Available:*
Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33607001475352 | Adult Nonfiction | 641.54 BITTMAN | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Showcasing Mark Bittman's signature ease and imagination, The Minimalist Cooks Dinner puts the focus on the center-of-the-plate main dishes. And, in this new volume, he also provides recipes for classic, versatile side dishes as well as recommendations for wine and food pairings. With a majority of its main dish recipes taking less than thirty minutes to prepare, this is truly the book every busy cook has been waiting for. Drawing on the global pantry and international repertoire that sets Bittman apart, each selection in The Minimalist Cooks Dinner is big on flavour and time-saving techniques. The perfect solution for weeknight after-work meals or casual dinner parties, this inventive collection offers a refreshing new take on standards, along with ideas that will inspire both novices and experienced home cooks to branch out. From Steamed Chicken Breasts with Ginger-Scallion Sauce to Korean Beef Wrapped in Lettuce Leaves, to Monkfish with Meat Sauce, Bittman banishes the ordinary with an appetizing range of choices.Also covering hearty pasta dishes, steaks, pork, veal, lamb and a wide range of seafood, The Minimalist Cooks Dinner makes for an invigorating alternative to mundane mains. And as Bittman's profile has never been higher, this is sure to become a kitchen staple for thousands of time-crunched cooks who want to eat well.
Author Notes
Mark Bittman has won IACP Julia Child Awards for his books Fish and How to Cook Everything, which has sold over 400,000 copies. He writes "The Minimalist" column for The New York Times, and his food writing appears in major publications nationwide. He is coauthor of the James Beard Award-winning Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef (Broadway Books, 1998).
Mark's book, How to Cook Everything Fast: A Better Way to Cook Great Food, was a New York Times bestseller in 2014. (Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Recipes from the past two years of "The Minimalist," Bittman's widely read weekly food column in the New York Times, shape this latest collection from the author of the phenomenally popular How to Cook Everything. Cementing his reputation for quick, uncomplicated and rewardingly tasty fare within reach of any cook, Bittman overflows with inspiration in the basic recipes and in the suggestions that can be undertaken "With Minimal Effort" accompanying each one. For example, tinkering with Vichyssoise with Garlic, he proposes adding tomato and basil as one variation. To speed up a pasta meal, why not cook Pasta, Risotto Style? Adding stock a ladle at a time to a cut pasta yields a creamy dish without having to wait for a gallon of water to boil. Black Skillet Mussels couldn't be easier: heat a heavy skillet, add mussels and, when they open, eat. Suggested variations include a side sauce of butter, Tabasco and lemon juice. Combining unusual flavors comes naturally to Bittman, as in Roast Fish with Meat Sauce or Pot Roast with Cranberries, in which the meat quickly caramelizes with its dusting of sugar. Chicken-Mushroom "Cutlets" with Parmesan are basically chickenburgers gussied up temptingly with parmesan, porcini and garlic. The headnotes are much shorter than those in last year's The Minimalist Cooks at Home, but each recipe now brings pointers in the form of "Keys to Success" as well as suggested wines. Cooks with discerning tastes but little time will be very glad to add this to their library. (On-sale Sept. 11) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
The Minimalist Cooks at Home, Bittman's first cookbook from his weekly New York Times column, included recipes for all courses of a meal. This time, he concentrates on easy main courses, but he includes serving suggestions for rounding out the meal, as well as a chapter on salads and side dishes. The recipes are generally sophisticated but undemanding with their trademark short ingredients lists; for those with a bit more time or the inclination to experiment, variations are provided for each recipe under the heading "With Minimal Effort." Wine (or beer) suggestions are also included. Sure to be in demand. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Pot Roast with Cranberries Unlike their cousin, the blueberry -- which is sometimes used in savory cooking, although almost never successfully -- cranberries are not at all sweet, and so make a much more natural companion for meat. This is a gutsy, appealing, and unusual pot roast, and one you can make quickly or slowly, depending on your time, taste, and budget. Time: 1 1/2 hours, or more Makes: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients 1 tablespoon butter or extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup sugar 2- to 3-pound piece of chuck or brisket Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup sherry vinegar or good wine vinegar 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries 1 orange Cayenne 1. Put the butter in a casserole or skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Put the sugar on a plate and dredge the meat in it until all the surfaces are coated. Reserve the remaining sugar. When the butter foam subsides, brown the meat on all sides --this will take about 15 minutes -- seasoning it with salt and pepper as it browns. 2. When the meat is nicely browned, add the vinegar and cook for a minute, stirring. Add the cranberries and remaining sugar and stir. Strip the zest from the orange (you can do it in broad strips, with a small knife or vegetable peeler) and add it to the skillet. Juice the orange and add the juice also, along with a pinch of cayenne. Turn the heat to low and cover; the mixture should bubble but not furiously. 3. Cook, turning the meat and stirring about every 30 minutes, for 2 hours or longer, or until the meat is tender. When the meat is done, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Turn off the heat and let the roast rest for a few minutes, then carve and serve, with the sauce. Keys To Success DUSTING THE MEAT with some of the sugar makes the browning process go much more rapidly, and leaves behind a caramelized residue that is deglazed by the vinegar when you add it. All of this lends complexity to the final dish. MOST POT ROASTS depend for their flavor on the juices exuded by the meat itself; that's why tough, slow-cooking cuts like brisket or chuck are usually preferable. But since the meat's contribution here is minimized by the powerful cranberry-based combination, a faster-cooking cut like tenderloin works perfectly, reducing the cooking time to just over an hour. With Minimal Effort Faster Pot Roast with Cranberries: Substitute a 2-to-3-pound piece of tenderloin (filet mignon) for the chuck or brisket and reduce the cooking time to about 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is 125° to 130°F (medium-rare); you can cook it longer than that if you like. Wine : Rioja, Merlot, or another soft red Excerpted from The Minimalist Cooks Dinner: More Than 100 Recipes for Fast Weeknight Meals and Casual Entertaining by Mark Bittman All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.