Last night, I found myself munching on some soft tacos at Chipotle with Daniel Boulud—not an everyday occurrence, but a fitting one for the launch of the latest in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything series, Bittman Takes on America's Chefs (Wiley, $24.95). Boulud (along with Suzanne Goin, Kerry Simon, and José Andrés) is one of the 13 chefs taken on, and the Chipotle chain is one of the sponsors of the TV series of the same name. In the book, Bittman goes head to head in the kitchen with each chef to distill his or her high-end cuisine to its essence for the home cook, who's less likely to have a brigade of underlings and who's forced to shop at the local markets. The series is scheduled to debut this month on public television stations across the country. Check your local listings for times or visit www.howtocookeverything.tv for more info.
Later in the evening and farther downtown, Mario Batali threw a party at his vino shop, Italian Wine Merchants, to celebrate a new book from pal Michael Schlow, It's About Time: Great Recipes for Everyday Life (Steerforth Press, $35). Those familiar with Schlow will be pleased to see recipes from his three renowned Boston eateries, Radius (serving modern French), Via Matta (Italian from Tuscany, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, and Liguria), and Great Bay (seafood), but the heart of the book comes from the family recipes and stories: The chef's goal is to kick start a return to the family dinner, a tradition that has disappeared from so many people's hectic lives. In chapters with titles like Time to Eat Now, which features 30-minute recipes, and Time to Get the Family Together, featuring his father's rules for the kitchen, Schlow insists the family meal is possible, no matter how busy you may be. Why not give it a try? www.radiusrestaurant.com; www.viamattarestaurant.com; www.greatbayrestaurant.com
Originally posted on Epicurious.com.
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