★ 10/06/2014
Cowin, the editor-in-chief of Food & Wine, debuts with a delightful “cookbook confessional” that documents a lifetime of making errors in the kitchen. She chronicles her journey to learn from her mistakes with a little help from her friends, all of them star chefs such as José Andrés, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, April Bloomfield, and Tom Colicchio. Along the way, Cowin says in a candidly humorous voice, she discovered “a bigger lesson—something more important than the perfect fried chicken or no-fail soufflé. And that is to be honest about what holds you back—in the kitchen and in life—and face it head on.” Cowin tackles 100 of her favorite recipes, “the ones I’ve made for family and friends over the years,” in an accessible fashion that’s sure to motivate home cooks to head fearlessly for their kitchens and try these tempting ideas. The simple and tasteful dishes are accompanied by extremely helpful tips, such as how to get the creamiest soup consistency; how to “brighten” pesto; and the best pan in which to cook whole fish. For starters, there’s Cowin’s take on Ming Tsai’s potstickers and Danny Meyer’s pork meatball sliders, along with other standouts such as a mushroom and beef stew and a baked ziti arrabbiata. Cowin’s culinary education makes for a charming and important book for both would-be and accomplished chefs. (Oct.)
A hilarious, inspiring cookbook from the longtime editor-in-chief of Food & Wine magazine, in which the first lady of food spills her secret culinary ineptitude, while learning-finally-to cook, side-by-side with some of the greatest chefs working.” — Publishers Weekly, Fall 2014 Top Ten Cookbooks
“[T]his cookbook is foremost a collection of reliable recipes and straightforward advice... [that] relies on simple equipment, techniques, and ingredients.” — Library Journal
“Delightful…candidly humorous… accessible…sure to motivate home cooks to head fearlessly for their kitchens and try these tempting ideas. The simple and tasteful dishes are accompanied by extremely helpful tips…Cowin’s culinary education makes for a charming and important book for both would-be and accomplished chefs.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“In her new cookbook, Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen, Cowin embarks on a journey to improve her cooking—and to give readers easy, smart tricks that will help them, too… The resulting cookbook is densely packed with advice that will turn anyone into a better cook.” — Today.com
“In this honest, confessional cookbook, Cowin shares lessons she’s learned from her magazine’s staff and 65 top chefs, including things like never cutting corners, getting to know your oven’s quirks, and not trusting your instincts until you’re entirely sure your instincts deserve to be trusted.” — The Oregonian (Portland)
“[An] entertaining (and educational!) cookbook.” — Seattle King 5- TV / New Day NW
“[An] ultra-accessible guide to becoming a more than passable home cook.” — BookPage
“[Cowin] promises not just cooking lessons from master chefs, but cookable recipes from them, and a few life lessons along the way. Having lived with [Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen] for over a month, I’d have to say she delivers on all counts.” — Bookotron
“The end result is gorgeous, simple recipes that even a rank beginner can manage. Plus, you get to see some of your favorite celebrity chefs hamming it up in Cowin’s kitchen.” — NPR, Best Books of 2014
“The editor of Food & Wine magazine consults dozens of great chefs and comes away with plenty of handy tips—as well as lots of manageable recipes.” — New York Times Book Review
“This cookbook is charming and encouraging-a breath of relief for all of us who worry about our skills in the kitchen.” — The Kitchn
