The Cooking Book

The Cooking Book: A Dance in the Kitchen
By Robert Dove McClellan
Art & Photography by Lisa Wexler
180 pages, spiral bound, color and black & white photographs

When Robert cooks, there are delicious surprises in store--and here he makes it fun and easy! From over 40 years of professional cooking experience, Robert mixes solid, practical advice with his philosophy of food, cooking, and living, and some of his favorite prep tips and recipes. Although all of the recipes are meatless, this is a book that will appeal to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian readers. Robert writes with a twinkle in his eye that recognizes even a crisis can be a happy adventure. Whether you’re cooking for 6 or 60 or even (gasp!) 600, you can make your food look beautiful, taste great, and supply needed nutrition. And you can do so with minimal work, and at the same time, have FUN!

Robert says:
“This is a book about cooking, not simply a recipe book, and the profound joy that is the art of cooking…. It’s about having fun, about making ‘mistakes’, about learning why things work the way they do, and about the wonderful surprises which await us when we dare to experiment with all the foods and cultures of the world.”

Robert says:
“’Pesto’ is named for the mortar and pestle (grinding mallot) used to make it. We think of pesto as a sauce, but it could also be a spread, or a dip. It’s usually made with basil, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese, but you can use all kinds of things with great success. Any green leaf will do, parsley and mint being distinctive flavor-bearers. I’ve even made it with kale, adding additional seasoning like cumin or curry. Any kind of nut will do (they all have distinctive flavors and require some thought). Use any kind of pungent, strong tasting cheese or even eliminate the cheese. The only thing that’s required is extra virgin olive oil and garlic. In Morocco, they make something called ‘chermoulla’, with parsley, cilantro, and chiles (and olive oil and garlic, of course). If you find a mortar and pestle at a yard sale, buy it and see if it helps create something different than what you get using a food processor.”

From a reader:
“Many thanks for your fine... ideas in general but in particular for the encouragement to roast more vegetables. I spent a couple of hours on Saturday roasting and marinating eggplant, summer squash, red onion, garlic & sweet potato slices. Now I can add them to other things and have interesting lunches all week.”
Anne Kazlauskas, Hyde Park, MA
To order, contact:
Spirit Movers Enterprises

For tips, inspiration, recipes, and more, visit the authors website:
A Dance in the Kitchen