"The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook" author Deb Perelman believes that a good recipe should be able to guide a first time cook in such a way that the dish turns out perfect. The home-cook and author speaks to Reuters about publishing her book, a good recipe and how she learnt to cook.

There are no bad cooks, just bad recipes, says home-cook and now author Deb Perelman. Perelman has just released her first novel "The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook," which was compiled from a series of blogs she had previously written. The author reveals she had no idea that her blog was going to fetch her a book deal. For her, her blogs were a way of sharing recipes that she thought were great and easy to make - recipes that included ingredients easily accessible and which  according to her "exceeded expectations."

Her idea of a good recipe is one that "works." Secondly, it should be great. Perelman emphasizes that many people work and they would like to come home and cook up a great meal. Thirdly, for her a good recipe is a one that includes a little extra detail as many recipes tend to leave out minute yet important aspects. Lastly, a great recipe should demand ingredients that are easily accessible, says Perelman.

Perelman also reveals that she's never learnt to cook nor has she been to a cooking school. All she knows about cooking comes from people in her family who enjoy cooking as much as she does. She says that her mother learnt to cook by following recipes from Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French cooking."

The author reveals she has no plans for the future and is conservative in nature. She's not the kind to think that having a best seller is going to change her life. She plans on doing what she's been doing till date and looks forward to having more time to update her blogs.