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April 2004
Cooking From the Heart is
an unprecedented collection of recipes written
by some of our most beloved and world-renowned chefs. Besides
the obvious and noble goal of raising money to support Share
Our Strength's fight against hunger, this compilation aims
at evoking the sensory memory and deep emotional attachment
we have to an unforgettable dish. In an era of slick food
photography and coffee table cookbooks, Cooking From the Heart
breaks the mold and focuses entirely on its objective: great
recipes and evocative storytelling. You won't find any glitz
in this cookbook; conversely it has a very homespun feel.
Considering the density of recipes and recollections offered
there is literally no room for food photography.
With contributions by chefs ranging in style from Lidia Bastianich
to Ming Tsai and Rick Bayless, there is something for every
food lover in this cookbook. Each recipe has an accompanying
story, told in the first person by the chef. In this same
vein, each recipe is written in a distinctly personal style,
some more user-friendly than others. The chefs' experiences
range from childhood Sunday suppers (which can become a little
too "precious" after the fourth or fifth one) to inspiring
anecdotes about coming of age as a young cook, or a culinary
revelation later in life.
Broken into helpful, although broad sections, most recipes
have a distinctly down-home feel, including many roasts and
braises. With a few exceptions, recipes are easy to execute
and scaled appropriately to the home kitchen. This incredibly
eclectic, evocative compilation is potentially hard to navigate,
but that's part of the adventure. Although not particularly
useful as a culinary reference book, Cooking from the Heart
is an exciting and intense journey through America's diverse
culinary landscape and the inner worlds of our most celebrated
chefs.
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