Chris Taylor spends most of his time touring with his band, Grizzly Bear, but musicians have to eat, too. Turns out, Taylor likes to eat well, cook with friends. Yes, cook with, not for, friends. This is a lovely way to bond and minimize some of the stress that comes with entertaining. You eliminate the need to make things perfect if you cook with, but you do need to have the space/kitchen to allow more cooks in the kitchen. I simply don't. I have always dreamed of a large, open kitchen (and a Steinway grand piano), but have always been cursed with a Manhattan galley kitchen.
Like Taylor, however, I spend most of time writing, teaching, performing, so when I cook and entertain, I want it to be an enjoyable experience. Not too stressful. So I appreciate many of the recipes in here that are meant to inspire. They tell you in the intro to feel free to tear the book apart, write in the margins, change things around, cross things out.
Neither Taylor nor Schori are dessert guys, so credit for the desserts belongs to Lillie O'Brien.
The book is divided by seasons. The photos are lovely and definitely whet your appetite. The recipes are very friendly and invite improvisation. The pork chops and charred applesauce looks delicious, and charring the applesauce elevates this dish. The plating in this book is artistic, and I like their philosophy about plating. Even though we're all tempted to serve family style when we have big groups of people over with differing diet concerns, Taylor and Schori noticed that people end up eating components separately that way. Sometimes, flavors pop and foodgasms happen when you mix dishes together. For example, the sauteed snaps and mushrooms with soft boiled eggs might change how you compose a salad.
This cookbook is great for people who want to enjoy simple, satisfying food without the stress and aggravation. Don't overcomplicate, overthink, second guess -- just do it.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
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