Anyone can cook during the summer months, when produce is abundant and grills are at the ready. More challenging, however, is winter cuisine, with its brussels sprouts, cabbages and seemingly endless parade of root vegetables. Snowbound home cooks are likely to welcome any inspiration geared to the season, and Worthington's book serves the purpose well. The author of The Taste of Summer
and Seriously Simple
knows cold weather can be the best excuse to dig into comfort foods too time-consuming or rich for the rest of the year. Some of her best recipes make the most of complex flavors that develop slowly in stews and braises: White Bean and Arugula Stew Gratinée, or Short Ribs with Dried Mushrooms and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. Worthington's use of winter ingredients is efficient and at times inspired, as in Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup, Autumn Salad with Persimmons and Pomegranates, and Pumpkin-Chocolate Bread Pudding. A few dishes lack any clear connection to the season, though, like Crispy Roast Duck with Lavender Honey Sauce, and Toasted Coconut Cake (but they're no less appealing). The book features beautiful photographs, a clean layout and somewhat small print. Down-to-earth and accessible, Worthington's paean to winter does much to make the slow, deep flavors of the colder months something to look forward to throughout the year. (Oct.)
