Meal No. 2 happened three months later, which was about how long it took for me to clean up the mess from Meal No. 1. For example, one ingredient list calls for zest of lemon but never explains what that means. And only a handful of the dishes sounded appetizing. If I want an easy introduction to a baffling topic, I prefer it to be concise. Instead, they ramble on for several hundred pages per book, often covering useless topics, such as the evolution of kitchen architecture.
Some detail is helpful - a thorough look at kitchen equipment.
Yet there are gaps. As determined by my new panel of tasters, the pork was a bit dry but tasty. The mashed potatoes had great flavor and perfect texture. And dessert was a smash. But there were a few quibbles.