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

Mark Bittman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009

101 super-quick and ultra-easy recipes for each of the four seasons— totaling a whopping 404 recipes—from award-winning cookbook author and popular New York Times columnist Mark Bittman.

• A celebrated author with a huge following: The author of the perennial bestseller How to Cook Everything, mark Bittman is known across the country as “The minimalist.” His more than two million readers eagerly follow his weekly recipes and accompanying instructional online videos from The New York Times. His popular thirteen-part PBS series was named the Best National Cooking Series of 2005 by the prestigious James Beard Foundation.

• An easy, breezy read for busy cooks: 404 Express gives readers 101 quick recipes for each season, all of which can be prepared in ten minutes or less. For people who like to eat well without the fuss, mark Bittman offers his trademark pared-down elegance and contemporary style. Like his New York Times column, each recipe is presented with just a sentence or two and requires but a few ingredients. From seafood to pasta dishes, vegetarian specialties and desserts, Bittman covers every flavor for every season.

• Capitalizes on the “seasonal” food craze: With concerns about the environment, today more than ever, Americans are keen on cooking and eating seasonally. Each of the 404 recipes in this book make it easy for readers to choose meals made from fresh foods produced on local farms.

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

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416575669
• ISBN-13: 978-1416575665
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Bittman is the author of How to Cook Everything and other cookbooks, and of the weekly New York Times column, The Minimalist. His work has appeared in countless newspapers and magazines, and he is a regular on the Today show. Mr. Bittman has hosted two public television series and is currently appearing in a third.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

Jill Anderson "jillanderson" (falls church, va USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express: 404 inspired seasonal dishes you can make in 20 minutes or less (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.

38 of 38 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 (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express: 404 inspired seasonal dishes you can make in 20 minutes or less (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.

23 of 24 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 (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express: 404 inspired seasonal dishes you can make in 20 minutes or less (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.