The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution: A Cookbook [ First Edition, First Printing, Signed ]

Alice Waters; Patricia Curtan; Kelsie Kerr; Fritz Streiff

ISBN 10: 0307336794 / ISBN 13: 9780307336798

Published by Clarkson Potter, New York, 2007

About this Item

A very good copy of the stated first hard cover edition, first printing (full number line), signed by Alice Waters on a publisher's bookplate on the half-title page. No dust-jacket, as issued. The text is wholly unmarked, pristine, and the binding remarkably bright and fresh in appearance. A beautiful copy. Seller Inventory # 022387

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and ...

Publisher: Clarkson Potter, New York

Publication Date: 2007

Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: Patricia Curtan

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

An indispensable resource for home cooks from the woman who changed the way Americans think about food. 

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.

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