Twelve Recipes

Chef Peternell, chef at Chez Panisse, offers an informal crash course in the “big 12” recipes “at the heart of home cooking.” His inspiration comes from his family kitchen and the realization that his son, attempting to cook while away at college, hadn’t absorbed cooking know-how through osmosis. While Peternell assembles this collection of recipes, tips, and loving reflections as a gift to his son, he creates more than a handbook for beginning cooks. In this survey of cooking basics, Peternell inspires home cooks to “break some rules” and let intuition be their guide. Chapters present ingredient-focused discussions along with several foundation recipes and variations. The eggs chapter instructs how to properly fry, hard-boil, devil, poach, and scramble, and follows with recipes for omelets and frittatas. A chapter on beans discusses legume varieties, storage, and preparation, including recipes for bean soups. Other chapters focus on pasta, rice, polenta, potatoes, chicken, sauces, and cake. Many suggested recipes are woven into the book’s narration while others are presented in a traditional format. There’s advice on tasting, timing, and using leftovers. Illustrations are by family members, and there’s plenty of anecdotes drawn from Peternell’s own home table. Essays have an inviting personal tone, and Peternell encourages cooks to use good sense, relax, and enjoy the unexpected pleasures that come with cooking for yourself and for others. (Oct.)