The purpose of this small volume is to provide an intimate knowledge of how to get from here to there in the kitchen, making cooking all the more worthwhile. It enables the beginning cook to feel at home, relaxed and confident in the kitchen. In this compact, easy-to-follow cookbook, the celebrated former food editor of The New York Times gathers together just the kind of starting from scratch information and recipes he himself would have welcomed when he first put a saucepan on the stove and started on the road to becoming a superb cook.
The book begins with a careful selection of essential equipment and a few choice additions—all explicitly shown, item by item—and explains fundamental techniques, including:
• How to shell a shrimp, peel a peach or chop an onion
• Creating delicious soups and sauces
• Preparing steaks and seafood
• Making the tastiest baked, whipped or boiled potatoes
Craig teaches a simple method, than puts it to work in a variety of dishes. From easy yet delicious meat loaf to a glorious soufflé, he shares his own best-loved recipes, including:
• Chicken soup or broth
• Standing rib roast
• Corn on the cob
• Chocolate cream pie
The result is a book to cheer and inspire the beginner—to learn from, to cook from, to keep always available and refer to again and again.
With this classically elegant and profusely illustrated book of recipes and techniques, he guides us through every step of many splendid meals and imparts the kind of culinary knowledge most cooks only acquire through years of trial and error. That he accomplishes this with both the thoroughness and charm of a great teacher, make this book an invaluable aid for both the novice and experienced chef.
New to the 2012 Edition
Electronic books have no page numbers, instead the general index has hypertext links for each entry. Color photographs have replaced the original black and white illustrations.
The book begins with a careful selection of essential equipment and a few choice additions—all explicitly shown, item by item—and explains fundamental techniques, including:
• How to shell a shrimp, peel a peach or chop an onion
• Creating delicious soups and sauces
• Preparing steaks and seafood
• Making the tastiest baked, whipped or boiled potatoes
Craig teaches a simple method, than puts it to work in a variety of dishes. From easy yet delicious meat loaf to a glorious soufflé, he shares his own best-loved recipes, including:
• Chicken soup or broth
• Standing rib roast
• Corn on the cob
• Chocolate cream pie
The result is a book to cheer and inspire the beginner—to learn from, to cook from, to keep always available and refer to again and again.
With this classically elegant and profusely illustrated book of recipes and techniques, he guides us through every step of many splendid meals and imparts the kind of culinary knowledge most cooks only acquire through years of trial and error. That he accomplishes this with both the thoroughness and charm of a great teacher, make this book an invaluable aid for both the novice and experienced chef.
New to the 2012 Edition
Electronic books have no page numbers, instead the general index has hypertext links for each entry. Color photographs have replaced the original black and white illustrations.
