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An Everlasting Meal

Cooking with Economy and Grace
by Tamar Adler
An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace. Scribner. Oct. 2011. c.272p. index. ISBN 9781439181874. $25. COOKING
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Adler, who opened a farm-to-table restaurant in Georgia and cooked at Chez Panisse (Alice Waters here contributes a foreword), offers insight into how to make simple foods into enjoyable meals, e.g., food scraps that are normally thrown away are instead used for soups, bones for stock, and orange peels for marmalade. In the chapter "How To Boil Water," she encourages readers to put on a pot of water, then figure out what to throw in it—vegetables, pasta, potatoes, beans, even meat—increasing flavor with each item. Adler devotes a chapter to eggs, which can easily create a meal via a variety of cooking techniques, and she includes a recipe for Tortilla Española (simply potatoes, onions, and eggs). She also offers inspiration for making an exciting salad from in-season produce.
VERDICT Working with mundane, simple foods and easy cooking techniques, Adler shows readers how to stretch their ingredients and add flavor to foods. This is not a cookbook but a narrative featuring easy-to-implement ideas that will encourage seasoned cooks to experiment and make mealtimes pleasing experiences.
Reviewed by Phyllis Goodman, Clermont Cty. Lib., Amelia, OH , Oct 01, 2011
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