Cooking Off the Clock

August 20, 2012
Celebrity chef, restaurant owner, and dessert queen Elizabeth Falkner focuses on savory dishes in her new cookbook (her first book Demolition Desserts was published in 2007 and showcased her contemporary sweets). Falkner, who has appeared on television shows Top Chef Masters and The Next Iron Chef, is no stranger to stressful kitchen situations. In her latest work she takes a low-key, laid-back approach, showing readers what goes on in her own personal kitchen after work. "When I cook at home, it is usually about relaxing and preparing something without the pressures in the restaurants," she explains. "I make things that don't take much time or effort." She begins with instructions on how to properly stock your pantry, and also lists useful tools and equipment. What follows are simple, classic recipes for almost everything, including condiments, salads, soups, pizza, noodles, main courses, and, naturally, desserts, all with an artistic twist. Chinese chicken salad is made with plum-ginger vinaigrette. Spring pea soup with mint is garnished with sheep's milk yogurt. In her " Snack Attack" chapter, Faulkner includes ham and biscuit sliders with hot pepper jam, and for main courses, there are simple but delicious recipes for rib-eye on the grill and curried fish and chips. Some dishes require a little more work than the average home cook may be wish, but most are straightforward and accessibleâand all are exciting and appetizing.

June 15, 2012

Falkner (Elizabeth Falkner's Demolition Desserts), whom readers will recognize from Top Chef Masters and Iron Chef America, shares the dishes she makes at home, like a refined Corn Soup topped with cocoa nibs, Pork Tenderloin Schnitzel with Plum Gastrique, and Cheddar Streusel Topped Apple Pie. Many recipes incorporate advanced techniques; for instance, a chicken salad requires readers to infuse homemade stock with aromatics and reduce it into a sauce. Consequently, readers should budget plenty of downtime for cooking. VERDICT Organized by course (e.g., "Serious Soups." "Snack Attack," "Pizza," and "Girl Meets Grill"), this sophisticated collection will please passionate, unhurried cooks.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.