The Improvisational Cook [Paperback]

“Schneider weans home cooks off their training wheels and provides a springboard from which they can leap out of the box, craft their own distinctive dishes, and let their new instinctive and creative juices flow.”
—Mario Batali

Everyday meat loaf, roast chicken, and cornbread become inspired new dishes in the hands ofThe Improvisational Cook.Sally Schneider, bestselling author ofA New Way to Cook, encourages home chefs to be creative and daring, to “cook out of the box,” in order to create their own culinary magic. Encouraging freedom from strict recipes and set lists of ingredients,The Improvisational Cookis the ideal cookbook for anyone who has ever considered pairing prosciutto with roasted peaches or putting parmesan on french fries.

What happens if you . . .

. . . pair prosciutto with roasted pears?
. . . shave Parmesan on French fries?
. . . add pepper to a chocolate cake?
. . . pan-fry macaroni and cheese?

InThe Improvisational Cook, Sally Schneider helps home cooks declare their independence from recipes and set lists of ingredients by offering a fun, more spontaneous way to cook. The secret lies in understanding the internal logic of a recipe and its creative possibilities.

Start with an essential dish, such as Caramelized Onions. Following Schneider's clear advice, it can become a savory onion jam; a real onion dip; a quick bruschetta topping with anchovies and olives; or a rustic onion soup with dried porcini mushrooms—all in just a step or two.

The possibilities are endless. Prepare a savory lemon jam to go with lamb or veal chops, or turn it into a cake filling. Roast a whole lobster instead of a fish in a salt crust. Add minced rosemary or Earl Grey tea to butter cookie dough. Turn a brownie batter into an elegant, pepper-scented chocolate cake.

Schneider gives cooks the know-howl7