An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace

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I would much rather read Nigel Slater, Simon Hopkinson, Fergus Henderson, Melissa Clark, Mark Bittman, Deborah Madison, or even Alice Waters, who gives a glowing review of Adler's book, but oddly enough, I find less offensive. Through the insightful essays in An Everlasting Meal , Tamar Adler issues a rallying cry to home cooks.

Her words are saying that cooking is for everyone and not just celebrity chefs and experts, that food does not have to be perfectly arranged on a plate, that it can be a messy daily thing full of mistakes and made on the spot with leftover ingredients that would have ended up in the trash anyway. I forget the way bliss can trip into meaning, into vibrancy, into a stunningly pigmented existential composition. Skip the rest, if you must, but that chapter gives you ways to save money and waste by using so many bits and pieces we normally throw away. That said, this was a mildly successful book, in that it did teach me some things, while also boring me through some chapters of stuff I already know.An impressive encyclopedia of recipes for elevated but frugal and environmentally friendly eating… Adler’s thorough guide will inspire all levels of cooks to say goodbye to waste and embrace the ABCs of leftovers. While it does contain recipes as illustrations, it's much more a philosophy and guidebook for how to weave cooking into your daily life, how to relax and enjoy it.

I already know I will blow through this book in the next day or so, and I already know that I want to read through it again. She recommends turning to neglected onions, celery, and potatoes for inexpensive meals that taste full of fresh vegetables, and cooking meat and fish resourcefully. Adler's chapter titles (which are lovely) acknowledge her debt to MFK Fisher, and Fisher's style is clearly what Adler is shooting for. Through the insightful essays in An Everlasting Meal, Tamar Adler issues a rallying cry to home cooks. The way she sees it, by making something new, you're honoring and extending the labor you put in the first time around.She used quality ingredients, fresh and in season, always prepared correctly -- and always with an eye to using the leftovers in the next meal. I’d prefer to see most things prepared without much salt, if any, and those who need it can add it at the table.