recipes that center mostly around plants — whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and olive oil — with just a little bit of fish or meat to add flavor and protein. The benefits of a Mediterranean diet are well-documented: weight loss, a lowered risk of diabetes and heart disease, stronger bones, better moods, and even reduced risk of cancer.

"The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook," from America's Test Kitchen, briefly covers everything you need to know about the Mediterranean diet, including its history and benefits, the staple foods that make up the diet, its particular food pyramid, how to design a well-balanced meal, and pantry basics to keep on hand, before diving into the heart of the 440-page hardback book (paperback and Kindle versions are also available): 500 recipes with color photos and clear explanations. You'll find chapters on cooking vegetables, grains, soups and salads, seafood and meat, beans, eggs, fruits, and desserts.

Fans of America's Test Kitchen cooking show on public television (as well as the magazines and books) know the recipes are extensively developed and tested by its team of chefs and food experts, and you'll find that meticulousness in this cookbook. While there are many fad diets you can follow, the Mediterranean diet is one that's recommended by many nutritionists and health experts.

The "dishes can easily be integrated into readers' existing menus," Publishers Weekly says, like the "Moroccan-style chicken and lentil soup, tagliatelle with artichokes and Parmesan, and garlicky roasted shrimp with parsley and anise."

The cookbook has a 4.5-star rating and more than 600 reviews on Amazon. One customer writes, "There are two things that make this book stand out. This is much more than a book of recipes. There are useful tips, explanations for why they chose a certain item (e.g., dried beans vs. canned, brand recommendations), and excellent charts that compare different types of legumes or fish or beans."

Pros: A thorough introduction to the Mediterranean diet, plenty of color photos, a wide variety of delicious recipes including some that are vegetarian and gluten-free

Cons: A few buyers complained that the font in the cookbook is too small, others felt that too many recipes required ingredients that weren't easy to find.

Buy the paperback version of "The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook" on Amazon for $22.43

If you want to cook fresh, delicious food, but don't have much time to spare, you'll love the many fast, easy, and few-ingredient recipes in "Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast."

Need dinner on the table in a hurry? Don't want to be bothered with recipes that have a dozen or more ingredients? Prefer dishes that are delicious, yet reasonably easy to make? Then you'll definitely want to add "Fresh Food Fast" from Cooking Light magazine to your cookbook collection. This paperback cookbook has more than 250 recipes — many requiring only five ingredients — that go from cupboard to table in 15 minutes or so, meaning you can prepare a healthy and tasty meal at home faster than you can drive through a fast-food joint.

"Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast" gives clear directions and offers plenty of kitchen shortcuts to help you make the most of your time. Recipes cover all the basics: soups and salads, sandwiches, poultry, meat, and seafood, as well as a full chapter on meatless main dishes. There are color photos of every recipe and suggested substitutions for ingredients that might not be easy to find.

The cookbook has a 4.3-star rating and 150 reviews on Amazon. One customer echoes my review: "What I really love about this cookbook is that it doesn't use a ton of ingredients, and the recipes are not super involved and don't take a really long time to prepare."

Pros: Reasonably easy and fast recipes, few ingredients required for many recipes

Cons: Some recipes take longer and require more ingredients. some complained that many recipes call for precut produce or canned produce or similar "convenience" items

Buy the paperback version of "Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast" on Amazon for $18.79

There's no need for meat when you have the nutritious and delicious recipes in "The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook."

Whether you're a new vegetarian, have been living a meat-free lifestyle for decades, or just want to incorporate more meat-free dishes into your diet, it's always nice to have some recipes at hand. "The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook" from America's Test Kitchen, contains recipes are clearly explained, delicious, and easy to make. Out of the 700 recipes, 250 are vegan, 500 are gluten-free, and more than 300 take less than 45 minutes from start to serve. Color photos are used to demonstrate cooking techniques, as well as show off the finished dishes.

The beginning of the book covers the basics of cooking vegetarian: equipment you'll need, how to chop and dice vegetables, pantry staples, and even a glossary of veggies both familiar and exotic. Then, you move on to the recipes, which are divided into chapters covering main dishes, soups and stews, pasta, rice and grains, beans, salads, breads, vegetarian side dishes, sandwiches, eggs, and snacks.

The cookbook has more than 700 reviews and an average of 4.6 stars on Amazon. One reviewer writes, "This book is a great reference for both those new and experienced. Most of the recipes seem to call for 'normal' ingredients I can get from my local supermarket as well ... I recommend this book to anyone who is vegetarian, or at least looking to add some more veggie dishes into their life."

The Spruce also picked this cookbook as its favorite for easy vegetarian recipes.

Pros: Huge range of vegetarian and vegan recipes with tips and suggestions for preparation and serving

Cons: Some customers complained that the book's binding didn't hold up well

Buy the paperback version of "The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook" on Amazon for $23.56

Forget about a kitchen sink loaded with dirty pots and pans; with "One Pot," you'll cook up a meal that leaves only one pot or pan to wash.

Why dirty multiple pots and pans when you only need one? That's the philosophy (and popular cooking trend) behind "One Pot" from Martha Stewart Living. This paperback cookbook has more than 120 recipes that are easy to make, clearly explained, delicious to eat, and healthy. Each chapter focuses on the one pot or pan you'll need for the recipe, including Dutch oven, slow cooker, skillet, roasting pan, pressure cooker, and stockpot.

Many of the recipes provide shortcut and substitution ideas, as well as sides that best complement the dish. Color photos bring the mouthwatering recipes to life and help clarify the preparation process. There's a nice mix of family favorites, such as beef stew with noodles, and more adventurous dishes, like short ribs with potato-carrot mash. You'll also find a complete chapter on desserts — no more store-bought goodies when it's so easy to make your own.

The Kitchn says the book is "simply written and full of great ideas, 'One Pot' gets my vote of confidence for its practicality and creative concept," and many recipes are "well-suited to fall and winter dinners."

"One Pot" has more than 350 reviews on Amazon with an average of 4.5 stars. One reviewer says, "What makes this cookbook so useful is the manner in which it is set up; each chapter covers a different type of cookware, and each chapter has recipes specific for that cookware. These are simple recipes that use everyday ingredients, and the food tastes great! At the beginning of each chapter, there is a description of the cookware and tips on using that particular pot."

Pros: Only one pot or pan to clean, a wide range of recipes that appeal to kids as well as adults, clear instructions and mostly easy-to-find ingredients

Cons: As with any cookbook, some buyers weren't thrilled with all of the recipes

Buy the paperback version of "One Pot" on Amazon for $14.49