Pete's Guide to Good Cooking: It's Not Rocket Science!

Pete's Guide to Good Cooking is a practical cookbook written by a friendly, down-to-earth guy who loves to make a good meal but doesn't want to get too complicated about it. Pete Sickles is a cook who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia and makes his living turning out great food at a local watering hole called The Thirsty Duck. Pete figures that if he can learn to cook, pretty much anyone can! He picked it up from reading cookbooks, getting the basics from his mom and hanging out with professional chefs. Now that he's got it down, he's written his own cookbook, full of practical tips, useful information and great recipes.

The book is divided into two sections. It opens with a comprehensive guide to stocking a pantry, a reference listing of different foods that should be found in every kitchen and an explanation of cooking terms and techniques. The second section contains approximately 100 easy recipes for Breakfast and Brunch, Appetizers, Main Courses, Side Dishes, Salads and Desserts. There's also a section on planning menus with some suggestions as to what goes with what. EXCERPT: (From Herbs and Spices)

I grew up in a small town. We were middle-class WASPs. Dad went to work, Mom stayed home and the five kids were all boomers. You know the story. Not too exciting. Food pretty much followed the same path. Dad was basically a meat and potatoes man. The most adventurous it got was spaghetti and meatballs or lasagne. I'm not complaining, mind you. The food was always good and plentiful. It was a classic case of ignorance being bliss. We were products of our heritage. We just didn't know any better.

I spent my first year after high school travelling in Europe and Asia. Fortunately my folks taught me not to say I didn't like something if I hadn't tried it. Today I can honestly say that there aren't many foods I've tried that I don't like (salt-cod fishcakes spring to mind!).

To me, herb and spices are more than just an addition to a meal. They are an integral part of cooking. I can't imagine doing without them.

Creating a list of staples herbs and spices is rather difficult. It really depends on personal taste and availability. If you live in a big city you can find just about anything. If, like me, you live in a smaller place you have to make do with what you can find. Fortunately, spicy food is becoming more and more popular. Most grocery stores have all the basic herbs and spices you need for most recipes. In the recipes in this book I've tried to eliminate the need for hard-to-find ingredients.

Generally speaking, herbs are green leafy things and spices are dried seeds, berries or barks (often ground into a powder). Their flavours deteriorate over time so don't buy them in huge quantities. Store them in a dark and dry place. Keep them well sealed to maintain freshness and prevent the aromas and tastes from mingling in the spice cupboard.

Peter Sickles is a Halifax cook and bartender who lives across the harbour on the "dark side." His interests are as diverse as hockey, travel, beer and The X-Files. Most of all he enjoys cooking a great big scoff for family and friends.

David Muir is a highly successful studio photography and businessman in Toronto and Halifax. He has seen the world through the lens of a camera since he was a boy. Through it he has acquired a crystal clear vision of what's truly valuable in life: a love of nature, friends and his family: Margaret, Olivia, Matthew and Dawson.