Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express

May 4, 2009
Bittman here offers a sampling of 404 inspiring recipes. But don't expect another How to Cook Everything
. This newest is of a different kind—simple and snappy, and rarely calls for measuring spoons. The no-sweat recipes are divided into four sections: summer, fall, winter and spring, capitalizing on the freshest ingredients of each season while whittling down the prep time of ordinarily elaborate dishes like coq au vin and ricotta cheesecake to 10 minutes or less. The book includes a drill-down of how best to stock your kitchen, and given the impromptu nature of the book, the substitution grid proves indispensable. While many dishes are sandwiches, dips or salads, Bittman offers a handful of innovative gems like figs in a blanket and pasta jambalaya, drawing from a diverse gastronomical panorama including Latin, Asian, Mediterranean and Creole flavors. And while quick, Bittman's recipes don't lack his signature creative punch. Lavender-thyme braised chicken, scallop and peach ceviche and a five-spice lobster sandwich will make most readers both salivate and appreciate the ease of his recipes.

September 1, 2009
The busy cook who wants to get a meal on the table pronto will find a generous helping hand from Bittman. His newest endeavor not only uses minimal numbers of ingredients but it also renders complete directions in a single, brief paragraph: no lists, few exact measurements. Bittman assumes basic kitchen competencies and then turns the cook loose with a simple, succinct outline of constituents and techniques. Should these recipes still not offer enough inspiration, he reorganizes all these dishes into a grid sorted by seasons and by type of meal, be it dinner, cocktail party, brunch, or ethnic theme. A further supplement reimagines recipes in new contexts, noting which can be turned into pasta sauces, which can be reheated, which can work at potlucks, and which can be stuffed into a sandwich. This freewheeling approach dissolves cookings mystique, encouraging cooks to be intelligent, yet spontaneous.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

May 15, 2009
New York Times columnist Bittman ("How To Cook Everything") here offers more than 400 quick and easy recipes inspired by the seasons. Rather than standard recipe style, each one is only one paragraph, written in a conversational style, with a one-line headnote. Bittman describes the recipes as "precisely imprecise," and most are open to variations and improvisation. Sure to be popular. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 2/15/09.]

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