The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution: A Cookbook

by Alice Waters

Overview

An indispensable resource for home cooks from the woman who changed the way Americans think about food. 

Perhaps more responsible than anyone for the revolution in the way we eat, cook, and think about food, Alice Waters has “single-handedly chang[ed] the American palate” according to the New York Times. Her simple but inventive dishes focus on a passion for flavor and a reverence for locally produced, seasonal foods.

With an essential repertoire of timeless, approachable recipes chosen to enhance and showcase great ingredients, The Art of Simple Food is an indispensable resource for home cooks. Here you will find Alice’s philosophy on everything from stocking your kitchen, to mastering fundamentals and preparing delicious, seasonal inspired meals all year long. Always true to her philosophy that a perfect meal is one that’s balanced in texture, color, and flavor, Waters helps us embrace the seasons’ bounty and make the best choices when selecting ingredients. Fill your market basket with pristine produce, healthful grains, and responsibly raised meat, poultry, and seafood, then embark on a voyage of culinary rediscovery that reminds us that the most gratifying dish is often the least complex.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307885586
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	10/20/2010
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	510,407
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

ALICE WATERS is the executive chef, founder, and owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café in Berkely, California. She founded the Edible Schoolyard and has received the French Legion of Honor, WSJ Magazine Humanitarian Innovator Award, and three James Beard Awards. Alice is Vice President of Slow Food International and the author of thirteen books. Her most recent books are My Pantry, The Art of Simple Food II, 40 Years of Chez Panisse, and In the Green Kitchen. She lives in Berkeley, California.

Editorial Reviews

The delicious dishes described in the latest cookbook from Chez Panisse founder Waters, such as a four-ingredient Soda Bread and Cauliflower Salad with Olives and Capers, are simple indeed, though the book's structure is complex, if intuitive. After a useful discussion of ingredients and equipment come chapters on techniques, such as making broth and soup. Each of these includes three or four recipes that rely on the technique described, which can lead to repetition (still preferable to a lack of guidance): a chapter on roasting contains two pages of instructions on roasting a chicken (including a hint to salt it a day in advance for juicy results), followed by a recipe for Roast Chicken that is simply an abbreviated version of those two pages. The final third of the book divides many more recipes traditionally into salads, pasta and so forth. Waters taps an almost endless supply of ideas for appealing and fresh yet low-stress dishes: Zucchini Ragout with Bacon and Tomato, Onion Custard Pie, Chocolate Crackle Cookies with almonds and a little brandy. Whether explaining why salting food properly is key or describing the steps to creating the ideal Grilled Cheese Sandwich, she continues to prove herself one of our best modern-day food writers. (Oct.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Yes, these recipes are simple, very simple, and that is the charm of this book. Printed on a nice, heavy matte paper in two colors (black type, red recipe titles), it feels approachable and straightforward. How about Romano Beans with Marjoram, Moroccan Carrot Salad, Spaghettini with Oil and Garlic, and Grilled Chicken Breast? This is not restaurant food, or at least, not fancy New York-style menu items. Of course, the magic is in the ingredients and the experience of the cook, but I like this book since I love everyday food. The writing is uncomplicated with an emphasis on kitchen technique and just the right number of asides regarding sustainability. It's a cookbook in the grand tradition of American cookery. Thank you, Alice.
— Founder and Editor, America's Test Kitchen

Christopher Kimball