First published 2012
Professional cooking skills belong within reach of every home cook. This cookbook transforms amateur kitchen work into restaurant-quality results through lessons drawn from MasterChef contestants and judges. Bastianich guides readers through fundamental techniques like proper pan seasoning, knife sharpening, and creating perfect steak rubs. The book advances beyond basics into creative territory with exotic dishes and innovative approaches to classic preparations. Over 100 recipes span from venison medallions to seared lobster with bourbon and shallots, crisp pan-fried potatoes to apple caramel spice cake. Fifty photographs illustrate finished dishes. Expert wine pairings accompany recipes, while Graham Elliot provides additional perspective through his foreword. The cookbook demonstrates how television contestants achieve excellence under pressure, then translates those lessons for home kitchens.
Genres: cooking, food, cookbooks, food-and-drink
Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: how-to, instructional
320 pages · Hardcover · Rodale Books