All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking , Cookbook of the Day

by Nicole Weston, Posted Oct 4th 2006 @ 8:02AM

Braising, by definition, is a cooking technique where a food is browned, then slowly cooked in a small amount of liquid for a long period of time. The method is often praised for the flavorful and tender meats and vegetables that it produce and while it is used year round, it is a fall and winter favorite because during cooler months a little extra heat in the kitchen is often welcomed. All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking is a book that is purely dedicated to the technique and is a great place to start looking for guidance or ideas when approaching it.

The 120 or so recipes range from basic chicken and beef dishes, which you have probably eaten or cooked on numerous occasions, to slightly less common ones, such as Vietnamese Braised Scallops. There are even recipes that are not meat-centric, including the Simplest Potato & Leeks Braise. All are easily achievable by the average home cook and once you have the technique down, you will confidently be able to braise a roast on your own. The author offers sound advice on all the ins-and-outs of braising, as well as on choosing ingredients and her overall cooking philosophy, which seems to be something along the lines of: cook often and cook for people you care about. The best part is that because braising takes little active time, you 'll have time to spend with whoever you are cooking for as you cook.

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Filed Under: Cookbook Spotlight, Books
Tags: braise, braising, cookbook, cookbook of the day, fall, winter