Serious Eats
Weekend Book Giveaway: 'The Elements of Cooking'
You've probably seen Michael Ruhlman on The Next Iron Chef, serving as a judge, with his uniquely passionate and analytical perspective. You probably have a copy of The French Laundry Cookbook, the book he co-wrote with Thomas Keller that may be the ultimate in food-porn cookbooks. Or maybe you're a regular reader of his entertaining, opinionated blog. So it shouldn't surprise you that Ruhlman has now written The Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chef's Craft for Every Kitchen. Modeled on Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, this book attempts to do nothing less than pare the essentials of good cooking down to fewer than 250 concise pages. What's really in this book? Here's what Anthony Bourdain says in his introduction:
Eight essays on vital, primary concepts like stock, sauce, salt, eggs, heat, and tools...and an absolutely rock-solid definition of every term professional chefs should know as a matter of course after years of working in professional kitchens; now you will learn them easily and concisely--without burning yourself, cutting yourself, or having your ass kicked in the process.
This weekend, we're giving away five (5) copies of The Elements of Cooking. To enter to win one of these bad boys, just tell us what you consider to be the the most important element of cooking. If you happen to disagree with Mr. Ruhlman, we'll never tell. Leave your comment by 6 p.m. ET Monday to be eligible to win. Regular Serious Eats contest rules apply.