 |
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| |
| BOOK REVIEW |
I had heard of Mark Bittman and his award-winning and wildly popular cookbook "How to Cook Anything". His enthusiasm for cooking is obvious in his writings. As for trying any of his recipes, I was curious but not convinced. Gourmet cooking has never truly interested me because I want food that tastes good, isn't a hassle to prepare, and wont break my bank account when purchasing ingredients. I tend to avoid cookbooks with recipes that can only be prepared on the weekends. That being said, I couldn't help but purchase his book, "The Minimalist Cooks at Home" as my first real foray into sophisticated cooking. The thought of being able to create out of the ordinary, flavorful food without spending a fortune or all day in the my little kitchen caught my eye. The premise of "The Minimalist Cooks at Home" is not to just strip a recipe down to the bare minimums but to teach you to experiment, alter, and play with your food. His writing style is scholarly but not intimidating. He writes for the novice as well as advanced cook, which is a daunting task in itself. After a brief introduction about what he set out to accomplish in this book, he gets right into the recipes. He has plenty more to say there. Don't be alarmed by the length of each recipe. Though most cover at least two pages, you'll notice that one whole page is dedicated to the thoughts of Mr. Bittman. Whether it's his discoveries while working on a recipe or an interesting look at its origins, you'll find it a fascinating read. The recipes are very short, and the procedure lists are on average 2 to 4 steps long. The rest of the second page is given over to his "With MINIMAL Effort" feature, which I will go into more detail later. There are no pictures of finished dishes for those who pick out recipes that way. Since I started this newsletter, I must admit I find myself caring less and less about that. He does use black and white pictures when necessary, to demonstrate preparation techniques like how to cut up a whole chicken for his "Chicken with Riesling" recipe. His categories are: Salads, Soups, Pasta, Fish and Shellfish, Poultry, Meat, Vegetables, Sauces and Condiments, and Desserts. After my first read through of the book, I was left fascinated but unsure. Some recipes sounded so unusual that I wasn't sure if I wanted to try any of them. What would "Pasta with Red Wine Sauce" taste like when there wasn't much more to the recipe than the wine? Would "Chicken Curry in A Hurry" with it's cutesy name taste anywhere near as good as similar dishes I'd had at restaurants? Especially when it had a total of 7 ingredients? This included one item that was a garnish, the oil to cook the chicken in and salt & pepper (listed as one ingredient) to season to taste. I selected for my first recipe "Sausage with Grapes" because it used a total of 3 ingredients, 2 steps, and sounded very European. I had to admit that I had a back up plan ready just in case it turned out nasty. I'm happy to say I didn't have to use it. The combination of Italian sausages, seedless grapes, and balsamic vinegar created a very unique taste that I enjoyed. I can't say the same for Bryan however. A little too unique I guess. That is a factor to consider when approaching this cookbook. Many recipes are simply not for everyone. Some are so basic they don't seem like they could be tasty, and others combine ingredients that seem impossible to work together. If you have a die hard tomato sauce on spaghetti crowd, you may have tough time getting them to try "Ziti with Butter, Sage and Parmesan". If you have adventurous eaters however, you're in luck. After my first success, I had lots of fun selecting other recipes to try. Except for a very few recipes where I couldn't locate ingredients like nam pla (fish sauce), all recipes where accessible to me. His "With MINIMAL Effort" section that ended each recipe easily tripled the number of recipes you could create in this book. Don't like an ingredient, look through his list of alternatives. Loved the flavor of "Spicy Chicken with Lemongrass" but you don't want to make another chicken dish tonight? Mr. Bittman suggests substituting shrimp, pork chops or tofu. His whole attitude that rings throughout this cookbook is to have fun and experiment. Something as simple as using garlic instead of ginger creates a whole new taste sensation for his "Steak with Butter and Ginger Sauce" recipe. Who needs A1? As you use this cookbook more and more, you'll realize that you're getting an education on the side. Ways to make a recipe simpler without sacrificing taste. How to stop covering up food and start letting the main ingredients shine. You'll find yourself getting excited while using this cookbook. If you're a novice who wants to expand their horizons, you'll find lots of room to grow. For those who are hold hands in the kitchen, you'll find lots of reasons to let loose and play. Note to European cooks: Measurements are in US standards only. Pros: Delicious. Lots of suggestions for alterations. Experimentation is encouraged. Cons: Recipes are not for everyone. Some ingredients may hard to find. |
|
About the Author: TeAntae Turner is author of Cookbooks Reviewed, a biweekly newsletter. Each review covers not only recipes but layout, accuracy and other pertinent information that makes a cookbook worth keeping or throwing away. |
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
Let's Get Cooking!
