With all the talk today in the nation's various food sections about grilling and steak, I thought it would be fitting to feature a steak-related tip from What's a Cook to Do?, James Patterson's extremely useful book of kitchen tips that explains almost everything. After the jump, Steaks, by Cut. And, thanks to the good folks at Artisan Books, we're giving away five (5) copies of this enormously helpful book.... More

The combination of my own lack of knowledge and the inadequate explanations in cookbooks often drives me to distraction when I'm cooking. That's why I find James Peterson's What's a Cook to Do? to be so damned helpful. It explains (often with photos) everything, from how to deglaze a plan to how to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. Peterson really knows his stuff (his book Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making won the James Beard Cookbook of the Year award in 1992 ), and, more important, he knows how to impart his knowledge easily and succinctly with relatively few words and photos. Each day this week, we'll excerpt a tip from the book; the first tip will post shortly.... More