Daniel Orr Real Food

I am neither a professional chef, nor someone with a lot of time to cook--but I do like to make tasty things that don't take too long. This book is divided into two sections, what Orr calls "Regime" cooking -- in other words, everyday dishes that can be prepared quickly and simply, and the more exotic dishes (though not terribly complicated) for entertaining. The Regime part is simply great. He uses a few spice blends that you can either mix by yourself or buy from his website at a very reasonable price (I'm about to buy them--for the amount I cook, it's easier, and they seem really delicious). He uses low fat, low sodium recipes, but full of flavor...and the stuff is just great. For instance, who knew that by adding a little orange zest into oatmeal you could elevate the taste? I got this book as a gift about three years ago, and it was sitting on the shelf until I pulled it down a few weeks ago. There's something joyful about Orr's approach, and it actually feels life changing. I am enjoying these recipes enormously, and thinking differently about cooking. One other commenter here noted that you can use the recipes exactly "as is," and that is very true -- but if you're missing some ingredients and have just a little facility in the kitchen, you can improvise and swap out other ingredients pretty easily. In fact Orr often suggests alternative ingredients or spices. Anyway, I am in love with this book.

I wrote this book as a way to show cooks and armchair cooks the other side of my kitchen personality. At NYC's La Grenouille it is all about richness, at home it is about clean flavors. I want to show everyone how much fun it is to cook and how much it adds to your life.Many of the recipes are one pot affairs that are easy to clean up after and most of the everyday recipes are for 2 so there isn't alot of extra food left-over. I know you'll love the book and by the way it makes a great gift for the holidays for people that love to cook everyday. Let me know how you like it.

this is one of the VERY few cookbooks i have ever used in which the recipes can be made, in most cases, "by the book". most cookbooks do not give complete instructions, and most recipes if made exactly according to the book, seem to "need" something. This one hits everything right on the mark with bright, clean flavors, clear instructions, easy-to-procure ingredients (no peeky toe crab! ) and GOOD for your health components that actually taste wonderful. I was a professional cook for twenty years, and in most cases I just use cookbooks as a source for menu ideas, not actual recipes. This is one book I actually cook from. Thanks, Daniel. MORE!

This cookbook is a must.