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Summary: This Guy Understands Food!
Review: I'm a busy person who used to love to cook for hours on end. It didn't matter if dinner was served at 9:30 p.m. if it was going to be really good. Then I had a baby. I don't do prepared foods (too scary) or have many options for take out (small town). Bittman's book is a godsend for busy people who still want flavorful food cooked with care in a short period of time.Most helpful are his suggestions at the end of every recipe that let the cook know which ingredient substitutions or spice/flavoring substitutions will work with the master recipe. He also understands that we do not always have every exotic ingredient on hand, so he makes reasonable suggestion on how to maximize flavor and still get dinner on the table in time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am buying a few copies for friends who share my passion for good food and don't have as much time for preparation as they would like.
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Summary: Maximal praise for the Minimalist
Review: I've been a Bittman fan since I first read "Fish." Wednesdays are a special treat because of his Minimalist column in the New York Times. Luckily for those of us who clip the recipes religiously but then misplace them, now the best of the best are in one place--his new book based on his column. Bittman's recipes are easy to understand, easy to follow, are always accompanied by interesting variations, and are typically so simple that anyone can make them. His How to Cook Everything should be on every cook's shelf, far above the stodgy favorites of yesteryear. Bittman's the Best!
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Summary: the most useful cookbook I've bought in 10 years
Review: I've picked up a lot of cookbooks over the years and put them down when I realize the authors think I'm interested in committing HOURS to making dinner, or that I have a two page list of ingredients ready and waiting in the pantry. All culinary excellence aside (see below) these recipes give a clear idea of prep time, cooking time, and interesting substitutions. In the year that I've owned this book I've made at least 30 recipes from it. None have been too tricky for my low-to-middling skills, and none have given me an ugly surprise. That is commendation enough! However, lest I leave this book with that pale recommendation, let me say that Bittman is endlessly interesting; I've learned a lot from him, especially from the suggested substitutions after each recipe. If you like a recipe one way, he offers ingredients to toy with - other meats to try the same spices on and other spices to substitute.
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Summary: Gifts for Adult children who do not cook
Review: If you have adult children who like more than pasta and tacos and who are reluctant to cook, this is the book for them. Not only are the recipes easy, but some people primarily do not know WHAT to cook. This is a good problem solver. And I think How to Cook Everything is the standard for a basic new cook.
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Summary: A great guide to first-rate meals
Review: Mark Bittman does a wonderful job of bringing interesting ingredients and simple techniques together to make great-tasting dishes in a minimum amount of time. He fosters a spirit of experimentation with his suggestions for quick variations on the recipes. Most importantly, his "minimalist" approach demonstrates the truth about great cooking: the best flavors are in the food; don't muck around much with it and you'll do OK. Mark's clear writing style makes the recipes easy to understand and his introductions often show the thought process he went through in stripping an idea for a dish down to its minimalist presentation. I've often pulled this book off the shelf, paged through to find three or four recipes that sound interesting, made a shopping trip and threw together a fantastic meal in an hour or so. With the help of this book and implementing Mark's philosophy in other dishes, I've increased my reputation as a great cook among my friends. Many have suggested Mark's "How to Cook Everything" book. I found that book too daunting upon first perusal. I don't want to cook "everything." I just want a few dishes that I can turn into consistant favorites. This book was perfect for me and I highly recommend it. Perhaps when I'm looking to expand into some odd dishes, I'll pick up "Everything;" for now this book holds more than enough.
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Summary: A godsend
Review: Mark Bittman has distilled an enormous store of experience into a compendium of canonical recipes that achieve an unmatched fusion of simplicity, sophistication and culinary enjoyment. The book contains classics like chicken in Riesling as well as more adventurous dishes, e.g. lemon grass ginger mushroom soup. All the recipes I tried worked perfectly. I also like Bittman's concern for healthy nutrition with an emphasis on freshness and flavor, avoiding excessive use of butter and cream. For us who work a 60 hr + week and still want to eat well, this is a godsend.
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Summary: Great fast food!
Review: Mark Bittman offers a fun, easy way to cook. Each of his recipes are tasty and healthy; each recipe also offers several variations. He only calls for a handful of ingredients and tells you "upfront" how much time it will take to prepare and cook the dish. Many take only 15-30 minutes.
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Summary: Minimal Ingredients, Maximum Flavor
Review: My first recipe was "Sausage with Grapes" with a total of 3 ingredients and 2 steps. I had to admit that I had a back up plan ready just in case. I'm happy to say I didn't have to use it. The combination of Italian sausages, seedless grapes, and Balsamic vinegar created a very unique taste that I enjoyed. That is a factor to consider when approaching this cookbook. Many recipes are simply not for everyone. If you have a die-hard tomato sauce on spaghetti crowd, you may have tough time getting them to try "Ziti with Butter, Sage and Parmesan". If you have adventurous eaters however, you're in luck. His "With MINIMAL Effort" section that ended each recipe easily tripled the number of recipes you can create in this book. Don't like an ingredient, look through his list of alternatives. Something as simple as using garlic instead of ginger created a whole new taste sensation for his "Steak with Butter and Ginger Sauce" recipe. Who needs A1? You'll find yourself getting excited while using this cookbook. If you're a novice who wants to expand their horizons, you'll find lots of room to grow. For those who are hold hands in the kitchen, you'll find lots of reasons to let loose and play.
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Summary: Read Once
Review: The author's approach is very realistic, but if you are an experienced cook, you will probably enjoy reading the book but not feel the need to refer to it often. I found it more an affirmation of the way I cook than a guide to further experimentation.
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Summary: Best cookbook I ever bought
Review: The only cookbook that I regularly use, which makes it the best I have ever purchased by a long way. "Minimalist at home" works because in the process of stripping dishes down to their essentials, Bittman can explain how the dish functions. By this, I mean that he explains the roles of the different ingredients, and why leaving one out doesn't work. Once you know the basic function of an ingredient in the context of that recipe (e.g. vinegar as acid to balance sweetness), his recommendations for substitutes now make sense. The result is a book that not only suits weekday cooking (because you can typically use what you have in the fridge), but also increases your confidence and flair as a cook. You build your confidence by successfully substituting ingredients, and coming up with your own ideas for enhancements to dishes. This is a cookbook where you learn structure and principles that can be applied to all cooking -- unlike most cookbooks where you must slavishly follow the ingredients and method without understanding why they work. A book that strips recipes to their essentials does rely more on the quality of the ingredients. The extra expense to buy good, flavorful free-range chicken, for example, rather than the cheaper-but-flavorless anaemic supermarket version really pays off. If you are not prepared to do this, you will not get as much out of the book. I have cooked a large number of the recipes from the book and only a couple were misses -- "Chicken with vinegar" was disappointing, for example. But friends who come round for dinner rave about dishes like "Chicken under a brick", which is fantastic as well as being quick and easy to make. I have bought copies of this book for friends who like to cook, and they love it too. You should buy it!
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