How to Dress an Egg: Surprising and Simple Ways to Cook Dinner

$30.00

Learn to cook one thing exceptionally well and you open the door to a multitude of possibilities, with no need for special equipment or fussy techniques. That’s the premise of this book.

Ned Baldwin, a home cook who taught himself to be an excellent chef, sees no reason why anyone else can’t do the same. By showcasing one ingredient per method, Baldwin introduces all the skills a cook will ever need to prepare endless pleasurable meals. Get a big, beefy hit from a hanger steak by cooking it in the oven; master salad-making with leafy greens; grill fillets of sea bass for crispy skin and moist flesh; roast an explosively juicy chicken (the secret is to cook it on the floor of the oven); bake leeks to soft perfection; and more.

Each dish is elaborated on in different ways to expand the technique into unlikely, inventive recipes that are jumping-off points for endless creativity.

NED BALDWIN earned an MA in sculpture from Yale and pursued a career in the visual arts and building, but the art and science of cooking fascinated him. He apprenticed with Alain Ducasse and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and also worked with Tom Colicchio at Craft, before becoming Prune's chef de cuisine. He is the owner of Houseman (the name means "house man's food") in New York City, where he lives. He is a fisherman, hiker, cycler, traveler, and an eater.

“One has to cook with precision and confidence to pull off ‘simple’ cooking. Ned’s common sense approach is evident on every page.”

—Tom Colicchio

“This book will make you hungry and happy. It will send you into the kitchen again and again!”

—Ruth Reichl

“If you follow Ned Baldwin’s good recipes and sage advice, you’ll be able to dress an egg. You’ll also be able to ingeniously change up chicken, pork, shrimp, beets, leeks, broccoli, chocolate, and more. Best of all, you’ll learn to follow your senses and to create foods you love and foods you’ll be excited to give family and friends. Keep this book close—you’ll be consulting it often.”

—Dorie Greenspan, award-winning author of Everyday Dorie

“Ned Baldwin has a startling gift for creating scrumptiousness. How to Dress an Egg is a secret treasure, full of tweaks and twists for rendering familiar-seeming dishes into delicious food that you want to eat now, now, now! It has been a long time since I’ve seen a book that makes me want to eat everything in it—if possible, tonight.”

—Bill Buford, editor, journalist, and author of Heat

“Don't let Ned Baldwin's success as a chef intimidate you—he has the soul and humility of a home cook. How to Dress an Egg is brimming with astute tips and irresistible recipes that will elevate your dinner game for good.”

—Amanda Hesser, Co-founder and CEO of Food52

"This collection of varied and delicious suggestions for dressing up basic key recipes is recommended for home cooks looking to add some flair to their meals."

—Library Journal

"Instills confidence, and even injects a bit of fun into the food preparation."

—Booklist