Show and Tell -- Categories

I chose I'm in the Kitchen Now What by Pamela Richards which is more than just a cookbook. She defines the tools all cooks should be familiar with, if only so you will understand what future recipes are actually calling for. She also breaks down the lingo for novices and then tells you how to find ingredients you have heard of before. The "Now What" section included in all recipes answers questions like:

Q: What does it mean to allow meat to rest?
A: That's when you delay cutting meat for a few minutes after taking it from the oven. During this time the juices settle in the meat fiber. Without this resting period, the juices run out too freely when the meat is cut, and some of the flavor leaches away.

The book is broken down into the following categories: Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Vegetables, One Pot Meals, Poultry, Meats, Seafood, and Desserts. This is a typical categorization of food found in cookbooks which I think is to prepare the reader in the same way that the cooking tips are meant to do. She also includes an Essentials section which details the equipment, preparation, baking, measurements, and tools as well as a Glossary section which defines all the terms used in the book and can be helpful to experienced chefs and novices alike.