The Improvisational Cook [B0054]

2006 HCDJ in excellent, clean condition. In The Improvisational Cook, Sally Schneider helps home cooks declare their independence from recipes and set lists of ingredients and offers an invitation to a fun, more spontaneous way to cook with whatever is on hand. But how do you become an improvisational cook? Once you understand how a basic technique or a recipe works, you can then begin to improvise. Start with one of The Improvisational Cook's essential recipes, such as Caramelized Onions. A special "Understanding" section follows, explaining the internal "logic" of the recipe and its creative possibilities. With that in mind, a savory onion jam; a real onion dip; a quick bruschetta topped with the onions, anchovies, and olives; or a rustic onion soup with dried porcini mushrooms is just a step or two beyond. Sally's notated improvisations illustrate simple, clever approaches and can be followed as is or used as a jumping-off point. The possibilities are endless. Everyday cooking can become creative every day.

From Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "This a great cookbook. It has the kind of recipes that can set you off on culinary adventures of your own. And because the basic recipes are so simple, you might not even need the book in the kitchen while you are cooking. It might be the only cookbook in my collection that could avoid the inevitable food stains!"; "A lesser known classic. Great way to learn to trust your own cooking skills by branching out from a solid base recipe."