The Chefs of the Times: More Than 200 Recipes and Reflections from Some of America's Most Creative Chefs Based on the Popular Column in The New York Times

Like any artist, a great chef relies on that mysterious impulse called inspiration - as well as a deep understanding of the basics and a flair for experimentation. This probing, far-ranging cookbook takes readers inside the minds and kitchens of 23 of the most inspired and revered chefs in America today. It illuminates how they think and demonstrates a suprising truth: spectacular cooking can be done at home. Only a great chef could have created these recipes-but re-creating each dish at home is a piece of cake, using the clear recipes in this book.

Sample for yourself the genius of Jean-Georges Vongerichten through his Shrimp Satay with Oyster Sauce and move along to Alfred Portale's Pan-Roasted Filet Mignon with Potato-Garlic Gratin, Amy Scherber's Decadent Chocolate-Cherry Rolls, and Philippe Conticini's Banana Croque Monsieur. Visit the chef's kitchen to learn how these dishes were born and why everyone loves them at first bite.

Culled from the popular column in The New York Times, this world-class collection will delight anyone who admires great food, and anyone curious about the fabulous cooks who devote their lives to inventing it, perfecting it and sharing it with us, one plate at a time.

Michalene Busico is the editor of the Dining In/Dining Out section of The New York Times.