Nancy Silverton: Twist of the Wrist

By JULIETTE ROSSANT To write A Twist of the Wrist (Alfred Knopf 2006, Nancy Silverton has to confess a few things -- or, debunk a few myths. She is a chef, after all, and chefs make everything from scratch using only the finest, local ingredients in season -- right? Well, not exactly... I come from a school of cooking in which anything that is viewed as less than fresh from the farm, anything that is not straight from the earth; anything prepared, frozen, packaged, or preserved; anything not made with the very best ingredients, by loving hands, is considered if not downright evil, a total cop-out... For me to write a book in which a jar of mayonnaise is even mentioned is revolutionary. But it's a revolution that I felt had to happen. (p. 3) The subtitle of the book is "Quick Flavorful Meals with Ingredients from Jars, Cans, Bags, and Boxes" fits well. Her co-author is journalist and food writer Carolynn Carreno. Of course, chefs have always preserved things themselves, and used preserved products that enhanced their dishes, whether it be capers or anchovies, tomato paste and preservers or dried meats. Nancy's book is about substituting store-bought ingredients that a good cook would make him or herself if he or she had the time. The change that allowed Nancy to write this book is that preserved food – canned, bottled, frozen and dried – is so much better than it used to be. Italian tuna, organic tomatoes, and Celebrity Chef's own products abound in supermarkets. Thus dressing up a store-bought corn soup with homemade bacon and Cheddar croutons….is not the alternative to slow cooking,i t's the alternative to not cooking. And the alternative is takeout. (p. 4) The book's recipes come from Nancy and guest contributors -- chefs and food writers -- whom, she says, use store-bought ingredients she would never think of buying. That means that in the Salad chapter, after plenty of fine recipes for tuna and chicken composed salads, she offers one fromTraci Des Jardin for Garbanzo Bean Salad (p. 25), a simple toss of canned garbanzos with a cumin vinegrette. There is also Zucchini Crudo with Hearts of Palmn and Pecorino Romano from Jonathan Waxman (with Nancy's own additions) on page 30). The most unusual salad or snack is Suvir Saran's Bombay Bhel Poori: Crunchy Indian Snack with Fresh Tomatoes and Onion (p. 46). This is a quick, colorful salad that is a mixture of store-bought bhel mix and chutneys. It is just the tip of the creative dishes Suvir prepares with packaged Indian foods. In the Pasta and Polenta chapter, there is a recipe for Bucatini with Olives, Sun-Dried Tomatores, and Basil from Nancy's partner in Mozza, Mario Batali. It's a simple recipe of olive tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs, just the kind of rich sauce that can stand up to thick bucatini. There is a tempting picture by Amy Neunsinger, also on the cover, of Egg Papardelle with Bagna Cauda, Wilted Radicchio and an Olive Oil-Fried Egg (pp. 67-68). Nancy gives the recipe for Bagna Cauda (an anchovy, butter and garlic sauce) but she also says it is possible to substitute a bottled brand. In the Eggs chapter there are plenty of good fritatta recipes and Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger donated a recipe for Skillet Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs (p. 104) which combines packaged tortilla chips, cheese, hot peppers and salsa in a hearty dish. Nancy includes a very helpful chapter called Twist Essentials (p. 338) which not only describes ingredients but also names the brands she prefers. This is a good book that encourages a bit of creativity for everyday meals, without going to the extremes of demanding that every single dish be made from scratch. It is helpful cookbook written by a top chef, that clearly speaks to how people cook (or want to cook) at home. Book details: Publisher Amazon.com Previous articles: Nancy Silverton: Leadership and Legacy Award Cat Cora: Iron Chef America's First Lady Reminder 1: Vote for White House Chef Vote for White House Chef Nancy Silverton & Mario Batali's Mozza [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Nancy Silverton --> back to Super Chef