I have Thoughts about this book. It was good. It was sort of a contemplation on home cooking. Tamar Adler has cooked at various restaurants (including Chez Panisse), but this book is really focused on making food at home with a goal making home cooking seem doable - not with any tricks, just by saying, food doesn't have be complicated, here is how you make basic things. Here is what to do if things go wrong. But not in a textbook sort of way, in a "meditations on cooking" sort of way. There is even a whole chapter about what she does when she doesn't feel like cooking. I liked this book a lot (although I'm not sure it would be at all helpful if you don't cook at all and are looking for a place to start). It seem perfectly focused for me - the home cook who follows a lot of recipes, but could use some help figuring out how to cook efficiently, not waste food and who needs things to be not too time consuming. I could see myself reading this again (which I very rarely say), when I need a little reinvigoration of my relationship with cooking. If any of you read this, I would love to know what you think of it!