To cook, as a home cook, isn’t just to cook-it’s to plan, to shop, to store, to prep, to combine, to heat, to serve. I’ve been reminding myself of this lately, repeating it almost like a mantra, humming the percussive, iambic rhythm of the phrase while I clatter around in the cabinets in search of whatever skillet is inevitably at the very bottom of a teetering stack of pans, or ram the blade of a knife through the stalks of yet another head of celery, or fling a handful of salt resentfully at a wholly blameless chicken. 250,000 first printing $250,000 ad/promo simultaneous CD-ROM 15-city author tour.
The enormous breadth of recipes, the unusually modest price and Bittman's engaging, straightforward prose will appeal to many cooks looking for reliable help with-or reference to-kitchen fundamentals. Desserts are mostly homey, like Apple Brown Betty and Peaches with Fresh Blueberry Sauce, but there is also a Death-by-Chocolate Torte. Vegetables are comprehensively addressed from Artichokes to Yuca, with attention paid to buying, storing and cooking methods well suited to each. He doesn't linger too long with beef because Americans are eating less of it he remarks that a well-done hamburger is not worth eating. Bittman's friends, he says, praise his Chicken Adobo as the best chicken dish in the world. Similarly, sandwiches include both old favorites and fresh combinations, e.g., Curried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Chutney and Arugula. Pastas range from Spaghetti and Meatballs to Pad Thai. While much of the ground covered is familiar, Bittman offers inventive fare (Kale Soup with Soy and Lime) and reclaims formerly abandoned territory-his Creamy Vinaigrette calls for heavy cream.
His voice is a comfortable one, however, so the tone is less tutorial than, say, that of the newly revised Joy of Cooking. He concedes that most accomplished cooks will find little new here, and indeed the recipes can be as simple as how to pop corn. There's a millennial ring to the title of Bittman's massive opus of more than 1000 basic recipes and variations as the widely known food writer (""The Minimalist"" is a weekly column in the New York Times) and author (Fish) contributes to the list of recently published authoritative, encyclopedic cookbooks.
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