One of America’s most innovative and accomplished chefs gives us a book full of deliciously original recipes both for everyday meals and for memorable entertaining. Over the course of a brilliant career, David Burke has created imaginative and irresistible updates of classic American cuisine. Now he makes it easy for the home cook to master a classic dish and then add innovative touches to make it even more tempting, in what he calls contemporary classics. In addition, he includes “Second Day Dishes,” a new and magical approach to leftovers. Here is how it works: classic Eggs Benedict with Hash Brown Potatoes and Oven-Dried Tomatoes leads to Canadian Bacon and Onion Potato Cake with Poached Eggs and Spicy Tomato Salsa, which in turn leads to Bacon, Potato, and Eggs Strudel on the second day. Traditional Broiled Shrimp with Scampi Butter and Tomato-Rice Pilaf is transformed into Sautéed Shrimp with Spinach-Lasagna Roll and Crisp Spinach, and then into Shrimp Fried Rice and Sausage the next day. A Classic Chef’s Salad Bowl can be turned into Carpaccio of Chef’s Salad, and then Chef’s Salad Bruschetta. Roast Chicken “Farmhouse Style” with Potatoes, Mushrooms, Bacon, Onions, and Apple Cider Gravy is reconceived as Seawater-Soaked Chicken with Thyme and Poppy Seed Gnocchi, and a day later can become Chicken-Potato Pancakes with Apple-Sour Cream Sauce. New York Cheesecake becomes Grand Marnier Soufflés, changed on the next day into Coconut Cheesecake Beignets with Red Fruit Sorbet and Berries. From appetizers to desserts, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—117 delectable recipes (including Titanic French Toast with Three Jams; Oh, My Cod!; Chocolate Chip UFOs; and many more of Burke’s signature whimsical creations)—a fabulous cookbook. A unique and clever approach to cooking raises this cookbook above its rivals in the genre of cookbooks based on restaurant cuisine. Celebrated New York chef Burke presents each dish in three separate and distinctive guises: classic, contemporary, and second day (leftovers). This tripartite approach allows him to address cooks possessing different levels of expertise and sophistication. Burke creates a simple pot roast made from beef brisket festooned with standard root vegetables. The same piece of meat with ginger, spices, rice wine, and soy sauce becomes a very modern Asian pot roast. Leftovers from either of these recipes may be shredded and mixed with barbecue sauce and chopped peppers for an elegant Sloppy Joe. Burke's imagination roams free: his spareribs call for replacing the bones with asparagus spears. A large number of these recipes require advanced kitchen techniques so that only the most experienced cooks will have the skills to reproduce Burke's results. Color photographs help guide when the instructions alone fail to communicate the chef's intent. Mark Knoblauch Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved David Burke is the coauthor, with Carmel Berman Reingold, of Cooking with David Burke. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, was trained in France, and was the first American to be awarded the prestigious Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur. His other awards include Japan’s Nippon Award of Excellence, the Robert Mondavi Award of Excellence, and the Culinary Institute’s August Escoffier Award. He is the executive chef and co-owner of davidburke & donatella, and executive chef and sole owner of David Burke at Bloomingdale’s, both in New York City. He lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey. CLASSIC   Simple Sugar-and-Spice Doughnuts   Makes about 3 dozen   It can’t get any simpler than this: a soft, easy-to-make, easy-to-roll-out dough that is quickly deep-fried in bubbling, hot, fresh peanut oil. It’s fun to watch the circles turn golden brown as they float around the top of the pan. A speedy flip, and in minutes a golden-brown and tender, warm doughnut is yours. A fast drain on paper towels and a quick toss in cinnamon-sugar, and you have the perfect accompaniment to a steaming cup of coffee or tea or a cold glass of milk.   3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 3 1/2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 3 large eggs, beaten 1/2 cup milk Approximately 6 cups peanut oil   Combine the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.   Combine the cinnamon with 2 cups of the sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Set aside.   Place the butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer and begin beating. Add the remaining sugar and continue beating until the mixture is well combined. Add the eggs and continue beating. When well incorporated, begin adding the reserved flour mixture, alternately with the milk. Beat until a soft dough forms.   Lightly flour a clean, flat surface. Transfer the dough to the floured surface and lightly sprinkle the top with additional flour. Either pat the