Learn to make artichoke-leaf aphids, bok choy buffalos, okra grasshoppers, green-pepper camels, and pear mice-just a few of the 75 ingenious projects. Consisting primarily of color photos of the creatures, first in portraiture and then in step-by-step "recipes" for their creation, Play with Your Food teaches readers above all to see. In addition to limning techniques, the minimal text provides a short look at manmade and natural imagery that suggests or embodies the possibilities of metamorphosis. Then it's on to the creatures themselves and the fun of constructing them. Anyone who enjoys play and the magic of transformation will want Joost's book-and having seen it, will never look at eatables in the same way again. -Arthur Boehm.

Every few decades a book is written that says all there is to say on a subject, or has all the information and passion that sets the standard for professional and amateurs alike. Sauces is one of the best culinary books of this century in English. " -Jeremiah Tower, Stars Restaurant "The art of sauce making is the cornerstone of serious cooking. This book is a must for the new generation of creative cooks who wish to build on the classical French foundation with contemporary, delicious variations. " -Daniel Boulud, Daniel "It is a special reference book-comprehensive and inspiring. " -Alice Waters, Chez Panisse The winner of the James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year Award when it was first published nearly two decades ago, Sauces is, in the words of Mark Bittman, "the single contemporary reference on the subject that is both comprehensive and comprehensible. " Through two successful editions, it has established itself as a modern cookbook classic—and an essential reference for every serious cook. James Peterson trained as a chef in France, and the book offers a thorough grounding in the art of classical French sauce making, from velouté, béchamel, and demi-glace to hollandaise, mayonnaise, and crème anglaise. But Peterson also presents a wide variety of lighter contemporary sauces—including pan sauces, purées, and vinaigrettes—as well as sauces from around the world, including salsas, pasta sauces, and Asian-style dipping and curry sauces. Best of all, he includes recipes not just for sauces, but for finished dishes. These recipes give Sauces a broader scope, showing how good cooking and sauce making are intimately related—and demonstrating how a correctly prepared sauce can transform a well-cooked dish into something truly sublime. Now, with this new edition, Peterson has thoroughly revised and expanded Sauces to make it even more indispensable. You'll find more than sixty all-new recipes for dishes that showcase the leading role of sauces in cooking, such as Chicken Tagine with Harissa Sauce, Osso Buco with Julienned Vegetables, Lobster à la Nage, and Gold-Plated Chicken with Ginger, Saffron, and Almonds. There are intriguing historical recipes from medieval and seventeenth-century Europe as well as broth-based classics such as Pot au Feu and Bollito Misto. And, by popular request, Peterson at last includes a recipe for traditional American Roast Turkey with Giblet Gravy. This new edition has been completely redesigned to make it easier to use and includes more than thirty beautiful new color photographs of finished dishes with sauces. If you're a fan of the book's previous editions, you should note that Peterson has not cut any recipes for this edition, and that he has reinstated the popular sauce charts that appeared in the first edition. Lively, erudite, and authoritative, Sauces remains the definitive modern work on the subject. And with this edition's additional recipes—there are now a total of 440—it is now even more valuable as a general cookbook. You'll find all the techniques and know-how you need to master the art of sauce making, and you'll also discover how sauces can take your cooking to a whole new level. Exclusive Recipe Excerpts from Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making Béarnaise and Hollandaise Coq Au Vin Pear-Butterscotch Sauce // -> // -> // -> // ->.

No matter which presentation you choose, none of these recipes is complex. Rori Trovato knows that the secret to great party-throwing is for the host or hostess to be relaxed, not to be spending every minute in the kitchen preparing last-minute sauces and elaborate garnishes. So whether you're using the good china or the paper plates, Dishing With Style will show you how to pull it off with scrumptious food in beautiful settings—that is, how to dish with style.

You know to first consult The Joy of Cooking for the perfect recipe for salads like caesar, cobb, Waldorf, or three-bean, but what about Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Roasted Red Peppers, and Black Olives, Hot Apple Slaw, or Bread and Tomato Salad? For more than 60 years, home cooks have turned to that beloved cookbook for classic recipes, definitions, and instructions for cooking techniques, but when looking for something new and different, full of spice, or slightly exotic, we tend to go elsewhere. So Ethan Becker is retraining us with The Joy of Cooking: All About Salads and Dressings. Becker-Irma S. Rombauer's grandson and Marion Rombauer Becker's son-continues the family tradition of sharing foolproof recipes for everyday cooking in everyday kitchens. But this new All About series is also beautifully illustrated, filled with brilliant color photographs, and the flavors and techniques have been updated to reflect the way we cook and eat today. Tunisian-Style Carrot Salad glows orange, gold, and red in a full-page photo across from the recipe. Flavored with lemon and orange, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and chili, it's warm and bright, crisp and fresh. Tzatziki Potato Salad is light and tangy, well dressed with fresh mint and dill, cucumber, garlic, and yogurt. A chapter on dressings includes an exciting collection of vinaigrettes-everything from Basic to Tomato Mint and Fennel Parmesan to creative dressings like Tangerine Shallot and Chipotle Pepper Mayonnaise. Becker's new Joy is as essential as ever. It still includes old favorites like Green Goddess dressing and molded gelatin salads, and walks us through tasks like how to cook and peel beets. But it's the new illustrations and photographs, and recipes like Quinoa Salad with Pine Nuts and Raisins and Sautéed Veal Medallions on Arugula Tomato Salad, that make you want to renew your old friendship with Joy. -Leora Y. Bloom.