Simply Brilliant: Cooking at Home with a Four-star Chef

The cooking of Jean-Georges Vongerichten--sophisticated yet startlingly uncomplicated, hinting at French and Asian influences yet entirely original--has earned endless raves and accolades from every quarter.  Why?  Because Vongerichten has invented a culinary style that is highly creative and intensely flavorful but uses few ingredients and is remarkably simple.

Now, Jean-Georges, with award-winning coauthor Mark Bittman, brings this extraordinary cuisine to the home kitchen. There are no mile-long lists of instructions, the recipes use readily available ingredients, and many can be prepared in thirty minutes or less. Some of the recipes are taken directly from the kitchens of Vongerichten's three restaurants--Jean Georges, Vong, and JoJo. They not only sound simple but are simple--and irresistible. Fennel and Apple Salad with Juniper. 10-minute Green Gazpacho. Sautéed Chicken with Green Olives and Cilantro. Warm, Soft Chocolate Cake.

Jean-Georges's signature dishes are all here and made easy for the home cook. Scallops and Cauliflower with Caper-Raisin Sauce. Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk and Lemongrass. Salmon and Potato Crisps. Looking for simple, midweek fare? Try the quickly-put-together Savoy Slaw with Citrus, Ginger, and Mustard and the Dill-Stuffed Shrimp with Baked Lemon. For weekend entertaining, start with Beet and Ginger Salad, move on to the Gently Cooked Salmon with Mashed Potatoes, and dazzle your guests with the spectacular Apple Confit.

This long-awaited cookbook makes it easy to turn your kitchen into a four-star restaurant. All it takes is the inspired recipes and innovative techniques of Jean-Georges.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten trained as a chef in his native Alsace region of France. He is the chef/ owner of the Vong restaurants, JoJo, and his newest restaurant, Jean Georges, which earned a rare four-star rating from the New York Times.  A New York chef lauded for more than a decade, Vongerichten's numerous other accolades include the 1998 James Beard Award for Best Chef in America.

Mark Bittman is the author of two books, Leafy Greens and Fish, and the winner of the 1994 Julia Child Award for Best Single Subject Cookbook. He writes "The Minimalist" column for the New York Times, and his writing has also appeared in Eating Well, Food & Wine, BusinessWeek, and the New York Times Magazine.