Renowned chef Jonathan Waxman knows that becoming a great American cook starts at home—here he shares methods for recipes you can pull together with just a few ingredients.
Widely recognized as one of the fathers of New American cuisine, Jonathan Waxman knows how to make magnificent food from just a few ingredients, roasting eggplants and red peppers for an intensely flavored soup or tossing asparagus with oranges and hazelnuts for a refreshing first course. His vision is bold, but strikingly unpretentious: many of the dishes in A Great American Cook—like the Shrimp BLT, Crispy Chicken and Goat Cheese Burritos, and Gingerbread with Brandied Plums—are free-spirited plays on classics, and his “less is more” philosophy animates suppers like flash-seared scallops on caramelized onions and chicken cooked under a brick with a sauce of rosé wine, bacon, and peas. From a versatile vegetable dish that goes with nearly every main course to handmade pastas with delicate sauces to a foolproof way to cook salmon, Waxman gives you all the techniques and recipes you need for simple, sophisticated cooking at home.
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Jonathan Waxman grew up in Berkeley, California, studied political science and wine making at the University of California at Berkeley, and was a professional jazz trombonist. He apprenticed in France, was chef for Alice Waters's Chez Panisse, and opened a succession of famous restaurants in New York City, including the legendary Jams. He is chef-owner of Barbuto, an Italian bistro in the West Village, and West County Grill in Sonoma, California.