The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks

by Kathleen Flinn

The author of the New York Times bestseller The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry tells the inspiring story of how she helped nine others find their inner cook.

After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, writer Kathleen Flinn returned with no idea what to do next, until one day at a supermarket she watched a woman loading her cart with ultraprocessed foods. Flinn's "chefternal" instinct kicked in: she persuaded the stranger to reload with fresh foods, offering her simple recipes for healthy, easy meals. The Kitchen Counter Cooking School includes practical, healthy tips that boost readers' culinary self-confidence, and strategies to get the most from their grocery dollar, and simple recipes that get readers cooking.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Cooking, Memoir, Cookbooks, Foodie, Audiobook

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2011

About the author

Kathleen Flinn is the author of The New York Times bestseller The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry, a memoir with recipes about her experiences at the famed Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

Her second book, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, tells the story of an unusual project in which Flinn delved into the lives of nine culinary novices and tried to figure out what lessons they could learn to become fearless home cooks. That book earned universally positive reviews from People magazine, the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews and Amazon.com readers.

Flinn offers unique guides for book clubs for each book: a menu guide for The Sharper Your Knife and a unique activities guide for The Kitchen Counter Cooking School.

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in the sixties when there was a strong movement toward moving back to natural foods. I had a mom who was a stay-at-home mother and prepared a big dinner ever night for us. When I had a family of my own, I prepared dinner every night, as my mother had modeled for me. Gradually, however, after I went back to work fulltime, I found it increasingly difficult to cook a meal every evening. My husband and I fell into lazy habits, popping in a frozen pizza one night and stopping by Subway for a couple of sandwiches another night.

This book was, then, not only a wonderful story to read, but an inspiration for me to get back to what I knew was best, preparing simple meals to share with my husband. I was reminded that prepared meals are much less expensive. I was reminded that there is something delightful about cooking that doesn’t occur with carryout. I was reminded that preparing one’s own meals allows one to choose nutritious ingredients. I was reminded of the fun that can occur when one cooks with others.

So, this book has changed my behavior. I’ve tried for the first time to roast a whole chicken. (It was great.) I made an omelet with leftovers. (Yum!) And I’ve set out in search of good knives. (The most important thing about cooking, I’ve learned from this book.)

Please cross your fingers that I can maintain this change and keep cooking.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"So who says you can’t cook? Not every meal has to be from scratch, nor does everything you consume have to be organic, locally sourced, and pasture raised. Try to find a comfortable place somewhere between Tuna Helper and Top Chef."

This book was life-changing! I can't believe I'd never read it, and turns out that I accidentally own all of Flinn's books and hadn't even realized it! Pictured above is a Thai salmon dish I was inspired to create based on the author's little flavor cheat sheet at the back of the book. I'm not one for food documentaries because I know I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink ever! But this book opened my eyes to how I shop, and how I can be so wasteful without even realizing it! She also made me sheepishly realize how many things I buy already made, when I can make them very simply at home for a fraction of the cost. I'm inspired, and I don't think I can just go back to how I was doing things before, just like the students of her Kitchen Counter Cooking School. Highly recommend!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book moved me more than much of the fiction I've read in the past few years. It touched a chord that runs deep in me, the broken record that plays over and over, telling me I'm useless and a total failure in the kitchen.

I was recently diagnosed with a gluten, dairy and corn intolerance. That doesn't sound like much of a big deal, but gluten and/or corn are found in about 90% of the food available in most supermarkets (typically in food additives whose names give shoppers no clue that's what they're buying). So basically, if I want to eat now, I need to make most everything from scratch. Even most of the ingredients that go into a typical recipe are off limits to me, as corn (typically the genetically modified variety) is so prevalent in the US, in virtually everything that comes in a can, box, bottle, or bag. Well, how I've managed to get along so far in the kitchen is that I've made lots of food from cans and boxes. I can't do that anymore. One big crutch got pulled out from under me.

An extremely picky eater who doesn't like most any cooked vegetable, finding recipes that fit all of my limitations is difficult. More and more, I'm finding the need to experiment until I can modify or invent recipes to suit me. As the weeks and months passed by, I found a few recipes that I love, but not enough to really feel like my diet had much variety. I felt like I was sentenced to a miserable life in the kitchen.

This book gave me hope. I realized I'm not alone in feeling a lack of confidence in the kitchen. Now that I feel like I have some clue about some of the basics, I'm more willing to take chances, play around, and see what works. The worst thing that can happen is a meal has to be scrapped. Usually, I can take a botched recipe and salvage it by using it to build something else a little differently, accidentally finding a new recipe in the process. It's been an eye-opening experience.

This is one of those library books that, halfway through, I knew I needed to have in my kitchen. It's a great reference book that I'll re-read, mark up, and refer to again and again. I enjoyed meeting the author's volunteer cooks, many of whom were just as nervous in the kitchen as I was going in. I now feel empowered to play in the kitchen, to look at the ingredients in the fridge and say "what the hell". This was what I needed. A big push start. I feel like I can do this now.

Thank you, Shelby, for reading this book! Without you, who knows, I may have never discovered it.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

First: I'll say this. I cook. I generally spend more time on the outer aisles of the supermarket than on the center ones. I already knew what braise means, and have done it fairly often. I make my own bread. Anyone looking at my blog knows this. I read and I cook and I have done both pretty much as far back as I can remember.

This book however is not for people like me.

This book is for that friend who is afraid of her own kitchen but wont admit it.

We all have them. Her kitchen is always pristine, down to having unstained, unscarred potholders, and a pretty bowl of those paper sphere things on the counter. And the only thing she can use in it is the microwave.

Now I happen to be of the opinion that anyone who claims they cant cook either doesn't want to, or hasn't really tried. And when I write up recipes I keep the terminology out of it. Probably the most technical word I use is "simmer" (which I tend to use interchangeably with "burble" which I think is quite descriptive of the state being described.). I've been told I have succeeded in making them "like you're right there telling me what to do", which is my aim.

Here, Kathleen Flinn succeeds at that on a level I can only aspire to. She addresses a lot of things I see over and over. Shopping carts filled with boxes and TV Dinners instead of veggies and cheeses. Folks living in drive through lanes "because it's faster" which it usually isn't if you think about how long the line is. How to hold a knife properly, and the fact that, despite what you tell baby, that knife probably isn't anywhere near sharp. Not properly sharp* anyway.

Flinn takes the scary out. She demystifies and reassures. What to do with a whole chicken. Why that recipe tasted so bland. That the stuff in that box, can or jar is cheaper if you make it yourself, and it's not usually terribly hard, or time consuming.

Seriously, I cant think of a better gift this Holiday Season** for the woman in your life who says "My mom can cook, but I cant" or "I should be eating better, but I don't have TIME". Wrap it up and give it to her with a good chef's knife and a thick wooden cutting board.


Just be warned. You might be in danger of having to eat food that doesn't have anything you cant pronounce in it.




*Pro Tip: If you have to push from the shoulder while cutting through anything but bone? Your knife is dull, and you're going to hurt yourself.

** Pro Tip: Spouses and boy/girlfriends shouldn't attempt this unless an interest in learning to cook has been expressed. Unless your really enjoy being cold-clocked with a cutting board because she wanted a bracelette.

[Cindy Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already like to cook, and most of the time I think I do a pretty good job whipping up things in the kitchen. So when I started to read The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks by Kathleen Flinn, I thought I would enjoy her story but not find much to learn about cooking. From the first chapter, I knew I was wrong.

Flinn’s narrative about working with nine women who didn’t feel comfortable in the kitchen is fascinating on many fronts. It all started with Flinn’s encounter with a woman in a grocery store who was buying mostly boxed foods to prepare at home, because she didn’t feel she could cook anything that would taste as good. From there she recruited nine volunteers who opened up their pantries and fridges to Flinn, then prepared her something they would often cook. The lessons that followed were geared toward novices, but they hold something worthwhile for experienced cooks as well.

The volunteers learned everything from how to hold a knife and chop vegetables, to how to cut up a chicken, use leftovers, make soup and more. Each chapter of the book recounts the lesson and comes with recipes at the end. Flinn’s style is conversational, and she includes little bits of fascinating information about cooking and food throughout the story.

I found myself reading passages out loud to my husband and checking my own cupboards each time Flinn went through a new lesson. And I was inspired to make several of the recipes even while I was reading the book. Things I previously thought were too much trouble to make, like chicken stock and homemade bread from scratch, Flinn demystifies and makes easy. I really enjoyed taking the opportunity of getting out of my rut in the kitchen and learning new things that I believe will serve me for a long time to come.

I’m keeping my copy of The Kitchen Counter Cooking School right alongside my Joy of Cooking and my Cajun cookbooks. I’m also planning to give this as a gift to several friends who have commiserated with me over their lack of skills at the stove.

[Kimber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have liked more information on basic skills and photographs. Rather than reading about the cooking school aspects, she could have actually instructed more. Whenever Flinn drifts her narrative to her own pov it just gets boring. I wasn't interested in her fabulous life, or her constant wine references. She had too many irrelevant details and not enough interest in actually trying to educate people on cooking!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! It really can change the way you look at food and cooking. This is a memoir, but with so much more to offer. Kathleen Flinn takes 9 self-professed non-cooks and teaches them the basics of cooking and eating. More whole foods, less processed junk.

Most of us are time-crunched and looking for short-cuts for everything. This book shows that cooking whole foods from scratch is far better for you, and really doesn't take anymore time than throwing together a mix from a box, not to mention the savings. This book shows us that cooking & eating are not just about filling up our families; it's about nourishing, caring for, and loving those around us.

The book covers basic knife skills, roasting a whole chicken, cutting up a chicken, the difference between different cuts of meat and what to do with them, braising & sautéing, eggs & salads, using up your left overs, soup, and a lot more.

However, this is NOT just a book about cooking healthier meals and saving money, though it is that. It also reveals the lives of the nine participants in this cooking experiment, and how cooking changed the life of each person.

I can whole-heartedly recommend this book whether you are seasoned cook, or a rank beginner; everyone could learn something. Kathleen Flinn willingly admits that, despite being a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, there is plenty she still doesn't know. Ms. Flinn discusses what she learned, about cooking and about herself, during the course of these lessons.

The only thing I could wish for would be for the book to be longer and have more of these great basic recipes and cooking tips!

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not really care for this author's other book so much that I almost took this one back to the library without even reading it. I am so glad something changed my mind. I LOVED LOVED it.

Ms. Flinn does a volunteer class of nine people that have trouble with cooking. She first goes to their houses and peeks in their cabinets (she doesn't come off as judgemental). She listens to their stories and of course I'm a food story junkie so I'm all in love with it.The author comes across as someone who just wants to help people appreciate food and what to do with it.

Then the cooking classes begin. I know alot of the things she was talking about but I had a blast reading this book. She talks about processed foods/better choices in meats/etc. All things I'm interested in. Oh but I have not always been-I ate all the other things too.
MS. FLYNN MAKES FOOD SIMPLE AND EASY. Yes, simple and easy, food does not have to be so dang hard. If you are having trouble with "what to cook for dinner"..just pick up this little gem of a book. It inspired me. I can't wait to try out some of her tips....whooohooo. I love a good book!!

[Melodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that fits in multiple categories. It's clearly nonfiction and a memoir of sorts as the author the author chronicles her culinary journey. While not a cookbook in the classic sense, the book is filled with kitchen sense and tips with recipes at the end of each chapter.
This is a book designed to help would-be cooks, timid cooks, cooks who run the gamut from novice to experienced. The author took nine diverse women and taught them kitchen sense along with basic knife and cooking skills with amazing results. I cook, bake and tend to experimentation in the kitchen. But I was fascinated as I read and had several "Aha!" moments as I reviewed my own pantry along with the students. Never too old or experienced to learn if willing.
I loved this book. This is a book to pass along to friends for sure.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The keep-in-the-fridge-bread dough recipe alone is worth the price of the book. Since reading this, I've taken apart a whole chicken for the first time, saved beef bones for future broth-making, devised a fabulous last-minute recipe involving chicken legs braised in coconut milk, and looked at the contents of my fridge and pantry in a completely different light. This book liberates you to be creative in the kitchen, inspires you to make 'make do' recipes, and provides terrific 'flavor profiles' to help you pull things together. Lovely read... has inspired me to teach what I know to my kids so the art of cooking doesn't skip another generation!

[Hannah Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love a good food memoir. This was such an enjoyable read; it’s an approachable book that sustains that real cooking with real ingredients is very possible for inexperienced home cooks like myself. She offers practical cooking tips, simple recipes to correspond with the food lesson chapters, and the confidence to push past fear of the kitchen and to let go of pressures to make a perfect meal every time. Also to stay out of the middle aisles of the grocery store as much as possible. And how to be creative with leftovers. And now I want to bake loaves of artisan bread for everyone.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

So here's a paradox -- can a book teach you how to cook without using a book?

I enjoy cooking and love trying out new recipes. Sometimes I'll even improvise on an existing recipe, adding or substituting here and there, and feel creative as I do it. But I've never had the confidence to be completely spontaneous in my cooking. I've always wanted to be one of those people who can go through the pantry or fridge and invent something on the spot, and actually have it taste good. I've watched other people assemble wonderful dishes without cookbooks, making it look so easy. That's never been me.

In this memoir, Kathleen Flinn, a Cordon Bleu graduate unsure of how to use her newfound knowledge and skills (does she really want to open a restaurant?), finds her calling. She decides to teach a collection of people who rely excessively on convenience food how to prepare their own simple, healthier, cheaper, and tastier meals using a few basic skills -- knife skills, an understanding of flavor profiles, improved knowledge of ingredients, etc. When Kathleen follows up with her former students, she finds that many of them report improvements in their shopping habits, health, and quality of life although she is honest in reporting that some of them continue to fall back on some of their old habits.

I enjoyed this book about three stars' worth. It was an easy read, and as someone who always wanted to be a more spontaneous cook, I was mildly interested in and engaged by the story and by some of the information Kathleen imparted to her students. I did pick up some useful tips, even if some chapters were more interesting and useful than others (Kate did fall into the classic memoirist's trap of including some things that were probably more interesting to live through than they were to read about).

At the same time, I felt that the book understated the drawbacks of preparing all of your own food from scratch (or close to scratch). And I speak as someone who relies far less on convenience food and takeout than most people I know, because I do like to cook and believe in avoiding processed foods. Still, I'm the first to tell you that cooking from scratch is time-consuming and clean-up is a pain. For all Kathleen's protestations to the contrary, opening a box is faster, less labor-intensive, and a lot easier to clean up. I agree that with cake mixes it's not a huge difference and you may as well bake from scratch. But cake is also something you bake once in a while for an occasion. Dinner needs to be on the table every night, often after a long day of work and a commute. And many convenience foods do make cooking faster, easier, and neater. There's a reason they're so popular.

Maybe it's because Kate doesn't have kids, or didn't at the time of her writing the book -- if I were coming home to an empty house, or to an adult who wasn't necessarily relying on me to feed him, sure, I could rest for a few minutes after work and then take out a couple of things and whip up something small and simple if that was what I wanted to do (when my kids are away, actually, I'll usually just make a sandwich and call it a day). But when you come home to a houseful of hungry kids and you're tired after a long day of work, it's just not realistic to start chopping vegetables for something that will then require 20-30 minutes of stove time at least, and that's just the main dish or soup. My current practice of cooking several dinners on Sunday and serving them over the course of the week does circumvent the need to rely on convenience food or takeout, and I do pat myself on the back for feeding my family in a healthier, cheaper, and tastier way. But it really kills my Sunday, and I wouldn't blame someone who made other choices.

With that said, I'm not sorry I read the book and I did pick up some interesting tidbits. We'll see whether I actually incorporate them into my cooking repertoire. I would only recommend the book, though, to someone with a preexisting interest in the topic.

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally, I do not stalk people in grocery stores.
I confess to the occasional practice of supermarket voyeurism.
But who doesn’t sometimes notice the curious collections of fellow shoppers, then contemplate what they may reveal about them?

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School is not your typical cookbook, and not at all what I expected. It took me some time to get into the memoir-esque beginning where we learn what led Kathleen Flinn to decide to teach cooking and technique to the everyday chef – meaning people who are cooking for themselves and their families. As she tells us, it all began late, on an otherwise average Tuesday afternoon….

Late on an otherwise average Tuesday afternoon, a sight near the canned tuna stopped me dead in my tracks. The cart sat as if abandoned in the middle of the aisle. It contained two dozen haphazardly piled boxes of dehydrated mixes for pasta, casseroles, rice, and stuffing and dubious jars of gravy. Despite being half full, the cart contained no real food. As I stood contemplating its contents, a heavyset woman in her late thirties, casually attired in an eggplant colored fleece, claimed the cart. Her preteen daughter twirled impatiently around her, quietly singing a Lady Gaga song under her breath.

Would it be wrong if I followed her to find out what else she might buy?

To be honest, I found myself giggling as I imagined this playing out, and the subsequent meet-and-greet that took place when Kathleen introduced herself to said ‘heavyset woman in her late thirties’ and then proceeded to teach her how to shop better, cheaper and healthier. I’ve found myself doing similar things while shopping in bookstores and watching people walk right past some of the best books on the shelves! How can anyone pass by the historical romances, or the romantic suspense books and not even take a look! It’s appalling… I mean, the covers alone are worth taking a gander at with those hot chests and sexy chins – and why on earth do the photographers stop before they get to the eyes?? Honestly!

But I digress…

I enjoyed the beginning and getting to know a bit about Kathleen and what makes her tick. It was fun, there's a lot of humor in this book, but as I read on and it was more and more of the same, I found myself skimming and wanting to get to “the good stuff” – the recipes, cooking lessons, and the tip and tricks.

And when I finally found them? I love them! Great tip after tip on making stock, ways to add flavor to just about anything, how to avoid kitchen disasters... The Kitchen Counter Cooking School is a veritable smorgasbord of information that every cook, professional or novice, should have at their fingertips. The only problem I have with this book is that I like being able to flip right to a page and find what I'm looking for. I love lots of photos and to have everything spelled out for me, because I'm not a confident cook, and having to go through the chapters to find what I need didn't work for me. Yes, there was an index, but it just isn't the layout I like in my cookbooks, but that's just my opinion.

The bottom line - The Kitchen Counter Cooking School is not just a great reference guide, it's an enjoyable story. If you're looking for something more than your average cut and dry cookbook, this might just be perfect for you!

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I heard about it on What Should I Read Next, Anne Bogel's podcast with her guest Bethany Armstrong. I learned so much about the basics in the kitchen. I read so many parts of it outloud to my husband. We do pretty well in the kitchen, but her chopping technique is profound and one I will definitely work on every time I need to chop anything. I am so looking forward to her next book that is coming from the library.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. At first I was afraid it was going to be condescending since the author is a Cordon Bleu trained chef. I couldn't have been more wrong. This was actually one of the most inspiring books I've read in a very long time.

The idea for this book started when Flinn was grocery shopping and noticed the truly horrible, processed, non-food food in a stranger's cart. She started up a conversation with the woman and ended up taking her around the store to get the "real" version of all the boxed stuff she had in her basket. The biggest problem is that the woman didn't know how to cook from scratch. When she thought about it, she realized that many folks are a generation or two away from that sort of cooking, and are unhealthy as a result.

So Flinn decides to do a research experiment, collecting 9 volunteers to attend a once weekly cooking class. But she first visits everyone's home, taking inventory of their cupboards and having them make a "typical lunch", as well as interviews these women to find out that their frustrations are about cooking. She then shapes classes around the several common problems they have, and teaches with a patience and grace, bringing these women along on a journey that literally changes each of their lives. The basics of the lessons as well as the recipes are in the book, and I could not resist heading for the kitchen to try many of them out. I learned so much from this book, and I am happily carrying it's inspiration forward. Do yourself a favor--read this book.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read -- if you're interested in acquiring a few kitchen/cooking skills. This is not something I would normally read and was given to me by the librarian who'd just finished it. (For what it's worth, she also gave it 3 stars.)

Interesting exercise in learning what people are capable of in the kitchen, given some time and patience.

I've been cooking since forever -- or so it seems -- so I'm not the ideal target audience for this book, but Flinn writes well, explains things in a fun and interesting way, and would be an ideal non-threatening way for anyone who has a "fear of cooking" to get started in the kitchen.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a rare book that I get from the library and decide I need to own it about halfway through. This was one of those books. Full of so many practical, helpful kitchen techniques and information, plus recipes. This book will have a special place in my kitchen!

[Emma Whear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me want to go out and buy better salt.

Kathleen Flinn sets out to teach nine "home cooks," (or rather, it should be said, non-cooks: these women who have no idea how to use a knife or turn on their oven or dismantle a chicken or eat anything that doesn't come from the freezer section of walmart) how to be cooks who know their way around the kitchen.

A few off comments here or there that I would have redacted (let us not mention the section where the entertainment at one of the dinners is a stripper) but otherwise a super enjoyable, startling, terrifying book about what happens when people grow up watching TV cooking shows but never pick up a knife themselves.

[Courtney Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and learned so much from listening to the audio version. I want to buy a physical copy now!

[Nancy]

Kathleen begins the book by stalking a woman in the grocery store. Maybe a little creepy but her heart is pure. She notices a woman with an inordinate amount of boxed and canned goods. Having recently graduated from the prestigious culinary arts institute in France, she could not, in good conscience, allow this woman to believe MSG and high doses of sodium were part of the food pyramid. She intervened. She took the woman to the butcher and asked him to demonstrate how to debone a whole chicken. She explained how to cook with fruits and vegetables in season. This continued for 30 minutes and saved the woman money. From that interaction an idea was born and so was her cooking school.

Although the chapters are written in story-form, I read the first chapter, skimmed the book then went straight to breads and pastas. Not because I'm Italian but because I love bread and my tomatoes are ripe on the vine.

What Kathleen does is teach technique then hands the ingredients to the students. With the Pomodoro sauce, Kathleen put out ingredients, demonstrated the technique then encouraged her students to be creative. Turns out it's not as much like Chemistry lab as I might have thought. Nothing exploded when I dropped a few garlic cloves in the olive oil, smushed up my Roma tomatoes, added Anneheim peppers and fresh basil from my sister's garden. The Italian cooking police did not arrest me when I added frozen Parmasan cheese. My husband loved it, two of my four children refused to eat it which is 25% better than usual and they had to get their own cold cereal and missed out on a culinary party in the mouth. Ha.

Technique, demonstration, ingredients, add your own flair. It works.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful book, filled with stories and laughter. Have you ever wondered if someone is watching you grocery shop? What are you putting in your cart?

I learned so much and think I may have just put a ban on Parmesan cheese from entering my house! Did you know it has up to 70% more sodium than Parmesan-Reggiano and it also has lower quality standards?

My kitchen is stocked with chef quality gadgets but I don't know how to use them... as I read this book I kept reading parts out loud to my husband. We both learned quite a bit and noted a few of the recipes included too.

Confession: this vegetarian had to skip the chicken chapter on water injections and learning how to cut a whole chicken.....

If you enjoyed Julie and Julia... you will love this one. I will be buying copies of this book for gifts, a great selection.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't look at the shopping cart contents of that person in front of you in line. Either on a conscious or subconscious level, a judgement can be made of the individual who "owns" the cart. This book dares you to look at your own cart. What does the person next in line think of you. I lived in France for a few years and learned what some of my French colleagues thought of our supermarkets....they concluded our markets had very little "real" food (and not nearly enough yogurt). The Kitchen Counter Cooking School challenges the reader to find the real food, prepare the real food, become a confident cook and save money in the process. The most revealing part of the book is that preparing healthy natural foods does not take more time in the kitchen...just more thought. I totally enjoyed this book and am looking forward to my vegetable garden and to becoming a more adventurous cook.

[Juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooking has always seemed like a chore to me – something that must be done for survival, but should be minimized as much as possible.

This book made me actually *want* to cook.

And if you don’t know me, that probably sounds like a mild statement. An easy reversal.

But it’s really not. It’s very high praise for Kathleen Flinn’s work.

Read my full review and takeaways.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me want to head into the kitchen and experiment, which I already do but not enough with three kids and a job:) It reminded me how truly simple it is to throw a meal together. I was cheering for the women in the kitchen counter cooking school as their confidence grew with each class. Such a fun, easy read. I read this during the COVID-19 pandemic and it was perfect for that--light, inspiring, good eats.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored Flinn's approach to all things cooking, food consumption, and kitchen. It's relatable and inspiring. I found my knife skills improving as I read and it also gave me more ideas for what and how to cook- and I'm already someone who likes to cook. This should be a must-read for people who never darken their oven doors and for the rest of us as well.

[Kaytee Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y'all, this was fun. I picked it up after so many listeners said it changed their lives in the kitchen. If you're plagued with don't, pick this up, it'll definitely get you started on the right foot.

[Amy L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m one of those people who look in other peoples’ shopping carts and am constantly amazed at the amounts and types of “non-food” they purchase. As the author finds out in the course of her experiment, this is mostly due to “fear of cooking” and time constraints. I was blessed to have been raised in a home where we were helping in the kitchen from an early age, where everything was lovingly and carefully prepared from scratch and where food waste was considered the biggest sin. So, given the current sad state of food production and consumption in this country, this book is a much needed breath of fresh air!

I loved the whole concept of this book: that given a few simple lessons in basic cooking skills, anyone could learn to cook a delicious, nutritious and inexpensive meal using fresh ingredients, instead of relying on fast food or frozen dinners loaded with chemicals and preservatives. The experiment was life-changing for all nine women involved, giving them the confidence they needed to do things they had thought were beyond them, like cutting up a whole chicken and quickly and efficiently chopping enough vegetables for a pot of soup. An easy and informative read!

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 bk 311. Transformative. Flinn was able to transform (create positive change) in the lives of nine women who volunteered to take cooking lessons from her. These were women who cooked out of a box or ate fast food, they included single, in a relationship, married, married with children women, all of whom wanted to know what they could do with food. Through a series of lessons they learned how to properly hold a knife, braise meat, cut a chicken into pieces and cook those. Perhaps the most valuable lessons were at the end where they learned about the amount of food waste and what they could do to combat that in their own homes. This is one book (and those are few) in which I took note - I've already made a few changes to my kitchen as a result of Flinn's writings of encouragement. Very well done - and I wish I could give it ten stars.

[Sybra Dacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning worried me- as a working mom of 3 who doesn't enjoy cooking or feel confident in many cooking skills, I worried this book would feel shame-y. I don't have the desire, skills, knowledge, or mental bandwidth to make many things from scratch. I didn't get that feel from the book though, I got the impression that the author enjoyed helping these people. The book read like fiction but was nonfiction (a style I enjoy). I didn't pay close attention to many of the actual cooking tips, and read for entertainment rather than cooking improvement, which I think helped me enjoy it more.

[Ellie Mouer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned lots of practical things about cooking but also was a heartwarming read about how anyone can cook! And some scary facts about processed food thrown in :')