Sara Moulton Cooks at Home

This cookbook offers a variety of quick-cook family-friendly fare as well as more sophisticated, but by no means daunting, recipes perfectly suited to home entertaining, all using readily available ingredients. The warmth and calm the author exudes on screen in her TV shows comes through on each page, inspiring confidence in the kitchen. The recipes come from her kitchen as well as those of family, friends and colleagues.

As a former member of the test kitchen and then executive chef of the now defunct "Gourmet” magazine, Sara Moulton knows how to write a recipe. Each one is prefaced by a blurb about the contributor or inspiration for it and often includes suggestions for shortcuts. The directions for each are clear, descriptions are quite accurate and helpful tips about ingredients, cooking method, or equipment are provided. I did encounter a few problems with heat settings and cooking times, but, in general, the food turned out very well and, most importantly, was delicious. I’ve made almost a dozen recipes from the book and have barely made a dent in the list of those I’d like to try.