And Recipes from a Delicious Revolution

This book goes beyond being a cookbook. Alice Waters has included many helpful facts and methods for foods and food preparation. Its a great book and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in "good" cooking and food prep.

This cookbook gives a lot of simple recipes with both easy to find ingredients, as well as more exotic ones. The best part is that she gives 3-6 variations for each recipe to give readers different ideas to tailor them to their liking.

Alice Waters combines her famed cooking skills with the ability to write clearly for both beginning and more advanced cooks. The organization of each chapter and the sample dishes to prepare will enable you to gain skill and confidence in your cooking ability. Her book gave me the confidence to try something new on guests - without fear of failure.

i love this cook book. it really simplifies what you need in your kitchen - from equipment to basic food items - to have healthy, simple, and delicious meals. great meal and entertaining planning as well. perfect for a budding cook!

This is such an essential go-to source for anyone interested in consistently delicious, yet simple and easy, healthy food choices. Lots of good information even for those of us who would be considered seasoned in the kitchens ourselves. A great gift too for someone just starting out with their own kitchen.

This is a fabulous cookbook that I've already learned a lot from. As I try to use fewer processed foods in my diet, this book makes that really easy. I definitely recommend reading the forward, staples list, and tool section. Each recipe is like a cooking lesson by itself.

I truly believe anyone interested in cooking and cooking well, should have this book in their library. It is the best. If you purchase it just for the Creamed Spinach recipe, you will have got a bargain. It takes you through the absolute fundamentals of using ingredients properly. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

This book is good for the beginner or the experienced cook. Includes lots of basic information that I received in culinary school. Emphasis is placed on eating fresh, seasonal, local food. Excellent source of reference.

After buying this book for my girlfriend for Christmas - I then bought it for my brother (a brilliant chef) and my mom (mother of a brilliant chef).

All three love it - i love it. it makes my mouth water.

Really great book for understanding not just how to make a simple and outstandingly delicious recipes but understanding how to make a whole class of recipes (I've been able to follow recipes for years but this book helps me create recipes because I understand why certain things have to happen in a certain order). The recipes themselves are wonderful and very easy to follow too. People have commented on how well I make roast chicken after reading this book.

The northern California queen of farm to table, organic food always writes a great cook book. My wife owns just about every book Alice Water's has released. This book is in frequent rotation in our kitchen, we make dishes from the recipes at least once per week. Recommended.

overrated....but that is just my opinion.
I have been cooking for over 35 years, this book is my basic understanding already.
I expected more, much more! But then, it's not geared toward professional, I think?

overrated....but that is just my opinion.
I have been cooking for over 35 years, this book is my basic understanding already.
I expected more, much more! But then, it's not geared toward professional, I think?

Great book that came in horrible condition. I love this book, I've borrowed it from the library multiple times finally decided to buy it. Unfortunately the "acceptable" edition came with the binding unraveling and I'm afraid to read it without it completely breaking.

I really enjoy this cookbook. The author is such a pro - first section of the book is really about the themes and approaches she employs in cooking. The second section has recipes which align with themes. It is a very relaxing read. I am looking forward to making some of the dishes.

I looked forward to this book with eager anticipation. I was not disappointed. I have followed Alice Waters' life and career for more than 20 years and have always looked to her for inspiration. I have all of her other books, and while "Pat's Biscotti" from her first book, The Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook, has been a staple from my kitchen, this new collection far outshines the rest.

I have been cooking exclusively from this book for the past two weeks. Everything, absolutely everything I have made has been stellar! First, there was the minestrone, which included homemade chicken stock and beans cooked from scratch. I have made both for years, but was never really satisfied, and more recently have relied on boxed broths and canned beans. No longer. The chicken stock was not over-powered by too many vegetables as recommended in other recipes, the beans were tender and held together, and they were seasoned to perfection with Alice's direction to taste and salt along the way. This resulted in a minstrone that was as near to perfection as I have ever tasted. I added kale to mine, which added great color.

As I write this review, I am eating my lunch, which is the Polenta Torta, which I made two days ago. It is still as fabulous as it was then. First, Alice directs us to cook the polenta for one hour - yes, one hour. I thought to myself, oh, I don't need to do that; 30 minutes will suffice. I had the time, so I let the polenta cook quietly on the back burner for the entire hour. What a difference! Unbelievable taste and consistency! I layered this goodness with the Simple Tomato Sauce and added a layer of sauteed mushrooms and a separate layer of sauteed zucchini. This is comfort food at its best!

In addition, I've made the scones - light, sweet, but not cloying; the Bean Gratin, which I served alongside plain ploenta - great taste and texture combination; and the peach crisp - a juxtaposition of texture, with the soft peaches and raspberries contrasted with the crunchy topping (I used slivered almonds, which I chopped and toasted in a dry skillet. I also added the zest of an orange - an Ina Garten trick.)

Tonight, I can't wait to get home to cook the Braised Chicken Legs with Tomato and Garlic. I've been cooking avidly and passionately for a long time, and I haven't been this inspired by a single cookbook for a while. It's great to get the spark back. Thank you, Alice.

I've eaten in the Chez Panisse Cafe and Cafe Fanny (the breakfast bar) every time I get to Berkely. Someday, I will get to eat Downstairs. Until then, I'll just have to be content with this most treasured tome.

Good book for people who want to learn some basic technique to make the jump from being able to cook if and only if you follow recipes verbatim and buy ingreidents ad hoc for every meal to actually thinking and stocking ingredients like an experienced cook. A little too centered on western cuisine for my likening, hey, but it's called simple food for a reason. The techniques carry over to other areas if you so choose.

there has never been a simple time, even when there was simple food. even with food processors, william-sonoma, oxo and rachael ray, simple food requires more time to prepare. the reward is tasty, healthy, and supports local growers. but you have to decide what in your not-so-simple life you will forgo to take advantage of the opportunity.

A few preliminary comments from the author that put the book in context. From the author (pages 4, 5): "This book is for everyone who wants to learn to cook, or to become a better cook. . . . I'm convinced that the underlying principles of good cooking are the same everywhere. These principles have less to do with recipes and techniques than they do with gathering good ingredients, which for me is the essence of cooking." Key aspects of her "philosophy" are printed on pages 6-7, among which are: eat locally and sustainably (use small, local producers as sources of fruits and vegetables, for instance); eat seasonally (a companion rule to the previous one); shop at farmer's markets; etc.

The start is nice, in that she lays out what ingredients (herbs, for instance) and equipment should be on hand for effective cooking. One simple example: the author's emphasis at several points on the value of a good supply of fresh aromatic foods to enhance flavors in a recipe (e.g., onions, carrots, and celery). Then, she discusses how to plan menus and entertain friends for dinner. Not recipes, but useful context.

The recipe sections begin with a rendering of how to make several essential sauces, including vinaigrette, salsa verde, aioli, and herb butter. None of the recipes calls for rocket science knowledge, but they are well explained and doable. One nice feature--some possible variations on the recipe. E.g., with vinaigrette, she notes that one variation could be to beat in a bit of mustard before you add the oil; alternatively, she suggests that one could a fresh nut oil for the olive oil.

There is a nice discussion of sautéing as a technique, with a nice example immediately thereafter (sautéed cauliflower). Another example of technique--poaching. Following the general discussion, she uses an example quite familiar to me: poaching salmon. I have a handful of recipes featuring poached salmon (the fish cooks through, satisfying my family, and still stays moist, satisfying me).

There are a sampling of recipes for poultry, fish/seafood, meat, etc. While the recipes are nice, I wish that there had been more. One thing I like in cookbooks is abundant choice!

Anyhow, this is a nice reference for those who enjoy cooking; it's probably also apt to be useful to those who don't like much cooking but want some doable and good recipes when called upon to fix up a meal. Worth taking a look at.