by Kelly Pickerill
The cookbook stand on my kitchen counter is home to a battered, food-splattered paperback copy of Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. It never moves from that stand or, if it does, it’s only for a moment, and during that time it sits propped next to whatever other book is being consulted, waiting patiently to be put back in its place.
When my roommate and I are stumped as to what to make for dinner, we’ll look through the fridge and cupboard and use Bittman’s book like a food encyclopedia, finding the connections between the various foods we already have to combine them, magically, it sometimes seems, into a whole meal.
We find ourselves talking to each other about the book as though it’s a foodie friend, “Mark recommends boiling rice this way to make it stickier,” or, “What does Mark say about asparagus?” While I highly recommend “Mark’s” advice on “everything,” his large tome can be a bit overwhelming, and has no colorful food illustrations that can help inspire your appetite. His newest book, How to Cook Everything, The Basics, is the perfect introduction to the more encyclopedic earlier volume. It is thoroughly illustrated, and its recipes are simple enough for a novice cook yet flexible enough for the more adventurous to expound upon.
Mark has something for everyone (and we use them all): for the vegetarians his How to Cook Everything Vegetarian is just as hefty and thorough as his meat-inclusive first volume, and The Food Matters Cookbook is the cookbook companion to his book Food Matters, where he talks about the impact of the American way of eating on our health and the environment. See all of Mark’s books here.
This Thursday, Lemuria will be heading out to the Livingston Farmer’s Market loaded up with cookbooks, where guest chef Derek Emerson will be visiting and signing Wild Abundance.
If we see you there, take a look at what Mark has to say in Food Matters – it just might find a permanent place on your cookbook stand. Check out the Facebook page for Livingston Farmer’s Market for news & directions.
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