If you think that folding an egg has something to do with laundry, or that a wok is good exercise, youve come to the right place.

Nutritionist and family meal-planner extraordinaire, Leanne Ely knows her way around a stove and a pantryand she provides everything you need to know, from mincing garlic and barbecuing beef to pulling off your first dinner party. Select chapters feature tasty recipes that can be prepared with the greatest of ease. Youll find practical and trustworthy advice on

equipping your kitchen: what you must have, what you dont need

stocking your cupboards, fridge, and freezer with the essentials

selecting fresh produce and high-quality meats, poultry, and fish

slicing, dicing, sauting, simmering, and other prep techniques

whipping up quick, scrumptious dishes with ingredients on hand

ensuring that your main course and side dishes are ready at the same time

preparing mouthwatering one-pot meals, from Lemon Tarragon Chicken to Easily the Best Casserole in the World

baking fast and easy cookies, pies, cakes, and cobblers

Saving Dinner Basics also includes a handy glossary of common food terminology, a spice primer (its about time you discovered thyme!), and a troubleshooting guide for various cooking challenges. Let Leanne Ely help you turn your kitchen into what it was meant to be: the place where great meals begin.

Leanne Ely is considered the expert on family cooking and healthy eating. She is a syndicated newspaper columnist (The Dinner Diva), a certified nutritionist, and the host of SavingDinner.com. Leanne has a weekly Food for Thought column on the ever-popular FlyLady.net website, as well as her own e-zine, Healthy Foods. She is the author of Saving Dinner, Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way and Saving Dinner for the Holidays. She lives in North Carolina with her two teenage children.

Anyone who finds cooking a mystery needs Saving Dinner Basics.

Marla Cilley, The FlyLady, author of Sink Reflections