Alice Waters — chef, restaurateur, writer, activist and food revolutionary — has spent her career proving the principle that fine cooking does not require years of training and exotic ingredients, only the freshest food, simply prepared and grown locally by organic farmers. Building her legendary restaurant Chez Panisse on this ideal, Waters launched America’s gourmet revolution in the 1970s and is at the forefront of a natural foods revival in America today. At Chez Panisse, she only uses seasonal ingredients provided by local farmers and has received worldwide acclaim for her endeavors. 

Her most recent cookbook, The Art of Simple Food, distills her philosophy into a brilliantly simple and unintimidating package. In fact, the hardest task in preparing these recipes may be gathering the ingredients to her specifications.  She calls for nothing wildly exotic, just fresh, organic and locally grown. "When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is," she writes. If you live near a farmer’s market or organic farm, or have the wherewithal to start your own garden, you’ll discover how simplifying your approach to cooking will enhance not only the experience, but the taste.

The book arrives with the authority of a new classic and should be a foundation of any good kitchen library henceforth. It has the potential to be as influential to a new generation of home and professional cooks as The Joy of Cooking or Silver Palate Cookbook were for their time.

Order a copy signed by Alice Waters at TurnRow Book Co.