Cooking with ratios
Michael Ruhlman announces that his newest book is available for sale. It's called Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking.
We have been trained in America to believe that we can't cook unless we have a recipe in hand. I am not saying recipes are bad or wrong -- I use them all the time; there are plenty of recipes in the new book -- but when we rely completely on recipes, we cooks do ourselves a grave disservice. We remain chained to the ground, we remain dependent on our chains. When you are dependent on recipes, you are a factory worker on the assembly line; when you possess ratios and basic technique, you own the company.
With this book, Ruhlman aims to to improve the home cook's comfort level in the kitchen and provide a blueprint for a way of cooking that is less restrictive and more improvisational than following recipes. I haven't seen Ratio yet, but Ruhlman's "...of a Chef" trilogy are some of my favorite books. If you want a signed copy of Ratio (or any of his other books), you can order one directly from his site.