Cookbook: Cool Kitchen

Cool Kitchen

No Oven. No Stove. No Sweat!
125 Delicious, No-Work Recipes for Summertime or Anytime
by Lauren Chattman

Ah, the pleasures of summer! Al fresco lunches, leisurely dinners on the deck, brunches and snacks for those constant weekend guests, the suffocating heat of your badly ventilated kitchen.

Summer gives everyone an appetite for fresh-tasting food made with the beautiful produce from local farmstands. But who wants to slave over a hot stove in order to enjoy the bright, clean flavors of the season? This summer, let Lauren Chattman teach you to cook without heating up the house. Cool Kitchen: No Oven. No Stove. No Sweat! (William Morrow & Co.; $22.00/Hardcover; May 6, 1998) shows you how to make great-tasting meals for family and friends without losing your cool.

Cool Kitchen reveals the secrets of great cooking without heat. Combining just a few quality ingredients in interesting ways, the recipes are masterpieces of cool minimalism. with its contrasting flavors and colors--green wasabi, pink pickled ginger, and bright red salmon re, Salmon Rose and Pickled Ginger on Crispy Rice Crackers is a delicious and beautiful finger food. with only six ingredients (and thatís including oil and vinegar), Lima Bean, Ricotta Salata, and Basil Salad is unusual and absolutely refreshing as a side dish or vegetarian main course. Grapes and Roquefort is a simply elegant dessert with just two ingredients.

The chapter on "Starters and Soups" presents a luscious variety of no-cook recipes. A big bowl of Five-Spice Nuts is perfect for snacking or casual entertaining. Prosciutto-Fig Sandwiches are a quick but sophisticated appetizer. Cold Avocado-Tequila Soup and Summer Minestrone are vibrantly flavored and icy cold.

The "Salads" chapter includes both starters and main courses that refresh and satisfy. Thereís no more taste-tingling way to take advantage of the late-summer harvest than Peach and Tomato Salad with Curry Vinaigrette. Or use those tomatoes to make Panzanella with Mozzarella and Salami, a hearty main-course salad made with chunks of bread, creamy cheese, and spicy salami, moistened by ripe tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, and red wine vinegar.

Sandwiches are the original no-cook meal, and Cool Kitchen contains 23 exciting examples. "There's nothing more ridiculous," says Lauren, "than a sandwich that takes an hour to prepare." Try Walnut Butter and Apricot Jam Sandwiches, Cheddar and Apple Sandwiches with Honey Mustard, or Tuna, Cucumber, and Radish Sandwiches with Ginger Dressing. Each one is a delightful change from your regular ham and cheese and is just about as quick to make.

If the thought of baking cookies on a hot summer day makes you burn, check out the final chapter of Cool Kitchen. The most lovely desserts can be made from fresh fruit and a few simple adornments. One taste of Melon and Mango with Yogurt "Creme Fraiche," Blueberries and Strawberries in Sparkling Wine, or Maple Figs and Pecans over Coffee Ice Cream and you just might put your cookie sheets into storage.

Although you are sure to enjoy it this summer, Cool Kitchen is a year-round resource. Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Pesto is a great cold weather topping for hot pasta. Grapefruit Drizzled with Campari is a sunny dessert in the dead of winter. Cool Kitchen is filled with stylish, flavorful, simple food for all seasons.

About the Author

Lauren Chattman attended Peter Kumpsís Cooking School, apprenticed at Restaurant Daniel in New York, and was Pastry chef at Nick and Toniís in East Hampton, Long Island. This is her first book. Lauren lives in Sag Harbor, Long Island.

Cool Kitchen
by Lauren Chattman
William Morrow & Company, Inc.
1998, Hardcover, US $22.00
Information provided by the publisher