Well Fed Network

Posted by Chris Perrin on Paper Palate

It is hard to classify The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution by internationally renowned chef and owner of Chez Panisse, Alice Waters.  It has a lot of recipes for nearly every ingredient under the sun: vegetables, chicken, polenta, beef, shellfish… the list goes on and on, so calling it a cookbook would suit this book just fine.

On the other hand, Waters’ starts at the beginning with numerous lessons for those beginning their culinary journey.  The book begins with a survey of the contents of a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator and then shows readers kitchen equipment they should own.  Waters also briefly discusses basic knife techniques, one of the three fundamental skills of a good chef (the other two being the use of salt and heat.)  In this regard, The Art of Simple Food could be a culinary instruction manual.

At the same time, Waters’ book goes beyond basic culinary preparation techniques into topics like how to make mayonnaise, how to grill, and how to braise.  There are recipes for all the mother sauces and for a number of other sauces that can be made from them.  Even better, there are instructions for making soufflés, savory tarts, and so many other dishes.  This means that The Art of Simple Food grows with the chef and might make some people call it a culinary reference book.

To further complicate classifying this book, Waters also introduces readers to her eight fundamental culinary guidelines, including such sensible advice as to eat locally and sustainably, cook simply, and eat together.  In this regard, the book is also a manifesto about how we can enrich our diets, save the planet and better our lives with food.

This makes The Art of Simple Food as interesting and complex as Alice Waters herself.  She is one of the pioneers of eating locally and sustainably, knowing the people who produce the ingredients she serves and shopping at local farmer’s markets for produce in her restaurants.  She is also a devoted proponent of not overdoing food and has always understood that the best dish relies on the best ingredients cooked in such a way that they are enhanced.  The funny thing is that most cooks today recognize the wisdom of these ideas, but in the 1970s, they were very revolutionary.

This is why The Art of Simple Food is more than just a cookbook, an instruction manual, or a manifesto.  Instead, it is much like one of Waters’ recipes.  Simple lessons, ideas, recipes, and guidelines for living are taken like fine ingredients and mixed together into one fantastic book.

If you are ever in Berkeley and you can get reservations, go to Chez Panisse and let Waters work her magic for you.  Until the opportunity arises, get The Art of Simple Food and begin preparing Waters’ dishes for yourself.  No matter what you call the book or what lessons you take from it, the book is worth the space on your shelf.