The fascinating diner-to-Ducasse true story of a young New Yorker's meteoric rise from his grandfather's Greek diner in Queens to the kitchens of some of the world's greatest restaurants. Meet the man Alain Ducasse called "the best cook in my kitchen"--Doug Psaltis, a culinary Horatio Alger, whose stubborn passion for perfection and dogged idealism propelled him from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of the food world. Doug began working at his grandfather's diner in Jamaica, Queens, when he was just ten years old--barely big enough to haul a sack of potatoes. His next real restaurant job, following a brief stint in college and some time spent in Colorado kitchens, was in Huntington, Long Island, his hometown. Drivingly ambitious and hardworking, he would travel into Manhattan on his days off to work, often for twelve hours or more without pay, in some of New York's premiere restaurants. He eventually was offered a regular job at David Bouley's new restaurant, Bouley Bakery, where he worked six days a week with double shifts at one of New York's hottest and most acclaimed restaurants, often leaving the house before dawn and returning home to grab a couple of hours of sleep before taking the train back into the city. From there he went to Alain Ducasse New York, which eventually won four stars from the "New York Times." Doug caught Ducasse's eye and was selected as the first American chef in the Ducasse empire and the chef to lead the next Ducasse restaurant in New York, Mix. Running the kitchen of Mix was both a dream job and a formidable challenge. Doug guided the restaurant through many crises in the face of mounting pressure and tension from all sides--before an explosive conclusion. After leaving Mix, Doug was offered a job working for Thomas Keller at the French Laundry, arguably America's restaurant mecca, where he helped lead the kitchen with Keller. Today, just past thirty, he is starting a whole new chapter in a remarkable career--a seasoned chef at last. Filled with rampant egos, cutthroat kitchen politics, and settings ranging from Monte Carlo to Paris and Napa Valley, "The Seasoning of a Chef" is a real and rare glimpse into the food industry. More than anyone until now, Doug Psaltis reveals vividly and honestly the hardships, sacrifices, and dreams of glory that are all part of becoming a great chef.

When one of America's most talented and best loved chefs reinterprets the great American classics, the result is Chef Paul Prudhomme's Seasoned America, a beautifully illustrated collection of American favorites made even better. In his new book, Chef Paul works his culinary magic on America's classic regional recipes--San Francisco cioppino, Texas chili, Maryland crab cakes, for example. The results are more than 150 recipes that represent a whole new way of interpreting traditional American cooking. Special sections encourage home cooks to experiment and take risks for the sheer taste of it. Some text and images that appeared in the print edition of this book are unavailable in the electronic edition due to rights reasons.

Spices are the fastest, easiest way to transform a dish from good to spectacular. In his new book, Lior Lev Sercarz, the country's most sought-after spice expert, shows you how to master flavor in 250 inspiring recipes, each counting on spices to elevate this collection of everyday and new favorites. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Spices are the magic ingredient in Lior Lev Sercarz's newest book, Mastering Spice, and all it takes is a pinch to bring your meatballs, roast chicken, or brownies to the next level. Owner of New York City spice shop La Boîte, and a professionally trained chef who has cooked at some of the world's most renown restaurants, Lior's simple and straightforward approach showcases how spices and spice blends can take a recipe for chicken soup, meatballs, or brownies into a whole new and exciting direction. Every section begins with a master recipe and technique--then Lior teaches readers how to change the spices or some of the ingredients to get a profoundly different dish than what you began with. By mastering the techniques and playing with the variations, you'll learn how to use spices to become a more creative and intuitive cook, and how spices can endlessly heighten your eating experience.

This engaging and approachable (and humorous!) guide to taste and flavor will make you a more skilled and confident home cook. How to Taste outlines the underlying principles of taste, and then takes a deep dive into salt, acid, bitter, sweet, fat, umami, bite (heat), aromatics, and texture. You'll find out how temperature impacts your enjoyment of the dishes you make as does color, alcohol, and more. The handbook goes beyond telling home cooks what ingredients go well together or explaining cooking ratios. You'll learn how to adjust a dish that's too salty or too acidic and how to determine when something might be lacking. It also includes recipes and simple kitchen experiments that illustrate the importance of salt in a dish, or identifies whether you're a "supertaster" or not. Each recipe and experiment highlights the chapter's main lesson. How to Taste will ultimately help you feel confident about why and how various components of a dish are used to create balance, harmony, and deliciousness.

Now a Netflix series New York Times Bestseller and Winner of the 2018 James Beard Award for Best General Cookbook and multiple IACP Cookbook Awards Named one of the Best Books of 2017 by: NPR, BuzzFeed, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Rachel Ray Every Day, San Francisco Chronicle, Vice Munchies, Elle.com, Glamour, Eater, Newsday, Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Seattle Times, Tampa Bay Times, Tasting Table, Modern Farmer, Publishers Weekly, and more. A visionary new master class in cooking that distills decades of professional experience into just four simple elements, from the woman declared "America's next great cooking teacher" by Alice Waters. In the tradition of The Joy of Cooking and How to Cook Everything comes Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, an ambitious new approach to cooking by a major new culinary voice. Chef and writer Samin Nosrat has taught everyone from professional chefs to middle school kids to author Michael Pollan to cook using her revolutionary, yet simple, philosophy. Master the use of just four elements--Salt, which enhances flavor; Fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; Acid, which balances flavor; and Heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food--and anything you cook will be delicious. By explaining the hows and whys of good cooking, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will teach and inspire a new generation of cooks how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients, anywhere, at any time. Echoing Samin's own journey from culinary novice to award-winning chef, Salt, Fat Acid, Heat immediately bridges the gap between home and professional kitchens. With charming narrative, illustrated walkthroughs, and a lighthearted approach to kitchen science, Samin demystifies the four elements of good cooking for everyone. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes--and dozens of variations--to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs. Featuring 150 illustrations and infographics that reveal an atlas to the world of flavor by renowned illustrator Wendy MacNaughton, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will be your compass in the kitchen. Destined to be a classic, it just might be the last cookbook you'll ever need. With a foreword by Michael Pollan.

In this groundbreaking cookbook, Nina Simonds offers us more than 175 luscious recipes, along with practical tips for a sensible lifestyle, that demonstrate that health-giving foods not only provide pleasure but can make a huge difference in our lives. With her emphasis on the tonic properties of a wide variety of foods, herbs, and spices, this book also brings us up to date on the latest scientific research. In every recipe–gathered from cultures around the world in which good eating is a way of life–Simonds gives us dishes that are both irresistible and have a positive effect on one’s well-being. For example: -Cardamom, a key digestive, subtly seasons her Steamed Asparagus with Cardamom Butter. -Cinnamon, which strengthens the heart and alleviates nervous tension, adds spice to her Fragrant Cinnamon Pork with Sweet Potatoes. -Basil has long been used as a healing salve and in teas. So who wouldn’t feel rejuvenated by a delicious bowlful of Sun-Dried Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil? -Peanuts, which fortify the immune system and lower cholesterol, provide a tasty, crunchy accent in Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken. -Mint, which has many healing properties, from taming muscle spasms to dissolving gallstones, can be relished in Minty Snap Peas accompanying Pan-Roasted Salmon or in a Pineapple Salsa served with Jerk Pork Cutlets. -And peaches give us vitamin C, beta carotene, and fiber. So enjoy them in a wonderful Gingery Peach-a-Berry Cobbler. To help us understand what part these health-restoring foods can play in our lives, Simonds peppers Spices of Life with lively interviews with a variety of experts, including Dr. Jim Duke, who offers anti-aging advice from his Herbal Farmacy; Dr. Andrew Weil, who discusses his latest nutritional findings; and Dr. U. K. Krishna, who explains basic Ayurvedic practices for healthy living. And more. With its delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes and concise health information, this delightful book opens up a whole new world of tastes for us to enjoy every day and to share with family and friends.

As any home cook knows, adding a little bit of spice to your meal can bring flavor and variety to your plate in a big way. After all, humans all around the world have been fine-tuning the art of seasoning in various forms for thousands of years. But figuring out the right amount or food pairing can be intimidating - resulting in your unopened spices left sitting on the rack. Cooking With Spices is a cookbook and reference guide for any level chef who wants to learn about and explore spices from around the world. Organized by region from India to Europe - with spice profiles and recipes for rubs, blends, marinades, and sauces - Cooking with Spices shows you how to savor spices every day, no matter where you are in the world. Recipes include: Chinese five-spice blend, South Pacific honey paste, Backcountry chimichurri sauce, Harissa paste, Sicilian saffron pasta sauce and much more.