My love for coffee, bitter chocolate, and kale drew me to this book, as well as the cover image. It looked so brooding. The Heathcliff of greens. I was intrigued. I quickly learned that there are MANY bitter ingredients that I have not heard of or thought of before, and that the nasty bits that everyone picks out of their spring mix have actual names. Point One: the book is very informative. Tips and tricks ranging from cooking technique to the chemistry of taste to the origin of ingredients are littered generously throughout. You will not leave this book without learning something. Point Two: the book is very elegant. From the layout to the photography to the recipes themselves, this book is extremely elegant. The recipes sound delicious, but don't come across as very approachable. More of weekend projects, try a new ingredient and learn a new skill kind of recipes for a home cook like myself. I've yet to try one, but I'd like to at some point. The photography is striking, showing clean, simple plates that belie the complexities of flavor and (I'm sure) skill that are involved.
I wish I'd paid attention to this book when my parents were getting CSA boxes full to the brim of dandelion greens and escarole because Ms. McLagan's recipes bring a desirous quality to such difficult ingredients.
Obligatory disclosure: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
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