Pure Food: How to Shop, Cook and Have Fun in Your Kitchen Every Day

Using the best ingredients, and keeping it simple. Chef Christine Cushing focuses on her kitchen philosophies of fun, adventure and experimentation in her new book. In her lively and informal style, she introduces an array of recipes that combine adventurous and sometimes exotic ingredients with simple, quick instructions for preparation. Health is always key. Cushing even takes a trip to a supermarket to illustrate the process of discovering new ingredients.

Customary fare takes on new heights with her tips for picking the freshest fish, produce, poultry and meat available on a given day. A sampling of the sumptuous recipes:

Smoked paprika aioli with grilled asparagus
Arugula, spinach and feta salad with caramelized shallots
Moroccan-style quick shrimp
Stir-fried chicken and Chinese greens
Pan-roasted halibut with shallots and grape tomatoes
Lamb chops with herbs de Provence and Dijon mustard
Lime-scented sushi rice
Israeli couscous with fresh mint
Spicy chive corn cakes
Triple banana coconut loaf.

Pure Food introduces exquisite and nutritious dishes. In no time, Christine Cushing shows each step along the way -- from grocery shopping to garnishes.

Christine Cushing has run her own cooking school and developed recipes for magazines and corporations. She is the author of two other cookbooks, and has hosted several cooking shows on television.