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Jasmin wrote about Alice Waters' new cookbook, The Art of Simple Food, on TreeHugger last month and outlined her sound philosophy about cooking and eating sustainably. I wanted go through this book and see if it works from the point of view of the cook.
This is a very thorough cookbook in terms of explaining what you need to get started, setting up your pantry and getting yourself organized; pretty much what I try to do for the reader every day on Planet Green.
There are plenty of suggestions about menu planning and even on packing lunches. Her section on having friends over for dinner outlines everything that I have learned the hard way while entertaining over the past 25 years. The planning steps are carefully delineated and the really important message is never lost. Keep it simple and have a good time while you share your food with your family and friends.The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 deals with the philosophy, kitchen basics and what Waters calls foundation recipes which covers everything from vinaigrette for your salad to cookies for dessert, each section containing three or four recipes.
Part 2 covers recipes which are little more complex but still very simple at heart. Every recipe is laid out carefully with a suggestions about possible variations at the bottom. There is also a huge section on vegetables which gives basic directions about buying and preparing them even if there is no accompanying recipe.
This is an excellent book for a beginning cook. It covers a lot of practical considerations and is concise and well-written. There are very few recipes in this collection that a beginner wouldn't consider tackling. The recipes sound inviting and use ingredients that are easy to obtain.
As someone who is experienced in the kitchen, and agrees wholeheartedly with Waters' approach to food, there isn't much that is new here for me, although the recipes I have tried have been very good. If you are an experienced cook who spends way too much time searching out exotic ingredients and then use complicated gadgetry to prepare them, you may find this book a revelation.
Difficulty level: Easy
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