Taste: One Palate's Journey Through the World's Greatest Dishes
Fans of David Rosengarten will be thrilled with the publication ofTaste, not so much a companion volume to his popular Food Network show as a distillation of all the man holds dear. It is a remarkable, lush effort, beautifully illustrated with rich color pictures of exotic and home-grown foods. How many food-addled souls out there take the time, like Rosengarten, to sit down and catalog all of the personal favorite dishes from around the world, and then explain why the dish is so delicious, and exactly what makes it special? And oh, by the way, here's how to cook it!Rosengarten begins his culinary adventure with a chapter entitled "My Favorite Light Appetizers." Here is bruschetta, remarkable Chinese appetizers, gazpacho, Thai salads, and oysters and caviar. In this and every chapter is everything you need to know in order to buy and prepare these foods; ideas on how to serve them; order them in a restaurant; judge them for quality and seasonality; and the right wines to accompany each dish.  Other "My Favorite" chapters include in-between dishes (French onion soup; quiche), main courses (Szechwan Shrimp with Chili and Garlic Sauce; moussaka), and desserts (Tarte Tatin; chocolate-chip cookies). A wealth of cooking instruction is here to make your life easier too. Take Gumbo--Rosengarten details three ways in which to thicken the texture, by traditional roux, by okra, and byfilépowder. Next comes a delightful recipe for Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo, and a list of recommended beers.David Rosengarten brings remarkably good tastes into the home kitchen--anyone studying this book will be able to hold court with the best of them, Martha Stewart included.--Schuyler Ingle