Mark Bittman must be a parent

I was at Whetstone last night and stumbled on Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes.

The other night, while making Manjulo's aloo parathas I was amazed at the profound taste achieved when simple boiled potatoes were combined with some salt and fresh cilantro (the filling for the parathas). Wonderful, simple flavor combinations are all over Bittman's book. He rarely uses a recipe with more than several ingredients and emphasizes the technique more than the recipe.

It's speckled with nifty tricks. The caramelization achieved by searing a chuck roast is facilitated by a light rub of sugar, a sequential saute of sausage, mushrooms and kale followed by deglazing is said to build a depth of flavor so rich, the final liquid used need not even be a stock. I can't wait to jump into his fast cassoulet, apple crisp, the aforementioned sausage, kale and mushroom stew and especially the tuna au poive. Fast, good food. Nice catch for the local library!