Cooking at Home- David Chang, Priya Krishna
David Chang came up as a chef in kitchens where you had to do everything the hard way. But his mother, one of the best cooks he knows, never cooked like that. Nor did food writer Priya Krishna’s mom. So Dave and Priya set out to think through the smartest, fastest, least meticulous, most delicious, absolutely imperfect ways to cook.
From figuring out the best ways to use frozen vegetables to learning when to ditch recipes and just taste and adjust your way to a terrific meal no matter what, this is Dave’s guide to substituting, adapting, shortcutting, and sandbagging—like parcooking chicken in a microwave before blasting it with flavor in a four-minute stir-fry or a ten-minute stew.
It’s all about how to think like a chef . . . who’s learned to stop thinking like a chef.
David Chang came up as a chef in kitchens where you had to do everything the hard way. But his mother, one of the best cooks he knows, never cooked like that. Nor did food writer Priya Krishna’s mom. So Dave and Priya set out to think through the smartest, fastest, least meticulous, most delicious, absolutely imperfect ways to cook.
From figuring out the best ways to use frozen vegetables to learning when to ditch recipes and just taste and adjust your way to a terrific meal no matter what, this is Dave’s guide to substituting, adapting, shortcutting, and sandbagging—like parcooking chicken in a microwave before blasting it with flavor in a four-minute stir-fry or a ten-minute stew.
It’s all about how to think like a chef . . . who’s learned to stop thinking like a chef.
David Chang came up as a chef in kitchens where you had to do everything the hard way. But his mother, one of the best cooks he knows, never cooked like that. Nor did food writer Priya Krishna’s mom. So Dave and Priya set out to think through the smartest, fastest, least meticulous, most delicious, absolutely imperfect ways to cook.
From figuring out the best ways to use frozen vegetables to learning when to ditch recipes and just taste and adjust your way to a terrific meal no matter what, this is Dave’s guide to substituting, adapting, shortcutting, and sandbagging—like parcooking chicken in a microwave before blasting it with flavor in a four-minute stir-fry or a ten-minute stew.
It’s all about how to think like a chef . . . who’s learned to stop thinking like a chef.
Thoughts from Jake— I really like this book for a number of reasons, but first and foremost because of David and Priya’s cooking philosophy for cooking at home. Save time, money, and waste by using what you have. The more I have cooked, the more familiar I have come with my own palette, what I like and don’t like, and now, more often than not, if I am cooking for myself I am not using a recipe. That’s what makes this book so cool, it walks you through how to think about cooking that leads to good results without the use of a standard recipe. The ingredients the authors use and the food they prepare in the book are heavily influenced by Korean, Japanese, and Indian cuisine. But the principles remain the same not matter what kind of cuisine you want to cook. I recommend this book if you are wanting to develop your confidence, competence, and creativity in the kitchen.