Eating from the Ground Up: Recipes for Simple, Perfect Vegetables

First, it is incumbent upon me to say that I vastly appreciate this having been written for actual users!! Johnny Autry’s photography makes for a visual presentation that is drool-evoking, and the author’s insightful discussion of her craft is even more so.

Seasonal availability of viands are given constant attention. Coverages include veggie acquisition, cleaning, storing by category, and longevity extension. Presentations and their psychological impact on diners get serious attention. A watermelon radish may taste much like any other radish, but on the platter….Of course here, similarly, excellent photo plates are exploited masterfully.

Handsomely hardbound and glossy, this succulent compendium will be a many-years companion in happy kitchens. Far beyond a simple recipe book, some life recommendations and cautions, and some nice humor, this book brings them all together felicitously. Taste, and therefore the emphasis on cooking, is posited to change with the seasons. In painting those transitions, this gifted and practical cook/writer verges on the poetic.

There is no professional pretence or jargon to be found; this lady cooks for her own fortunate family!! Material preparations and clear procedural cooking instructions make this exploration of connecting with the world through palate and appetite seem simple and easy to engage in.