Cookbook Profile: The Simpler The Better

The Simpler The Better
Sensational Home Cooking in 3 Easy Steps

by Leslie Revsin

Simpler The Better
Anyone who loves to cook but has limited time to spend in the kitchen would be thrilled to put stylish, irresistible meals on the table in under an hour, with ingredients that are most likely already in the pantry. And while simplicity is often touted as the key to exceptional home cooking, few cookbooks really live up to the promise. In The Simpler The Better, Leslie Revsin delivers. Each of the more than 100 dishes here can be made in three steps or fewer, in less than thirty minutes' cooking time, and using as few as three and never more than eight readily available ingredients.

As the first woman chef of New York's legendary Waldorf-Astoria, Leslie Revsin knows as much about haute cuisine as she does about home cooking. The Simpler The Better caters to the requirements of home gourmets seeking dishes that are special enough for entertaining but simple enough for any night of the week. From appealing openers like Smoked Chicken and Mango Salad or Caramelized Onion and Garlic Soup to distinctive main courses like Shrimp in Ginger-Coconut Cream or Grilled Rosemary and Garlic Lamb Burgers, these recipes offer maximum flavor with minimum toil.

Revsin's recipes are packed with valuable hints: simple tips that explain an ingredient or technique; variations and "dress it up" ideas that add inspired flourishes to already terrific dishes. Each main course recipe also includes suggestions for vegetables, soups, and salads that perfectly balance the meal. The book concludes with an assortment of mouthwatering sweets that bring an unforgettable end to each simply spectacular meal.

In these pages you'll find no gimmicks, no hidden surprises--like a costly ingredient or a preparation that needed to happen last night for dinner today. Whether you love cooking but just don't have a lot of time for it—or simply want to spend more time with family and friends—The Simpler The Better is a kitchen companion you'll turn to again and again.

About the Author
Leslie Revsin is a widely acclaimed chef, food writer, and consultant who gained distinction early in her career as the first woman chef at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. She was among thirteen "Master Chefs of New York" appearing on PBS, and was also named one of Food & Wine magazine's "Top Chefs." A regular contributor to Fine Cooking magazine, she is the author of Come for Dinner, a James Beard Award finalist, and Great Fish, Quick, a Julia Child Cookbook Award finalist.

Note: Sadly, Leslie Revsin passed away just as this book was being released, and around the same time as Julia Child, her friend and mentor, did. She will be missed.

Buy the Book!

The Simpler The Better
Sensational Home Cooking in 3 Easy Steps
by Leslie Revsin
John Wiley & Sons
$24.95, Hardcover
ISBN: 0-471-48231-5
Information provided by the publisher.