I think so... there are recipes that call for esoteric equipment and ingredients, but also simpler ones. And browsing the magazines at their house definitely inspired me to be more ambitious about cooking, though I still find it intimidating.

A book I would really recommend for taking-the-first-steps-beyond-scrambled-eggs is Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything. It's a great step-by-step reference that includes everything from "what does this vegetable look like and how do I know if it's gone bad?" to "make Thanksgiving dinner."