Curtis Stone - Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone: Recipes to Put You in My Favorite Mood

Being relaxed comes pretty naturally to me. What can I say? Im an Aussiewere just made that way. For me, there are few things that are more relaxing than lingering at the table with good friends, finishing off a bottle of wine while scraping the last few crumbs of dessert off my plate or sopping up some delicious sauce from the bottom of a serving bowl with a crust of bread amid laughter and good conversation. But I know that for a lot of people, putting together a meal, especially for guests, is the opposite of relaxingits a stressful, time- and labor-intensive undertaking that leaves the kitchen a wreck and nerves frayed. Im here to tell you: It doesnt have to be that way.

Food has always been at the center of my world. Some of my earliest and best memories revolve around food: Sundays sharing hearty roast dinners with my grandparents, being spoiled with fish and chips at my dads place on Friday nights, Mum removing a thorn from my stained hands after a days blackberry-picking, or a simple barbecue with my brother and a few mates. Ill never forget the first time I ate in a fancy restaurant and experienced a five-star meal and how great food could taste. I was hooked. Looking back, I guess I always knew I was going to be a chef.

I started cooking in a restaurant as soon as I left school, working and training for four years in my hometown of Melbourne, Australia, before I set sail to experience the cuisines of Europe. There I had the privilege of cooking with some of the best chefs in the world and even served as head chef in a couple of Londons finest restaurants. When I think back on all my amazing food experiences, though, the ones I remember most fondly are not gala productions with multiple courses and showy presentations, but the meals where everything came together in a relaxed way and my guests felt as much at home and as comfortable as I did. I love to eat in great restaurants, but I truly think that the most memorable meals are served at home. Lets face it: At home, you are comfortable. When Im home I can play my favorite music, have my shoes off if I want, and stay up as late as I like. And when Im that comfortable, everything seems to taste a little bit better.

Of course, in a perfect world you would be as relaxed when you are planning the menu and cooking the meal as you are when you are gathered around the table. You dont have to be a great cook to put good food on the tableall you really need to do is to get your hands on quality ingredients and treat them simply. Remember that rule, and, honestly, you cant go wrong.

When Mother Nature worked out what we should be eating at different times of the year, she did a pretty good job, so listen to her. Food that is in season just tastes better. It is always less expensive, and chances are it hasnt been artificially treated or traveled halfway across the world to reach your kitchen. Consequently, when you buy seasonal produce it is usually a lot healthier, you are not contributing to climate change or global warming through carbon emissions and wasted fuel, and you are supporting your local farmers and community.

When I first moved to the States, I looked forward to going to the market, as there were so many new ingredients that I had never used before. It was like starting a whole new food adventure, and I had lots of interesting conversations about what I found. If you generally frequent the same markets, its worth your while to befriend the people who work there. I love to see the smiles on peoples faces when I show an interest in their profession. Asking my local fish guy where the dorade comes from instantly stirs a conversation, and when I ask him how many fish he had filleted that morning, I see his chest puff up when he replies, Wow, I lost count at thirty. By having a laugh with these men and women, you not only learn a bunch but you also put a little sparkle in their day. Best of all, youll get home with a lot of wonderful ingredients you can transform into truly delicious meals with very little effort.

To help my guests get in a relaxed mood as well, I always leave a couple of jobs for them to help with. You know how the first thing people ask when they walk through the door is Is there anything I can do to help? I always answer by saying Yeah, would you mind opening the wine? or Fancy helping me shell these peas? Getting people involved makes them feel at home. I also like to have a cocktail mixed up and ready to go, or to appoint a guest to make drinks, so everyone can get in the party spirit without my having to play bartender and chef all at once.

When it comes time to serve, I also get people involved carrying platters and plates of food to the table. I love to share food by passing it around the table from person to person, allowing guests to serve one another.

Lastly, make sure the conversation flows as freely as the food and drink. When I was a little boy, my mum would make us play a game at the dinner table called best and worst. We would take turns talking about the best thing that had happened to us that day, followed by the worst thing. The conversation that ensued was always amazing, and I observe this tradition at my own table to this dayespecially when there are children at the table. Its always fun to hear a kids interpretation of their day.

Being relaxed is not simply a feeling; its a state of mind. Its the sensation you get when you hear the crackle of an open fire, the feeling of the warmth from its flames, the smell from the charred wood, the mesmerizing glow that your eyes wont leave, and, of course, the taste of the marshmallow that you are slowly roasting over its coals. Each of the recipes in this book is designed to be simple and delicious, and to deliver a lot of flavor and plate appeal for the effort investedin other words, to help you be as relaxed in the kitchen as you are in front of that crackling fire.