Provides recipes for American regional dishes and continental classics including deviled eggs with Pickapeppa mayonnaise, radicchio and lobster salad, quail with black-eyed peas, fresh tomato relish, and warm fruit stew. As founding chef at California's famed Chez Panisse, chef at San Francisco's Stars, and author of the award-winning New American Classics , Jeremiah Tower is a forefather of New American cooking. His culinary signature is pristinely flavored food made with the freshest seasonal ingredients. Jeremiah Tower Cooks presents 250 recipes for dishes like Chilled Mushroom Soup with Spiced Crab, Ricotta Dumplings with Fava Beans and Savory, and Spiced Duck Sichuan Style. Though dishes like these can demand a shopping and cooking commitment, there's nothing difficult about putting them together. For cooks interested in simple yet refined cooking that veers to the deluxe (Tower's favorite hamburger is made with truffles), this cookbook is a must. Organized by courses and food categories, the book begins, provocatively, with "Delights and Prejudices," a compendium of often-wry observations. (Tower favors using a microwave, for example, but only for reheating food--"[so used] it changes the food less than any other method," he says--but is against the pervasive roasted garlic purée, which he finds "indigestible.") Tower is also a culinary reader and dishes like English Autumn Salad (adapted from Robert May's 1685 Accomplisht Cook ) and The Anchovy Toasts of Austin de Croze (from his 1931 What to Eat and Drink in Paris ), among others, reflect that pursuit. A selection of mostly simple, mostly fruit desserts includes New Summer Pudding, "Burnt" Passion Fruit Curd, and Black Bottom Pie, which Tower says "needs no comment. Or rather, I can't think of any that would do justice to this perfect pie." With many more opinions, and illustrative paintings that are a welcome change from the usual food photography, the book will fill many hours with good reading as well as superior cooking. --Arthur Boehm As the original chef at Alice Waters's Chez Panisse and then the chef/owner of San Francisco's acclaimed Stars restaurant and its offshoots, Tower greatly shaped what came to be known as California/New American cuisine. His first cookbook, New American Classics, was published 15 years ago; his new book is a celebration of "the new American culinary tradition." Tower includes favorite recipes from throughout his career, chosen from both the contemporary dishes he is known for, such as Green Zebra Heirloom Tomato Salad and Sea Urchin Souffl‚, and his interpretations of some "enduring classics," like Poached Turbot with Oyster Hollandaise. A witty and erudite writer, Tower is a man of strong opinions; "Delights and Prejudices," the first chapter, presents his philosophy on food and cooking, and recipe headnotes and other reflections throughout the book expand on that introduction. Although he has been less visible since he closed his restaurants (he is currently the host and writer of the PBS series America's Best Chefs), anyone interested in American cooking will want to read this. For most collections. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. " The recipes are not only utterly mouth watering, but they are quite accessible for the home cook." -- Charlie Trotter, author and chef/owner of Charlie Trotter's "Anyone interested in American cooking will want to read this." -- Library Journal "How I wish I had written this book. It is creative, clear, concise and charming--like Jeremiah himself." -- Barbara Kafka "Nobody seriously interested in food and fine cooking can afford to be without this inspired and important new book." -- James Vilas, author of Between Bites "Not only a visionary reflection of today's cuisine,...the essence of this culinary maestro's excellence." -- Alain Ducasse "The recipes and words within this book are timeless classics, as is Jeremiah himself. I love this guy!!!" -- Mario Batali Used Book in Good Condition