cover image THE ANATOMY OF A DISH

THE ANATOMY OF A DISH

Diane Forley, with Catherine Young. . Artisan, $35 (223pp) ISBN 978-1-57965-189-3

With his analysis of the cooking process in terms of botanical families, Forley, chef and owner of New York's Verbena, offers a new and intriguing approach to the chef's cookbook, though it may scare away some readers with its seriousness. Charts and texts on categories such as chenoposiaceae (which includes quinoa and Swiss chard) convey information in accessible terms, and of course readers can easily skip the botany lessons (in an airy introduction, Forley notes that this information is provided not to help readers make substitutions or develop formulas, but "to reestablish a connection to the natural world around us and to offer a broader understanding of how and what we eat") and head straight to the recipes. Fortunately, there's no need to be a trained scientist to follow Forley's clearly written instructions for interesting dishes such as Sautéed Flounder with Braised Rhubarb and Artichoke Griddle Cakes. At first glance, the division of this book into three sections ("Building a Dish," "Developing a Menu" and "Concluding with a Sweet") may seem confounding, but the sections are further subdivided into more traditional chapters on breads, salads and the like. Forley places vegetables and grains front and center with recipes such as a Lemon Porridge with Asparagus and Basil made with short-grain rice. Desserts are mostly fruit-based concoctions along the lines of Caramelized Nectarine and Meringue Tartlets. Even those who find this kind of meditative approach a bit precious (a chapter on simple vegetable dishes is titled "Vegetable Studies") will find it impossible to resist Forley's innovative recipes. (Nov.)

Forecast:This will appeal to fans of intellectualized cookbooks such as Tom Colicchio's Think Like a Chef, and with Artisan's usual design flair, it's very visually appealing as well.