If you’ve ever called yourself a bad cook, this is your invitation to be bad – better. This book is not for already-good cooks (keep away!), or would-be chefs, or even those who adore cookery books. It’s for self-proclaimed “bad cooks” who may actually be halfway decent – but don’t want to be tied down by time-consuming, pretentious, and detailed “recipes”. So welcome, fellow bad cook. From basic nourishment to expressions of love and comfort, food is something we can’t live without. But what about its preparation? Far more than the act of heating potentially edible material, cooking has stayed at the heart of countless cultures, epochs, and bookshelves since time began. But not all delight in the culinary arts... For those who want enjoyable, nutritious, hot food no one can mess up: this one’s for you. Filled to the brim with quirky cartoon illustrations and infused with anthropological titbits on cookery and the far-off origins of the food we unthinkingly consume today, this is not your usual cookbook.