Ducksoup: The Wisdom of Simple Cooking

Ducksoup restaurant’s cofounder Lattia and its chef Hill emphasize the importance of well-sourced, high-quality ingredients in this approachable and inspiring collection of 125 dishes served at their popular London restaurant. Again and again they show readers how diligent sourcing and a deft hand can result in terrific fare (such as pan-roasted pears, speck, Gorgonzola, and walnuts; dark-chocolate mousse, sour cherries, and pistachios; and roast poussin in milk, shallots, and sage). Many of the ingredients are easily sourced, and many even are items the reader is likely to already have on hand. Every recipe is a thoughtful and inspiring composition of flavors. In some cases, it’s all about the technique, such as in a milk risotto in which prosciutto is placed atop a basic risotto instead of chopped up and integrated into it. This transforms the dish, as the fat from the prosciutto is allowed to melt into the risotto. If readers can overlook the book’s rather arch approach to design they’re sure to find it to be an exciting and invigorating approach to cooking that they will return to again and again. [em](Apr.) [/em]