Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times: Featuring 350 recipes from the author of HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING and THE BEST RECIPES IN THE WORLD [Paperback]

Mark Bittman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 22, 2007

Mark Bittman’s New York Times column, “The Minimalist,” is one of the most frequently clipped parts of the paper’s Dining section. For Bittman’s millions of fans who regularly pore over their clippings, here is reason to rejoice: A host of Bittman’s wonderfully delicious and easy recipes, 350 in all, are now available in a single paperback.
In sections that cover everything from appetizers, soups, and sauces to meats, vegetables, side dishes, and desserts, Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from The New York Times showcases the elegant and flexible cooking style for which Bittman is famous, as well as his deep appreciation for fresh ingredients prepared with minimal fuss. Readers will find tantalizing recipes from all over, each requiring little more than basic techniques and a handful of ingredients. Cold Tomato Soup with Rosemary, Parmesan Cups with Orzo Risotto, Slow-Cooked Ribs, Pumpkin Panna Cotta—the dishes here are perfect for simple weeknight family meals or stress-free entertaining.
Certain to appeal to anyone—from novices to experienced cooks—who wants to whip up a sophisticated and delicious meal easily, this is a collection to savor, and one destined to become a kitchen classic.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Culling 350 recipes from his New York Times "The Minimalist" column, Bittman offers a go-to volume for anyone who enjoys cooking simply. His recipes are easy to follow and execute, but they maintain a level of sophistication and freshness that many super-quick cookbooks lack. All recipes are marked with a realistic estimate of how much time they require, start to finish: Chicken with Coconut and Lime takes 20 minutes; Sparkling Cider Poached Fish takes 15 minutes; Coq au Vin with Prunes takes an hour. Several of the longer-duration entries don't require much hands-on work; the Bread Pudding with Shiitake Mushrooms, requires "about 1 hour, largely unattended" and the Braised and Brown Lamb with Peaches needs "about 1 ½ hours, largely unattended." Simple sauces, condiments and desserts such as Dried Fruit Poached in Port and Ginger Pots de Crème round out the selection of mostly dinner-appropriate recipes, which are perfect for home cooks who want to put tasty, impressive meals on the table frequently and without much fuss. (May)
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Review

“Mark Bittman's quick and easy recipes are much more than that, a definitive collection that takes as little as a half hour and results in truly remarkable food. That alone should empower you to drive past the take-out place and do some cooking.”
—Mario Batali

“Some cooks enjoy giving the impression that their work requires esoteric language and complicated skills. Mark Bittman is just the opposite. He is devoted to making it clear that great food can be created with few ingredients and a minimum of effort.”
—John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger, coauthors of The Thrill of the Grill and License to Grill


"Mark Bittman makes great everyday cooking and eating possible in a harried world. He is a master of streamlining good food down to its essence without losing a jot of taste. Mark understands and loves exceptional food and enjoys cooking it. Under his tutelage, we can, too."
-Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of The Splendid Table® on PBS and author of The Italian Country Table

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; First Edition edition (May 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767926234
• ISBN-13: 978-0767926232
• Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 7.8 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Seasonal

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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

100 of 102 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick, Easy, and DELICIOUS January 10, 2008

By JMG

Format:Paperback

I received Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes for Christmas. I am an avid cook, but find that lately I don't have the time or energy to cook a full meal when I get home from work. Mark's book makes cooking a delicious meal easy and accessible.

Additionally, the recipes use common ingredients--and a limited number of ingredients per recipe. For example, Chicken Curry in a Hurry calls for 4 ingredients: vidalia onions, curry powder, chicken breasts, and sour cream (excluding cooking oil, salt, and pepper: too ubiquitous to be considered ingredients). Egg Drop Soup calls for 5 ingredients: chicken stock/broth, eggs, soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallions.

I recommend this book both to novice and experienced cooks that are looking for a go-to cookbook with reliable recipes.

79 of 80 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Three great books in one January 3, 2008

By Lynn Harnett TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Featuring 350 recipes from Bittman's "New York Times" column, "The Minimalist," and originally published as three cookbooks - "The Minimalist Cooks at Home, "The Minimalist Cooks Dinner," and "The Minimalist Entertains," this well-organized, no-nonsense paperback caters to the home cook with its emphasis on simple, fast, fresh, and delicious.

From Garlic Soup with Shrimp to Pear and Gorgonzola Green Salad with Walnuts, to Herb-Rubbed Salmon, Pot Roast with Cranberries, Fast Potato Gratin, Pasta with Clams and Tomatoes, and Sautéed Bananas, Bittman provides simple directions and numerous variations which inspire the cook to branch out with his or her own ideas.

A simple Asian-style Cucumber Salad becomes dinner with the addition of chicken or scallops and maybe some jicama, apples, bean sprouts or watercress. Braises change character with a change of herb, an addition of butter, or a tweak of technique, like caramelizing the onions rather than simply softening.

Bittman ranges across the world with dishes like Lemongrass-Ginger Soup with Mushrooms, Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sauce au Chien, Lamb with Peppers and Yogurt Sauce, Cauliflower with Garlic and Anchovy, Curried Tofu with Soy Sauce, Pasta Risotto Style.

There's plenty of homey familiar fare too - Creamy Mushroom Soup, Fastest Roast Chicken, Deviled Chicken Thighs, Braised Pork with Turnips, Spaghetti Carbonara, Maple Bread Pudding and more. Time estimates are accurate for the organized cook and although not all dishes can be on the table in 30 minutes or less, few require more than 20 to 30 minutes actual prep time.

This is a book for every kitchen, every day.

114 of 130 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Minimalist Cooks" v2.0 is a great value May 26, 2007

By Lemon Magic

Format:Paperback

This book appears to be contain the recipes from two previous NYT recipe compilations by Mark Bittman, "The Minimalist Cooks Dinner" and "The Minimalist Cooks At Home", possibly along with some new material (the cover copy also says it contains "The Minimalist Entertains", which I never got). I no longer have my copies of those Bittman books, so it is hard to certain. Since those collections were $25 hard backs and this is a $19 trade paperback, the savings are obvious, and any Bittman fan who doesn't have the "Minimalist" books will want to pick this up posthaste. The one draw back is that the design for this collection isn't as plush - no food photography, and no shiny pages. I also can't say how much overlap exists between the NYT "Minimalist" columns and "How To Cook Everything", since I don't have the Big Book (I was doing fine with the two "Minimalist" collections I had before they were lost in a move). Readers with a limited budget or minimal shelf space may need to compare this book with HTCE (and possibly "The Greatest Recipes In The World") to see if they really need or want this book.

But boy, I sure did like my two "Minimalist Cooks" collections, so I am delighted to have this compilation. Bittman makes even formidable sounding dishes sound approachable and his calm, spare, economical style makes me want to break out the pots and knives and have at the recipes without delay.

Some people might bridle at this as another "repackaging" of the Bittman brand name, but this particular collection just makes me happy.