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

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

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Author: Alice Waters
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Category: Book

List Price: $35.00
Buy New: $21.00
You Save: $14.00 (40%)



New (51) Used (21) Collectible (3) from $21.00

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 65 reviews
Sales Rank: 729

Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 7.3 x 1.3

ISBN: 0307336794
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.5
EAN: 9780307336798
ASIN: 0307336794

Publication Date: October 2, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Similar Items:

  • In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
  • How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food (How to Cook Everything)
  • Alice Waters and Chez Panisse
  • Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)
  • Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com Review
Do we really need more recipes for beef stew, polenta, and ratatouille? If they're the work of famed restaurateur and "food activist" Alice Waters, undoubtedly. In The Art of Simple Food, Waters offers 200-plus recipes for these and other simple but savory dishes, like Spicy Cauliflower Soup, Fava Bean Purée, and Braised Chicken Legs, as well as dessert formulas for the likes of Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp and Tangerine Ice. In addition, readers learn (or become reacquainted with) the Waters mantra: eat locally and sustainably; eat seasonally; shop at farmers markets. These are the rules by which she approaches food and cooking, and hopes we will too. Organized largely by techniques, the book is a kind of primer, designed to free readers from recipe reliance.

Some readers may look askance at advice that they search out sources for locally produced food, for example, given the everyday exigencies of shopping and getting meals on the table. Yet it is precisely the need to "remake" our relationship to food that, Waters contends, determines the ultimate success of all our cooking and dining, not to mention our health and that of the planet. This relatively small book has a large message, and good everyday recipes to back it up. --Arthur Boehm

Product Description
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.



Customer Reviews:   Read 60 more reviews...

3 out of 5 stars Very little that is useful for non-meat eaters   November 7, 2008
 1 out of 2 found this review helpful

As someone who loves simple food and local food, I love the concept behind this book. As someone who is trying to eat less meat, I have hardly used this book because there are very few recipes that are not meat-centric. I have learned that just roast vegies taste fantastic, but was disappointed that so much of the rest of the book relies on meat as the major part of a meal.


4 out of 5 stars Primer for those starting out   October 28, 2008
I greatly admire Alice Waters and her leadership in the American food tradition. Her emphasis on fresh foods, cooking from scratch, eating family dinners, and buying from local growers and dairy/meat farms is helping to make this world a better place. These values and the desire to help everyone find a way to live this way infuse "The Art of Simple Food," a primer for beginners.

"The Art of Simple Food" is half how-to, with a few recipes illustrating fundamental techniques like braising, roasting, steaming, etc., in the first section. The other half is more of a standard cookbook that offers recipes organized according to appetizers, soups, entrees, etc. It is meant to be read from beginning to end because of the emphasis on building a repertoire of skills.

The good thing about "The Art of Simple Food" is that it calls for produce that is commonly found at most farmer's markets around the country or in supermarkets. As much as I admire Waters, I've not always gotten along with her other cookbooks because there is usually some deal-breaker in a recipe--usually an ingredient I can't get locally, like a Meyer lemon, golden beets or a blood orange, for instance. Though I have access to an abundant farmer's market 5 months out of the year, the selection is prosaic compared to what Waters can find 12 months out of the year in California. I've had better results cooking out of "Simple Food" but some dishes, like the braised Savoy cabbage, come out bland. Waters likes to emphasize the natural flavors, but she has access to more interesting flavors in the selection at her disposal than I do. Another issue is that for all the care in walking the reader through technique, some ingredient details are rather vague. How small is she thinking when she calls for a small head of Savoy cabbage? The smallest I could find was the size of a head and I don't think that's what she had in mind.



4 out of 5 stars Wonderful book- excellent education on cooking for a family   September 23, 2008
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I bought this book looking for new ideas for cooking for my family of 4, especially on weekends when we have time to slow cook a great meal. The recipes in this book are phenomenal- we love the short ribs, the beef stew, and the roast beef. Each chapter covers a different type of food and preparation method. As is expected from a food expert like Alice Waters, the recipes are simply delicious. The thing I like most is that as an amateur cook I can actually cook special meals that everyone in my family loves. This is truly a great cookbook!


3 out of 5 stars Nice book for a beginner   September 20, 2008
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I bought this book after seeing it on Martha Stewart's show and being very impressed by the appearance of Alice Waters. At the time I was not familiar with her or any of her books. It was nice to read and I enjoyed learning about CSAs and local, sustainable food. Unfortunately it wasn't really useful to me beyond that. After I read through it the first time I put it on the shelf, and I never cooked from it. When I decided recently to cull some books from my cookbook library, I decided that this one needed to go. There was nothing I needed from it that I couldn't find in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian or Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I got rid of it to make room on my bookshelf for one of Ms. Waters' more inspiring books. This book might make a good first cookbook for someone, but there are also general cookbooks out there that are more comprehensive than this one and might be more useful.


5 out of 5 stars Best Cookbook I Own   September 12, 2008
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This is the cookbook I return to again and again. The recipes are clear and simple and perfect for weeknight cooking, but the results are always fantastic. Often I have high hopes for a recipe and then it doesn't turn out so great, but everything I've made from this book has been DELICIOUS. You'll need to use high-quality ingredients to get those great results, but that's kind of what Alice Waters is all about. If you're a regular farmers' market shopper like I am, though, you'll never be disappointed by what this book has to offer.
Furthermore, this book is perfect for beginner AND advanced cooks. Best of all, it's inspirational--it's written with lots of suggestions for how the recipes can be varied, and before long you'll be implementing your own variations. Many cookbooks make me feel limited--this one inspires my creativity as it teaches me new things. Greatest cookbook ever!


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