Ruhlman’s How to Roast: Foolproof Techniques and Recipes for the Home Cook

The first in a series of technique-based books from the prolific Michael Ruhlman (The Soul of a Chef) focuses on one of the oldest cooking techniques known to mankind. Beginning at the most basic level—know your oven—Ruhlman quickly moves on to the 21 foundational recipes that enable readers to fully understand and appreciate the technique. Opening with the holy trinity of roast recipes (roast chicken, standing rib roast, and the Thanksgiving turkey), Ruhlman clearly and patiently explains each step in detail, accompanied by helpful photographs of key steps such as trussing and serving, before moving on to other impressive meat-based dishes such as leg of lamb, pan-roasted monkfish, and duck fat–roasted potatoes with onion and rosemary. Readers may be disappointed with the slim number of recipes offered, but they’ll leave with a greater understanding of the technique as well as its applicability to dishes other than the expected roast chicken. Ruhlman’s enthusiasm for dishes like the simple spit-roasted leg of lamb is infectious and will likely inspire a trip to the market. A fine start to what promises to be a toothsome and highly informative series. (Nov.)