Cookbook appeals to minimalist in kitchen

THE MINIMALIST COOKS AT HOME, by Mark Bittman, Broadway Books, New York, 1999, 240 pages, $25.

Readers of the Wednesday New York Times dining section will be familiar with Mark Bittman’s weekly column, “The Minimalist.” Those who haven’t been clipping his recipes since 1997, though, will have a chance to see why he’s become so popular by taking a look at his new book.

The book’s subtitle, “Recipes That Give You More Flavor from Fewer Ingredients in Less Time,” pretty much sums up his philosophy of cooking and accurately describes the book’s approximately 100 recipes, which, he frequently notes, are suitable for weeknight meals.

These recipes are notable for their ease of preparation: very few require more than four steps, and very few list more than five or six ingredients, all of which are quite easy to find in Maine supermarkets.

Chicken with Vinegar, for example, in addition to the chicken, olive oil, and salt and pepper, requires only shallots, vinegar, and butter to complete. Almost any kitchen is up to these recipes – although a food processor and a good, heavy nonstick fry pan make preparing many of them much easier.

Each recipe is preceded by a rather lengthy explanation of how Bittman arrived at it, by what chefs he might have been influenced, and what changes he made before including it in the book. He also addresses at some length the nature of the ingredients (what rice noodles are, for example, how they differ from wheat noodles, and how best to prepare them) and the best time of year to make use of them – plum tomatoes late in the summer, butternut squash in the winter.

One of the recipes’ most helpful features is a small box at the beginning of each dish that specifies “Work Time,” “Prep Time,” “Can Be” (multiplied or prepared ahead of time), and “Makes” (number of servings). For the most part, I found these quite accurate, only one dish requiring substantially more time than Bittman’s estimate.

Although there aren’t a great many recipes in the book, and it certainly couldn’t take the place of, for example, “The Joy of Cooking” or “The New York Times Cookbook,” Bittman provides so many possible variations for each recipe that the book is actually a great deal more inclusive than one might think. So a simple recipe for Spaghetti with Zucchini converts easily to Spaghetti Carbonara or to Fettuccine Alfredo; Chicken with Rice becomes with minimal effort Chicken with Pearled Barley or Chicken and Sausage (or Shrimp) with Rice. A recipe for Flounder Poached in Broth, Bittman tells us, is equally appropriate for red snapper, sea bass, or cod; and the leeks used in that recipe can be replaced by any aromatic vegetable. He also regularly suggests alternate spices and herbs that can substantially change the flavor and character of a dish.

In the recipes that I tested, the suggested additions were an improvement on the basic ingredients. Braised Pork with Turnips became much richer and more complex with the addition of sour cream and Dijon mustard; Salmon Burgers (made with fresh salmon) had more flavor with the suggested chopped scallions and parsley. The latter recipe has many variations, all of which I’m eager to try. Pasta with Sausages, without Tomatoes was both easy and good; Penne with Butternut Squash looked great but, in spite of the added shallot and creme fraiche, was somewhat bland and uninteresting. Spicy Chicken with Lemongrass and Lime had a few more ingredients than most recipes, and called for more chopping and mincing, but turned out to be well worth the effort. Beet Roesti with Rosemary was perhaps the most unusual dish, and the one I was least confident of, but also one of the best.

If there’s any one criticism I have of the recipes in general it’s Bittman’s propensity for using fruit in an entree, a sweet combination that I find almost always results in an unfortunate dumbing down of meat and fish (Roast Pork with Fennel Orange Compote, Roast Cod with Tangerine Sauce).

But when the fruit stands alone … my favorite dish is a simple dessert, perfect for this time of year, pluperfect with a topping of creme fraiche.

Dried Fruit Poached in Port

12 prunes

5 allspice berries

8 figs

5 peppercorns

4 apricot or peach halves

1 star anise

4 pear halves

1-inch cinnamon stick

3 pieces candied ginger

1 cup port

1 clove

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat to very low and cover. Cook about 30 minutes, at which point most of the port will have been absorbed. If the fruit is tender, it’s done. If not, add 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil again, cover, and cook another 15 minutes. Repeat once more if necessary.

Remove the fruit with a slotted spoon, then strain the liquid to remove the spices. Serve a portion of the fruit warm, cold, or at room temperature with a spoonful or two of its juice.