Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times: Featuring 350 Recipes from the Author of HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING and THE BEST RECIPES IN THE WORLD: A Cookbook

I was already a fan of Mark Bittman from his New York Times column and videos and from another of his cookbooks  How to Cook Everything The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food -- With 1,000 Photos . I feel that I really learned a lot from that book and this one picks up where it leaves off with a wide selection of additional recipes. My favorite marinade for beef comes from P. 159 of this book, The Minimalist's Marinated Steak. Pretty much every course and ingredient is covered from soups, salads, pasta and bread, meats, vegetables, and desserts. There are some things I wouldn't have expected, like fairly quick and easy recipes for both roast chicken and roast duck. There are suggestions for pretty much every type of seafood. Each of the main recipes in all sections is accompanied by several variations.There is a definite international influence here, some of it Asian. You'll need ginger, soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, fresh limes, and perhaps even some lemon grass to make everything. However you will also find things from Italy and even a Spanish paella. I have been following the South Beach diet and I was glad to see that so many of the recipes here would qualify for South Beach Phase 2 which is the part of the plan where most time is spent.This book collects, as it says on the cover, recipes which were originally published as three separate cookbooks, so you might want to skip it if you already own one or two of the original books. Also, there are no photos or other illustrations, so this isn't for people who like to flip through nice color photographs of the completed dishes for inspiration. However, if you are comfortable sitting down and reading through all the choices here, I expect that you will find some things, as I did, that you'll be making again and again.

I love this cookbook and go to these kinds of recipes most often. While I have to agree with one of the reviewers that I do prefer cookbooks with pictures, Bitmann's Quick & Easy is wonderful for last minute great ideas. I attended a culinary writing seminar 3 years ago and when I brought up this publication with the published instructor and her agent, I was just about laughed out of the room. "Pour and dump," they said, "is not culinary expertise." I beg to differ. I think it is the highest form of culinary expertise: to take what is already in your kitchen and perform magic. This is exactly what Bittman has done, given us a manual for creating magic out of simple, everyday ingredients. While I do not live in an urban center with all kinds of fresh fish, for example, available to me on my way home from work, I AM looking for an easy way to create something smashing in the least amount of time possible. And I, personally, am of the humble opinion that this is what most "foodies" today want: a reprieve from convenience and fast food to please their palettes. Whole foods and tasty ingredients do give us that, if we know how to manipulate them. I love this book and it, and other publications like it, take the forefront of my extensive recipe collection.

A friend of mine from New England introduced me to Mark Bittman's recipes, so I thought I'd try this book. While I love great meals, I'm usually harried at meal times and don't want to invest a great deal of time in the prep or cooking. As such, Bittman's Quick & Easy recipe book was made just for me! I've now prepared about a dozen recipes, and most of them are great - some need a bit of tweaking, but that's fun for me, too. The recipes are very easy to follow and generally include ingredients that we have on hand - so it makes last minute decision-making very easy. As well, many of the recipes have an asian-twist, which especially appeals to us, and most are very healthy. In the margins, Bittman has included easy to follow 'adaptations' that change the flavor of the recipe, making it even more versatile. For fans of Jean-Georges, you'll be delighted to find that Bittman collaborates with Jean-Georges and we get to enjoy the combined creativity. I highly recommend this recipe book - of the many on my shelf, this has quickly become my 'go-to' book for ideas that make everyday meal special. Thank you, Mark, for re-inspiring this home cook who was in a slump.

The book has lots of recipes -- and they look relatively easy for someone that already has cooking experience and the text is informative as well. That being said, I've had the book for a month and haven't used any of the recipes yet -- which doesn't bode well for it being admitted into the sanctum of my most frequently consulted and favorite cookbooks.As a non-New Yorker, and one who reads the Times infrequently, I wasn't familiar with Bittman's column (but had heard good things about it) and didn't really know what to expect. Many of the recipes are a little more exotic than the food my family enjoys -- and while I wish their palates were a little wider -- wishing won't make leeks something I can serve that will be eaten by anybody at the table but me!Overall though, the book looks like it has enough interesting material that I've decided to keep it rather than return it or try to resell it -- so I'm not unhappy with my purchase -- just not thrilled.

I do not post cookbook reviews. So often the books fall short and are not worth the effort. This one, however, is worthy of a review. I purchased this book on Kindle for my IPad. It is easy to maneuver through the book and quickly click to go to a recipe. The recipes are all quite simple in both ingredients and preparation. There has not been a bad recipe in the bunch. The French Bread recipe could not be easier or better, and frankly the recipe alone was worth the $2.99 Kindle price. If you are looking for classic foods with ingredients you can find everywhere, this book is perfect.

Good but be aware there are no photos.I have his Basics book which I like a lot so I thought it would be similar.

Recipes are simple and make use of pantry staples - if I don't have time to go to the grocery store I flip through this book and am sure to make something tasty with whatever I have on hand. Great chapter on soups.There are no pictures, but the recipes are simple and straightforward. The intros to the recipes are informative and most recipes come with instructions for substitutions that are really entirely new recipes. Simple, tasty and good. I still cook from it even though I have (and enjoy) How To Cook Everything.

Who can argue with any book Bittman writes. I have several and use them all the time. The instructions are clear and easy to follow.