Cook This Now

September 19, 2011
Veteran cookbook author, James Beard recipient, and New York Times food columnist, Clark presents readers with 120 recipes organized by season and month. With a candid opening essay on weekly trips to her local NYC farmers’ market in the dead of winter—think frosty fingers, and ice-topped milk—Clark sets the course for this down-to-earth, realistic guide to cooking throughout the year, finding and highlighting seasonal gems in mains, side dishes, and desserts. Numbered steps guide home cooks through recipes ranging from the simple and quick— August’s A Perfect Tomato Sandwich, June’s Green Peach Salad with Lime and Basil, and March’s Spicy Black Beans with Chorizo and Jalapeños—to simple and slow cooked—September’s Braised Pork Ribs with Green Tomato, Orange, and Thyme, and November’s Ham Bone, Greens and Been Soup. “What Else?” sections feature bulleted tips at the end of recipes such as how to turn a stew into a soup and substituting canned beans for dry, while “A Dish By Another Name” headers lead readers to easy recipe variations. Even with a multitude of cooking-by-season titles in the marketplace, the author’s inspiring use of fresh ingredients and flexible attitude toward cooking make this a solid addition to any kitchen cookbook shelf.

October 1, 2011
Delightful seasonal recipes from popular New York Times food columnist Clark (In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, 2011, etc.). More people are choosing local, organic food over mass-produced products, but knowing how to prepare each season's fresh offerings can be overwhelming. Clark takes the guesswork out of succulent, healthy cooking with 120 creative, easy-to-peruse recipes. The author divides recipes by season and individual month, with dishes that include starters, entrees, sides and desserts. Clark highlights a variety of fresh ingredients, including Tuscan kale, sweet potatoes and rhubarb. Alongside the recipes, the author adds personal anecdotes from her own family of picky eaters. Additional segments, such as "What Else?" and "A Dish by Another Name," offer advice, such as suggestions for substitutions if the dish is being prepared out of season or tips on how to tenderize free-range farmers' market chicken legs, which can be more muscular than sedentary, factory-raised meat. Among the highlights of the book: the winter-hearty Port Wine-Braised Oxtails or Short Ribs; the spring-like Green Poached Eggs with Spinach and Chives; summery Maple Blueberry Tea Cake with Maple Glaze; and the autumnal Stupendous Hummus, which urges the use of dried chickpeas instead of canned for a fuller flavor. Delicious multicultural dishes like Israeli Couscous and bonus recipes from the author's previous cookbook add additional variety. A pleasurable collection for cooks of all skill levels.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)