| Saying that Mark Bittman's cookbook is fantastic feels about as silly as saying that Hawaii is a wonderful vacation spot. Of course it is. Duh. And yet - the obviousness of it does not diminish how truly GREAT of a cookbook it actually is. It's not for nothing that he's a bestseller and at the top of the cookbook and recipe world. Bittman actually lives in the real world, the same world that the rest of us live and cook in, unlike the authors of so many other cookbooks.
I find most cookbooks very frustrating to use because as you flip through them, it's hard to find a recipe that you've got all of the ingredients for on hand. Page after page, you think "Oh that looks good" and then realize "Wait... I've got everything except for the bell peppers. I can't make that unless I go to the store." That's fine if you're planning a meal in advance, but what about when you want to just cook something NOW? And how far can you deviate from the recipe before you ruin the dish? They never tell you. But Kitchen Express addresses these common cooking dilemmas - and THAT in particular is what I find so appealing about Bittman's book.
Bittman starts off by giving a list of what to keep on hand and how to store it. He tells you straight up that he doesn't care how much garlic you use. If it ever does matter how much of an ingredient to use, he'll give an exact quantity. Otherwise, he's more vague. And that's nice because you no longer have to fret about whether your potatoes are medium size potatoes or whether the onion you have on hand will equal 1 cup when chopped.
Another thing I like is that he gives lists like "The Best Recipes for Reheating" and "The Best Recipes for Picnics." He also divides the recipes seasonally (101 recipes per season) to make it easy to spot a recipe that contains seasonal ingredients (and to hit the spot in hot or cold weather, like a chilled soup in summer or a hearty pasta in the winter). And he gives you a list of substitutions, so you know that if you don't have broccoli in the fridge, you can make the dish with cauliflower instead, no problem. Another thing I like is his consciousness of environmental issues - something that is rare to find in a mainstream cookbook. He tells readers to check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium's list of sustainable seafood to pick out a fish.
Last, I should say that the recipes look absolutely scrumptious. I think I had a few orgasms while flipping through the book. I may be a vegetarian, but I haven't been veg so long that I don't realize how amazing the Prosciutto, Peach, and Mozzarella Salad would taste. And I cannot WAIT to try making the Microwaved Honey Eggplant. Another winner is the Arugula with Balsamic Strawberries and Goat Cheese (although I can assure you I am NOT going to use arugula because I hate the stuff, and Bittman clearly states on his substitutions page that leafy greens can be swapped out for one another).
All in all, this book is very exciting. No wonder the chef I'm currently dating tells me he doesn't use cookbooks, but he uses Mark Bittman's cookbooks. |
