Fast Food My Way

Over time, in his cookbooks, and on his TV series, Jacques Pépin has taught people how to cook simple, fully flavored dishes--food that reflects his French training while embracing American informality. Jacques Pépin: Fast Food My Way takes this approach one step further by providing 100-plus recipes for a wide range of delicious, meant-to-be fast dishes. These include Stuffed Scallops on Mushroom Rice; Chicken Breasts on Mashed Cauliflower with Red Salsa; Pasta, Ham, and Vegetable Gratin; and Apple, Pecan, and Apricot Crumble. The "my way" of the title can mean the use of time-saving tools (Pépin uses pressure cookers to achieve easy stews like his beef short-rib, mushroom, and potato dish) and convenience foods (canned black bean soup or sweet potatoes for new soup versions). Generally, though, the Pépin approach emphasizes the use of foods that are themselves quickly cooked, like chicken breasts or beef fillet and that can be made flavorful with equally fast-to-fix accompaniments, like his salsa mayonnaise or his tomato-olive sauce.

Fast is, of course, a relative term, and readers will find more than a few dishes in the book that may require more time or attention than they're willing to spend on a daily basis. But overall, the book offers enough easily made recipes, and super-time-saving formulas, like Instant Vegetable Soup, to make it a true cooking resource. --Arthur Boehm

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• Jacques Pépin Poulets & Légumes: My Favorite Chicken & Vegetable Recipes
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• A Grandfather's Lessons: In the Kitchen with Shorey
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• Jacques Pepin's Simple and Healthy Cooking
• The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen