Alice Waters - The Art of Simple Food

I own a number of cookbooks. Nonetheless, I'm always on the lookout for others. I really like borrowing cookbooks from the library. It's a great way to 'test' them out before buying.

My most recent 'borrowed' cookbook was Alice Waters' 'The Art of Simple Food'.


Eat locally & sustainablyEat seasonallyShop at farmer's marketsPlant a gardenConserve, compost, recycleCook simplyCook togetherEat togetherRemember food is precious

Was this book written for me? I agree (and live by) each one of those principles.

I think that people who are new to local or simple foods should really read this book. The recipes are geared to the beginner cook and teaches the most basic techniques (i.e., homemade chicken broth, a 1-2-3-4 basic cake recipe, making dough, omelets, and tips on grilling vegetables). She then includes more recipes or variations on those to create more complicated recipes.

In her Vegetable chapter Alice Waters lists a couple of simple recipes for each vegetable, such as steamed broccoli with garlic, butter, and lemon, braised savoy cabbage, glazed carrots, creamed spinach--all traditional methods of using these vegetables. For someone who isn't used to cooking simply and using fresh ingredients this book is definitely a great resource; not just for the recipes but also because she does give a lot of tips on living sustainably as well.

Anyways, I think I may end up eventually buying this book....especially after trying out the brussel sprout recipe below. Yum!

Brussel Sprouts Gratin

Trim the outer leaves and stems from 1 pound of brussel sprouts. Cook them until tender in salted boiling water, about 10 - 12 minutes. Drain the sprouts well and chop coarse. Into a heavy pan over medium heat, put 2 or 3 slices of chopped bacon. Cook until just rendered and limp. Add the chopped sprouts. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Butter a baking dish. Add the sprouts and bacon mixture and spread evenly. Pour 1/2 cup of cream on top and then sprinkle 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs. Top with a few thin shavings of butter. Bake in a 400F oven for 20 - 25 minutes.

The recipe turned out really well. I don't like the taste of plain ol' boiled or steamed brussel sprouts (yuck!) so I'm always on the lookout for some tasty sprout recipes. I'll definitely make this one again.

Now, if only I could get my daughter to like brussel sprouts.....