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

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.

Named the most influential figure in the past 30 years of the American kitchen by Gourmet magazine, ALICE WATERS is the owner of Chez Panisse restaurant and the author of nine cookbooks.

From the renowned culinary innovator comes an innovative approach to simple cooking that reveals her emphasis on selecting seasonal, local, fresh, and sustainable foods; includes a series of lessons on the everyday principles and practices of good eating; and is accompanied by more than two hundred simple recipes that range from appetizers to desserts. 150,000 first printing.

Starting from scratch : lessons & foundation recipes -- Getting started -- What to cook? -- Four essential sauces -- Salads -- Bread -- Broth and soup -- Beans, dried and fresh -- Pasta and polenta -- Rice -- Into the oven -- Out of the frying pan -- Slow cooking -- Simmering -- Over the coals -- Omelets and souffles -- Tarts, savory and sweet -- Fruit desserts -- Custard and ice cream -- Cookies and cake -- II: At the table : recipes for cooking every day -- A little something ... -- Sauces -- Salads -- Soup -- Pasta -- Breads and grains -- Eggs and cheese -- Vegetables -- Fish and shellfish -- Poultry -- Meat -- Dessert.