Paul Kahan Book No. 2, Kahan, Paul

This cookbook is the answer to the question that Chicago chef Paul Kahan gets all the time when hes hosting friends and family at home: how does he produce platters piled with awesome food while everyone--including him--is talking and having a jolly good time? Paul Kahan is the master of impressive yet relaxed family-style cooking and his tricks are all here. First, master a repertoire of 12 core tactics (roast some roots, cook some grains, make some dough, roast a whole fish, braise a pork shoulder, and seven other basics) and you have a dozen ways to make a great meal. Next, change-up the supporting ingredients and you have six or more easy ways to fill your platter. Last, open two bottles of pretty good wine (Kahan includes recommendations for easily accessed wines), fill everyones glasses, and enjoy the fun while you finish getting the meal on the table. With approximately 80 recipes, ranging from Roasted Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Green Sauce to Farro with Charred Cauliflower and Oranges and to Steak with Radicchio, Honey-Roasted Squash, and Pumpkin Seed Pesto, plus more than 125 inspiring photographs, Kahans approach becomes a mix-and-match template that is sure to make hosting more relaxing.