Express Yourself in the Kitchen

We recently received a copy of Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express (surtitled 404 Inspired Seasonal Dishes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less—all you need to know about the book, really) and, as a fan of his New York Times column, I have enjoyed being inspired by and putting together some of his recipes. When I say recipe, I should clarify: the dishes are not presented in the traditional cookbook way, with a list of specific ingredients and amounts, followed by the details on how to make the dish. Rather, the descriptions are more loose guides to help you throw together a dish using a short list of seasonal ingredients.
By way of example, here’s how he’s presented a recipe for Seared Chicken Arugula Rollups—three ingredients plus the usual stuff you would have in your kitchen. In 15 minutes from start to end you’re impressing your dinner companions big-time:

Flatten some chicken tenders with your hand or the bottom of a pot, brush both sides with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Crumble some Gorgonzola on each and top with a couple of arugula leaves. Roll up the chicken tightly lengthwise and secure with a toothpick. Warm some butter over medium-high heat and sear rollups until browned on all sides, about six minutes. Serve with toasted baguette slices rubbed with fresh garlic.

At the end of the book, you’ll find a menu guide, which helps you choose several recipes to bring together as a whole meal. At the beginning of the book, the recipes are presented by category (such as Brown-Bag Lunches, The Easiest of the Easiest, The Best Do-Ahead Recipes for Potlucks and Desserts You Can Eat Any Time of the Year). While not necessarily the best cookbook for a beginner chef, if you’re looking for lots of delicious, easy and sophisticated dishes, this cookbook is definitely a great addition to your kitchen shelf. Stuck on what to serve for dinner? Open the book to the appropriate season and pick something—all you’ll need is a few fresh ingredients to add to what you have in the pantry, and you’ll have something gourmet on for dinner in no time (20 minutes or less to be precise). Bon appétit.

(Simon & Schuster, $32, available at Indigo and other booksellers.)