Simple to Spectacular: How to Take One Basic Recipe to Four Levels of Sophistication

by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Mark Bittman

What happens when a four-star chef and a culinary minimalist decide to join forces to create something different? They invent a new style that adapts to every occasion and every level of cooking expertise. Simple to Spectacular introduces a unique concept developed by one of the world's top chefs, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything and the New York Times's hugely popular column "The Minimalist." Ever since their award-winning collaboration on Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef, the acclaimed duo has been cooking up a repertoire of new dishes that can be prepared in any of five progressively sophisticated ways.

Simple to Spectacular features a total of 250 recipes in 50 groups. Each group begins with a simple, elegant recipe--a few ingredients combined for maximum effect--followed by fully detailed, increasingly elaborate variations. For example, a recipe for Grilled Shrimp with Thyme and Lemon leads to Grilled Shrimp and Zucchini on Rosemary Skewers, Grilled Shrimp with Apple Ketchup, Thai-style Grilled Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers, and Grilled Shrimp Balls with Cucumber and Yogurt.
Every aspect of the meal is covered, from superb soups and salads to unforgettable side dishes, entrees, and desserts. In Simple to Spectacular , everything--from the basics to innovations by a four-star chef--is tailored for a quick Tuesday night dinner or an elegant weekend party.  And in the now-classic Vongerichten-Bittman style, all of the recipes can be made in the kitchen of any home cook. With 80 full-color photographs giving a mouthwatering view of the Simple-to-Spectacular transformations, readers and cooks will eagerly explore the possibilities.Jean-Georges Vongerichten (right) won the 1998 James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef and Best New Restaurant. His Manhattan restaurants include Vong, Jo Jo, The Mercer Kitchen, and Jean Georges, which earned a rare four-star rating from the New York Times.  

In Simple to Spectacular , two titans of the food world have created a truly groundbreaking cookbook.  Here are 250 superb recipes arranged in a uniquely useful a basic recipe and four increasingly sophisticated variations, with each group (there are 50 groups in all) based on a given technique.  This ingenious organization enables cooks of all levels of expertise to understand how a recipe is created and to re-create the brilliantly simple recipes and dazzling variations from one of our best food writers and home cooks teamed with one of America's greatest chefs.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Culinary

432 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2000

Reviews

[Queer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant guide to eating and cooking. This text was essential to my learning how to cook.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the concept of this cookbook, take fairly popular dishes and present them through 4 or more evolutions of complexity and flavor. It shows how you develop almost any dish.

[Lindsey Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a widely ranging book built on a great concept: it begins with one basic recipe and technique, then expands / transforms that recipe by adding ingredients and complexity. In some cases, the changes are relatively minor; in others, they create a completely different kind of dish. The introduction to each concept is clear and straightforward, the description of the individual recipes succinct and evocative. This is a very well-assembled book with some wonderful ideas. It does rely a bit heavily on Asian flavors, but given Jean-Georges' background, that's hardly surprising.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for home cooks willing to explore some daring cuisine with really basic ingredients. This book starts off with a single ingredient - such as scrambled eggs - and offers 4 levels of recipe for each, from easy (scrambled eggs with basil and tomato) to complete gourmet (scrambled eggs with caviar and creme fraiche). Very fun!

[Kirsten Karlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I cooked out of this more - all the recipes I've tried are great, and I really like the format. There are a bunhc of basics, and then for each (from basic steak to eggs) there are 3-4 more recipes of increasing complexity and decadence.

[Jerzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really good inspirational ideas about how to take a simple dish and make it more elaborate or give it a little flair - how to make variations on a recipe. Probably worth checking out of the library again when I actually have time/energy to cook a lot again.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent concept. Enjoyed trying these recipes. Favorites were the mashed potatoes with raclette cheese, sprinkling crispy shallots over spaetzle, and one for oven braised short ribs with red wine and mushrooms.

[Tiko · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite cookbook! Learn the techniques to master the simple recipe in a category, then work up to more complicated versions. The best scrambled eggs are a favorite of everyone I cook breakfast for.

[Margaret Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I know this is not necessarily something you "read" like most stuff on this site but I have decided that my favorite cookbooks should appear here too, because they are very worth perusing.