Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express: 404 inspired seasonal dishes you can make in 20 minutes or less [Kindle Edition]

Mark Bittman (Author)

Book Description

People who like to eat well without the fuss have always turned to Mark Bittman for his trademark pared-down elegance and contemporary style. In 404 Express, Bittman, author of the popular New York Times column "The Minimalist" and the bestselling How to Cook Everything series, offers readers a new level of ease with recipes that that are no more than a paragraph long.

The 404 seasonal recipes are sophisticated as they are simple: on a cold winter night, warm up with White Bean Stew served over crusty slices of oil-rubbed baguette. Welcome spring with Shrimp with Asparagus, Dill or Spice Poached Eggs and Truffled Arugula Prosciutto Salad. Make the most of summer produce with Scallop and Peach Ceviche or Apricot Cream Upside Down Pie, and try Salmon and Sweet Potato with Coconut Curry Sauce or Broiled Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts when the air starts to cool.

The beautiful, two color cookbook also includes Bittman's complete guide to stocking your pantry, menus for a variety of occasions, and recipe lists that span the seasons.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bittman here offers a sampling of 404 inspiring recipes. But don't expect another How to Cook Everything. This newest is of a different kind—simple and snappy, and rarely calls for measuring spoons. The no-sweat recipes are divided into four sections: summer, fall, winter and spring, capitalizing on the freshest ingredients of each season while whittling down the prep time of ordinarily elaborate dishes like coq au vin and ricotta cheesecake to 10 minutes or less. The book includes a drill-down of how best to stock your kitchen, and given the impromptu nature of the book, the substitution grid proves indispensable. While many dishes are sandwiches, dips or salads, Bittman offers a handful of innovative gems like figs in a blanket and pasta jambalaya, drawing from a diverse gastronomical panorama including Latin, Asian, Mediterranean and Creole flavors. And while quick, Bittman's recipes don't lack his signature creative punch. Lavender-thyme braised chicken, scallop and peach ceviche and a five-spice lobster sandwich will make most readers both salivate and appreciate the ease of his recipes. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“I’d buy any cookbook Bittman wrote.”

—The Miami Herald

“This is a man who loves food in the most unstuffy way possible.”

—The Chicago Tribune

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 345 KB
• Print Length: 240 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (July 7, 2009)
• Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002EF2AJS
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,707 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #12 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Seasonal
  • #93 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Seasonal
  • #98 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Quick & Easy

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 87 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific "busy Mom" cookbook! July 21, 2009

By Jill Anderson

Format:Hardcover

I love this cookbook! WOW.

What I love about this book:
1) Recipes are sectioned by season
2) All recipes are written in paragraph form - with very little instruction (a pinch, a splash, drizzle, etc..)
3) At the beginning of the book, he gives you recommendations for a well-stocked pantry (I passed - woo hoo).
4) At the back of the book he provides tables for Kitchen Express Menus - Weeknight Dinner Party, Romantic Supper, Better-than-Chinese Takeout, Kids' night, Room-Temperature Buffet, Finger-food Cocktail Party, and Picnic/Road Trip, Holiday Blowout and Weekend Brunch. Each table is segmented by season - listing potentially an appetizer, main course, salad or vegetable, side dish, dessert.
5) The food tastes great! My very picky eater 4 yr old son loved the Korean Barbecued Beef that I paired with rice and sugar snap peas.

I highly recommend this cookbook.

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, fast recipes with few ingredients July 21, 2009

By Gluten free mom

Format:Hardcover

I really like the book. I have Mark Bittmans' book "How to Cook Everything" too, which I've always loved. This is smaller but still has a ton of great recipes. This is perfect if you really like quick-cooking dishes. "How to Cook Everything" also has a lot of quick dishes but you have to find them (which takes time - and that's what I'm trying to save). The format is different - just a paragraph for each recipe - but I like it. He always makes everything simple and his dishes are delicious. He's also very practical. He also has a section on what substitutes you can use if you don't have an ingredient. I also have celiac disease and have to eat gluten-free. Most of his recipes lend themselves naturally to a gluten-free diet. He doesn't use processed foods and he doesn't use flour to make a lot of sauces. He might use flour to dredge meats but I usually just skip this step or you can use cornstarch or another wheat flour substitute. His ingredients are just simple, fresh ingredients....and he doesn't use too many.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars For those who love Bittman's NYT Express columns..... July 21, 2009

By lonbeehold

Format:Hardcover

....this book is a real treat. I have been collecting the express entries from his "The Minimalist" columns and tucking them into my copy of his fabulous book How To Cook Everything. It's wonderful to have so many great ideas, inspired by the spirit of those columns, in book form. For those unfamiliar with Mr. Bittman, this book is a great introduction to his philosophy of simple, delicious, never boring cuisine. Another winner from one of my favorite food writers.

More About the Author

Mark Bittman is one of the country's best-known, most widely respected food writers. His How to Cook Everything books, with one million copies in print, are a mainstay of the modern kitchen. Bittman writes for the Opinion section of the New York Times on food policy and cooking and is a columnist for the New York Times magazine. He is regularly featured on the Today Show in How To Cook Everything Today cooking segments. For 13 years he wrote "The Minimalist" column and now a "Minimalist" cooking show is featured on the Cooking Channel. The How to Cook Everything series is highly respected: the first edition of the flagship book How to Cook Everything won both the IACP and James Beard Awards, and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian won the 2008 IACP award. He is also the author of Food Matters, Food Matters Cookbook, Fish, and Leafy Greens.