The Girl in the Kitchen by Stephanie Izard

Stephanie Izard is the chef at the Girl and the Goat in Chicago.  We had such a fabulous meal there that I wanted to check out her cookbook.  It is an interesting approach to teaching people how to cook, in that there are technique pages and there are ingredient sources that she discusses broadly, as well as in the context of a particular recipe.  I am somewhat hesitant about completely embracing the book because one of the things that makes the restaurant so great is the unusual pairings of food, and that can be harder to achieve at home.  It can also mean that a single recipe has more than six ingredients even when not counting spices, herbs, and oils, which can be great for a special meal, but not attainable on a daily basis.  I have tried her mandolin-thin kohlrabi preparation and while my kohlrabi was a bit dry, it was a good way to eat it raw.  The book is definitely worth exploring, but it will not keep you from craving a return trip to the restaurant.