Culinary Institute of America's Gourmet Meals in Minutes: Elegantly Simple Menus and Recipes from the World's Premier Culinary Institute by Culinary Institute of America (Photographer), Ben Fink (Photographer), Culinary Institute of America (Manufactured by)

From the Publisher

We live in a hectic world where there isn't a lot of time to spend on meal preparation, but we still want to enjoy the food we eat. Gourmet Meals in Minutes will show you how to create a wide variety of mouth-watering, nutritious meals without spending all day in the kitchen.

Publishers Weekly

Having trained thousands of professional chefs, the CIA addresses home cooks here in an effort to "cultivate a passion for cooking" despite today's hectic pace. With an emphasis on a multiplicity of ethnic flavors, the recipes are largely familiar and manageable. In fact, many of the simpler ones (Vichyssoise, Romaine and Grapefruit Salad with Walnuts and Stilton; Ratatouille; and Tiramisu) may be found in scores of other cookbooks. However, such dishes as Lobster and Roasted Red Pepper Salad, and Pesto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Tomato Relish seem rather ambitious when described as "meals in minutes." And suggesting the use of premade phyllo dough as a prime ingredient in Fennel and Chorizo Strudels, or packaged puff pastry dough in Fresh Fruit Galette, undercuts the book's premise. Oddly for home cooking, nearly every recipe serves eight. Still, there are dozens of quick and easy recipes, such as Nicoise-Style Grilled Tuna and Cider-Braised Pork Medallions. Presentation is often a key aspect, as in Haricots Verts with Prosciutto and Gruy re, in which prosciutto slices are twisted into spirals to resemble roses. CIA fans, who include viewers of PBS's Cooking Secrets from the CIA, will turn to this book. Others may find that it does not entirely fulfill its promise. 125 color photos. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents