Now that we know how important is the ability to prepare simple meals at home, this guide is just what the doctor ordered.

Written as a guide book for young cooks learning to feed their young families, it is especially appropriate for an age accustomed to processed, ready-to-eat, and take-out (read "unhealthful") meals.

Want to know how to make green pea soup? You'll find simple steps to make your own potato, split-pea, tomato, and numerous other soups-not to mention cereals, salads, pies, puddings, omelets... You'll even find substitutes for meats, coffee, and other menu items.

There are also special sections for feeding infants and the sick. Anna L. Colcord, after all these years, is still "A Friend in the Kitchen"-not only for "trying times" but for any time we desire healthful, easily prepared, tasty meals.