The Best of Craig Claiborne: 1,000 Recipes from His New York Times Food Columns and Four of His Classic Cookbooks

From the late 1950s through the '80s, Craig Claiborne was the food editor of The New York Times. As such, he was instrumental in acquainting Americans with the world's great dishes in recipes that worked. These appeared not only in his columns but also in the landmark cookbooks he authored, including The New York Times Cook Book and the Craig Claiborne's Favorites series. The Best of Craig Claiborne, written with longtime collaborator Pierre Franey, culls more than 1,000 of these recipes--dishes created by celebrated chefs and accomplished amateurs who famously trekked to Claiborne's home to share their cooking expertise. Claiborne fans and cooks wanting a globe-spanning selection of outstanding recipes will welcome the book.

The remarkable recipe range touches all menu bases--from appetizers, soups, luncheon dishes, and pastas, to entrees of all kinds, breads, sauces, and of course, desserts. Exemplary versions of traditional favorites such as roast chicken with mustard sauce, southern biscuits, chili, and linguine with clam sauce are presented alongside newer culinary canon members, such as Vietnamese grilled pork patties in lettuce leaves, braised Chinese mushrooms, pozole, poori, and sushi, among similar specialties. With signature dishes from Alice Waters (her goat cheese and prosciutto calzone recipe is a standout), Jacques Pépin, and Bernard Clayton (among others), and Claiborne's anecdotal sketches of dishes and their cooks, tips, and--above all--precise yet accessible recipes, the book should work for all palates and for cooks at all levels of expertise. --Arthur Boehm