How to read a french fry: and other stories of intriguing kitchen science

Recipes

Introduction

One. How to Read a French Fry. Deep-frying

Tuscan potato chips

Stuffed zucchini flowers

Fried little fish

Peach fritters

Shallow-frying (Panfrying and sautéing)

Goat cheese tart with caramelized onions and green olives

Brussels sprouts and bacon

Sautéed green beans with garlic and sage

Crisp-skinned salmon on creamy leeks and cabbage

Country fried chicken

Pan-fried chicken breasts with fresh tomatoes, green olives and rosemary

Pork schnitzel with arugula salad

Two. The Second Life of Plants. Vegetables

Roasted tomatoes with goat cheese

Butter-braised spinach

Belgian endive braised with cream

Radicchio al forno

Glazed zucchini

California succotash of squash, lima beans and corn

Creamed onions with shiitake mushrooms

Market mix

Baked tomatoes stuffed with mozzarella

Rajas (Grilled peppers and cream)

Ratatouille

Roasted beet and orange salad

Spring vegetable stew of snap peas, lettuce, new potatoes and artichokes

Stew of charred tomatoes, pasta and cranberry beans

Ragout of shrimp and fava beans

Grilled vegetable sandwich

Stuffed zucchini

Eggplant and goat cheese casserole

Fruit, cooked and raw

Strawberry soup

Sliced melons in lime-mint syrup

Fall fruit compote

Quince applesauce

Dreamsicle oranges

Candied citrus peel

Ultimate strawberry shortcake

Perfumed strawberries in meringue baskets

Mango crepes with Mexican creme

Cornmeal crepes with spiced plum compote

Cornmeal waffles with winter fruit compote

Vanilla-baked apples with bourbon sauce

Apricot-almond clafoutis

Berry ice cream

Stone fruit ice cream

White peach and fig ice cream

Jams and jellies

Strawberry preserves

Nectarine and rose geranium jam

Meyer lemon marmalade

Three. Miracle In a Shell. Cold emulsion sauces

Celery salad with walnuts and blue cheese

Green goddess salad

Smoked tuna salad in tomatoes

Hot emulsion sauces and cooked eggs

Scrambled eggs with morels and asparagus

Trout mousse

Chocolate pots de crème

Lemon sponge pudding

Lemon curd tart

Four. From a Pebble To a Pillow. Starch-thickened sauces

Smoky cream of corn soup

Orecchiette with prosciutto and peas

Pasta with broccoli rabe

Macaroni and cheese with green onions and ham

Broccoli lasagna

Free-form lasagna of roasted asparagus

Wild mushroom lasagna

Pasta with potatoes

Soft polenta with ragù

Rice and risotto

Artichoke risotto

Zucchini and porcini risotto

Seafood rice salad

Beans and lentils

White bean crostini

Pinto bean puree

White bean and Swiss chard stew

Pinto bean and squash stew

Pork and beans and endive

Braised duck and lentils

Sausages and ribs with red wine-braised lentils

Potatoes, winter squash and other starchy vegetables

Cream of cauliflower soup

Squash soup with Moroccan spices

Potato gratin

Potato gnocchi

Butternut squash puree with balsamic vinegar

Gratin of sweet potatoes and bourbon

Puree of winter squash and apples

Five. Meat and Heat. Fish and shellfish

Ceviche with shrimp and avocado

Calamari salad

Crisp salmon salad

Dungeness crab coleslaw

Fish soup with shellfish

Salmon braised with leeks, prosciutto and mushrooms

Oven-steamed salmon with cucumber salad

Grilled salmon with chipotle-tequila butter

Grilled swordfish with salsa verde

Baked fish with potatoes and artichokes

Broiled sand dabs (or sole) with brown butter

Dry-heat cooking methods for meat

Roast brined turkey

Turkey tonnato sandwich

Real fajitas

Umbrian-style pork roast

Roast lamb with fresh peas and turnips

Moist-heat cooking methods for meat

Chicken braised with green olives and thyme

Chicken in the pot

Mushroom pot roast

Lamb and lentils to eat with a spoon

Braised lamb shanks with green olives

Ragù Napoletano

Meat loaves and sausages

Wild mushroom meat loaf

Spicy garlic sausages

Lamb, orange zest and rosemary sausages

Smokerless smoked bratwurst

Six. Fat, Flour and Fear. Crusts, pies and tarts

Short-crust pastry

Flaky piecrust

Rustic tart crust

Rustic peach tart

Nectarine and almond tart

Lavender-fig tart

Apple crisp

Cookies

Snickerdoodles

New Mexican Christmas cookies (Biscochitos)

Gingersnaps

Grandma Smith's Christmas cookies

Sour cherry-stuffed almond cookies

Index.