Slow-Cooked Comfort: Soul-Satisfying Stews, Casseroles, and Braises for Every Season

Drop meat, vegetables and seasonings into a Dutch oven, add a little water or wine, and a few hours later, even a roomful of air traffic controllers will be ready for a nap. This technique, brazing, is given quite the treatment in Marshall's cookbook, which contains dozens of variations on this flexible method. There are braises from all over the world: a Moroccan lamb tagine, a Milanese osso buco, even chili from exotic Cincinnati. Despite its international bent, the dishes here do not require unusual equipment (the tagine, for example, can be cooked in a skillet), and Marshall has also included tempting recipes for stews, casseroles and even desserts. The directions are straightforward and easy to follow, and most of the ingredients are available at any decent supermarket. Perhaps the best thing about this unpretentious cookbook is that it manages to teach without being pedantic: Marshall's notes are brief and informative, making this a book to be used, not admired.