cook-book

She finds a new recipe in her favorite cook-book.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A book containing recipes and instructions for preparing food: "cook-book" refers to a volume that provides a collection of recipes, cooking techniques, and often tips for meal preparation. It is used as a guide for both novice and experienced cooks.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She bought a new cook-book to learn how to make Italian dishes. (A book with recipes for Italian cuisine.)
  • The cook-book on the shelf has over 500 recipes for desserts. (A comprehensive guide to sweet dishes.)

Advanced Usage

• "to follow a cook-book": to use a recipe book strictly as a guide.

  • He prefers to follow a cook-book exactly rather than improvising in the kitchen. (He adheres to the written instructions.)

• "cook-book approach": a methodical, step-by-step way of doing something, often in a non-culinary context.

  • The manager took a cook-book approach to solving the problem, following a predetermined plan. (He used a rigid, recipe-like method.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cookery-book (n): a British English term for a cook-book.

  • She received a cookery-book as a wedding gift. (A book of recipes, common in the UK.)

• Cookbook (n): an alternative spelling, more common in American English.

  • The cookbook was a bestseller for years. (A popular recipe book.)

• Cook (n/v): a person who prepares food (noun) or the act of preparing food (verb).

  • The cook used the cook-book to prepare the meal. (The person followed the recipe book.)

Synonyms

• Recipe book: a book that contains recipes.
  • This recipe book is perfect for beginners. (A synonym for cook-book.)

Related Idioms

• Not a cook-book: used metaphorically to indicate that a situation requires flexibility, not strict adherence to a formula.
  • Raising children is not a cook-book; every child is different. (There is no single set of instructions for parenting.)