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Cooking Know-How
Every month, veteran food writer Irene Sax reports on a new cookbook and shares some delicious recipes. This month's book is Cooking Know-How by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough (Wiley, 2009).
You could say there are 512 recipes in Cooking Know-How. Or you could say there is none. That's because Weinstein and Scarbrough's new cookbook has no traditional recipes, not the kind that list ingredients and then tell you what to do with them. Instead, it describes the techniques behind 64 dishes such as frittatas, mussels and beef stew, illustrated by helpful photos and a chart of variations for each one. Irene Sax spoke with Mark Scarbrough about the new book.
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WW: Who did you write this book for? Is it for brand-new cooks? Or is it for the already good cooks who buy your books and read your Everyday Gourmet column on WeightWatchers.com?
MS: Our editor thinks it's for the beginning cook and that it would be the perfect wedding gift. Bruce and I think it's for someone who cooks a little, who can definitely get dinner on the table, but now wants to move up a couple of notches. Someone who is ready to be creative but would like a little hand-holding from us.
How did you get the idea?
It's the book we've dreamed of writing for years. We did a magazine article on pasta with cream sauces in which we showed the science and art behind the dish. It felt like a great subject for a book because, in a way, it's the opposite of the Internet — you know, the sites where you look up beef stew and find 1,000 recipes. Instead, we tell them how and why something works, and they're free to make their own 1,000 variations.
What's the best way to start?
I think you should pick a dish that you love, like scaloppine or chicken and rice, and just get into it. But if you're unsure of your skills, start with something easy like boneless and skinless chicken breasts, and we'll talk you through getting it into the skillet, browning it and making sure it stays juicy. Or maybe the fish filets with a simple pan sauce. A lot of people have trouble with fish because they overcook it: it's incredibly fast to do.
Do you see home cooking becoming popular again?
Absolutely. And it's not just the economy. I think people are finally beginning to realize that it's healthier. But we've always spoken to the home cook. Our recipes don't call for demi-glace or flambéing or other fancy techniques, and we're careful to use only ingredients that we can get in our supermarket. Of course, these days you can get almost anything in the supermarket.
As the authors of Everyday Gourmet, did you set out to make the dishes in Cooking Know-How diet-friendly?
Some are and some aren't. Mac and cheese is mac and cheese. On the other hand, we give some practically no-fat recipes like salmon and shrimp burgers, poached fish and Mediterranean fish in packets.
I've always thought those packets were tasteless.
They can be deadly dull. The secret is to add a teaspoon or two of acid like sherry vinegar, lemon or orange juice or wine. That's all in the book. It's not a diet book, but most of the recipes are reasonably healthful, and you can always make them more so by pulling up the vegetables or choosing the right variation. It's your choice: Cook mussels with mushrooms and cream or with clam broth and tomato juice.
You two share a byline. How does that work?
I write and Bruce cooks. He's the trained chef from Johnson & Wales. First we sit down and get a concept, saying let’s try grilled trout. He goes away and executes it, we taste it and change it, and I get his notes, which look as though a chicken has stepped in ink and walked across the paper. We usually send the recipes out for testing, and by the way, we're always looking for testers. It's a no-pay job, but people say they enjoy it. We'll send them 10 recipes and ask them to make two and then ask why they chose to make those two. We learn a lot that way.
As the writers of Everyday Gourmet, do you watch your weight?
We do. We were doing really well until the book before this one. It was Pizza: Grill It Bake It Love it, and it did us in. Now we have quite a bit of walking to do this spring.
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