Sublime

Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London is invaluable. As is Nicolas Freleng's The Kitchen, David Blum's Flash in the Pan, the Batterberrys' fine account of American restaurant history, On the Town in New York, and Joseph Mitchell's Up in the Old Hotel. Read the old masters: Escoffier, Bocuse et al as well as the Young Turks: Keller, Marco-Pierre

Seashore Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs Some chefs like to show off by gussying up their crabs with batter, bread crumbs, cracker meal, flour dustings, or spices. None of that is necessary. In fact, they smother the delicate flavor of a really fresh crab. Save the seasonings for the table. All you need are fresh, live crabs, bubbling butter, and a little

Perhaps there are still traces of the nursery food mentality around. In some families, the injunction to avoid salt in a child’s diet for the first year spills over into a generalized avoidance of flavor, as if a ten-month-old couldn’t handle the pungency of garlic or paprika. To dine with the parents of toddlers may entail a meal of boiled broccol

The single best way to assess an oil is to taste it. Good extra-virgin olive oils should taste grassy, never greasy. Because oleocanthal is responsible for virgin oil’s peppery taste, it can in fact be used as a measure of how much oleocanthal is present in the oil.

mashed potatoes: Put 1 large (or 2 small) potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and place the potatoes back in the pot and shake over low heat to eliminate excess moisture. Peel. Put through a potato ricer and immediately add 1 tablespoon heavy cream and a

Shrimp? All right, if it looks fresh, smells fresh, and the restaurant is busy, guaranteeing turnover of product on a regular basis.