The Moosewood Collective - Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers

When we cook at Moosewood Restaurant, we often make complex dishes with lots of ingredients, building layer upon layer of flavor. Fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits are delivered to our kitchen daily. We have good equipment, and our spice rack is extensive. There are two or three or four (sometimes more) of us in the kitchen at the same time. Prep cooks make some of the component parts of dishes ahead of time, and we have bussers and dishwashers to clean up our mess. But often were still pushing to get the work done by show time.

At home, we want to relieve the pressure. We crave simple food. We dont want cooking at home to be the breakneck performance it is in the restaurant but rather a small pleasure, relaxed enough that we can enjoy the process as well as the results. Were not alone in finding this idea appealing. When we mentioned to friends that we were thinking of doing a book of recipes for simple suppers, inevitably they exclaimed, Thats the one I need or Write that book for me. And so we have.

Everyone needs a few dishes that they like to make over and over, recipes that can be messed with a bit for tasty, comforting, and hassle-free meals. When you ask people what their favorite dish is, most dont name something elaborate that they can only get at a particular restaurant. Usually the favorite is something simple theyve had a hundred times at home, something reliablealways good, every time.

When our ideas for this cookbook started percolating, we discussed the meaning of simple a lot. To some it meant a minimal number of ingredients in each recipe, and to others it was a matter of time: 30 minutes or less to get the meal on the table, or not having to make an extra trip to the grocery store. One of us wanted to count the number of pots in the sink at the end of the meal. As our individual ideas began to cross-pollinate, we decided that recipes would qualify for this book in several ways. These recipes have fewer ingredients than our usual, and weve made good use of trustworthy convenience products (vegetable broths, salsas, slaw mixes) and nonperishable pantry items (spices, canned beans, condiments). Some of the simplest recipes depend on high-quality fresh ingredients, and with good produce, you dont have to do much to make a delectable meal.

Not all everyday cooking has to be a race with the clock, but a lot of our recipes are either quick to make or the hands-on time is short, and then you need to do very little or nothing while the dish stews or bakes. (Love those one-pot meals. Fewer pots, easier cleanup.) Some dishes can be prepared ahead of time and then served with very little fuss. A few are designed to be assembled at the table by diners.

Here youll find simple recipes that are tried-and-true. And when we have something extra to say, weve added ingredient and cooking notes (substitutions or variations, hints about different cooking techniques, tips for cooking ahead, suggestions for leftovers). We try to keep it real about what constitutes a meal, also. You might want to serve bread with a stew or a green salad with pasta, but each of our main-dish recipes can stand alone as a satisfying simple supper. That said, we include serving and menu ideas for when you want to do more or would like to combine dishes for variety. Sometimes a side dish can become a main dish with a little modification. And because everyone needs something sweet now and then, we suggest desserts that we think complement the main dish.