Kitchen Sense: More Than 600 Recipes to Make You a Great Home Cook

New York food authority Mitchell Davis instantly inspires trust in his introduction to Kitchen Sense: “You have just opened a cookbook written by someone who loves to cook.” Davis says that in the 1950s food-industry marketers successfully convinced the public that cooking was “a dreary chore” in order to promote sales of quickly prepared packaged foods. Davis is one of a growing number of folks who advocate the pleasures of real cooking, and Kitchen Sense is designed to be very useful to anyone from novice to seasoned cook. Davis’ recipes for such comforting dishes as “The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese,” baked salmon and chicken and dumplings are easy to follow (but not simplistic), with tips following each recipe for advance prep and leftovers. Ethnic recipes—ceviche, dukkah, pastitsio—are well-represented, too. There’s also a sprinkling of the more esoteric, like bean soup with stinging nettles and lavender cookies. This informative 516-page book is well-laid-out in eye-friendly type and includes sections on hors d’oeuvres, sauces and desserts, and a helpful glossary section called “Kitchen Words.”