‘How To Cook Everything Fast’? Bittman Says Skip The Prep

Rachel Martin talks to food writer Mark Bittman about his new cookbook, “ How to Cook Everything Fast, ” which thumbs its nose at the french tradition of having ingredients prepped before you cook .


RACHEL MARTIN, HOST :
You know this scene, at least I do. It ‘s been a hanker day at work, you ‘re belated to pick up your kids and you have precisely one hour to make dinner before your syndicate starts a revolution. You need help getting something delicious on the board in short order. New York Times food columnist and food writer Mark Bittman is hera help. His latest cookbook is called, “ How To Cook Everything Fast. ” Mark Bittman joins us from our studios in New York. Thanks indeed a lot for being with us.

MARK BITTMAN : It ‘s great to be here .
martin : therefore, you ‘ve got several books in the “ How To Cook Everything ” series. These are bold claims you make – everything ? in truth ? Everything ?
BITTMAN : good, the everything part is – you know, it ‘s the marketers, what can I say ?
martin : ( Laughter ) .
BITTMAN : And, you know, “ How To Cook Everything ” has constantly been simple, and it ‘s always been basic. And I like to think it ‘s constantly been smart. But it was n’t necessarily fast, and that ‘s what people very want .
so the goal is that you walk in the kitchen, you open the page to the recipe you want. Assuming you have the ingredients, you equitable start. You turn on the oven, you put a pan on the stave, you start some water system boiling, whatever it is. You do n’t do this outmode thing that the french called mise en position – this antique system of pulling out all your ingredients at once and preparing them and then starting to cook .
martin : These are n’t merely recipes. You ‘re giving bit-by-bit instructions. While you ‘re making this, you should prep this .
BITTMAN : precisely, and it ‘s timed thus that each step has a preparation angle, a preparation parcel and a cook dowry. But they ‘re timed so that each one segways perfectly – naturally into the other .
martin : so I tried my hand at a couple of these recipes .
BITTMAN : I ‘m truly glad to hear that .
martin : ( Laughter ) I made the stir-fried curry chickpeas, with potatoes and carrots .
BITTMAN : Nice recipe .
martin : It was delightful – and the fastest chicken parm. So I wanted to talk about both of these. I mean, I did the chickpea with potatoes and carrots honestly because I happened to have a can of coconut milk way back in my pantry
BITTMAN : As good a argue as any .
martin : And I needed a reason to us it and I have to say it was estimable, it was pretty fast. I ‘m not sure that can of coconut milk was n’t expired. But you know, that ‘s – you ca n’t help me with that .
BITTMAN : You ca n’t lay that on me, no .
( LAUGHTER )
martin : But I have to say the chicken parm was not so fast for me.

BITTMAN : How long did it take you ?
martin : well, it took me about 45 minutes, but I think that ‘s because the chicken breasts that I used may not have been thin enough .
BITTMAN : You cut them in half ?
MARTIN : No, I good pounded them to make them thinner .
BITTMAN : well, you have to read the instructions I ‘m blue .
( LAUGHTER )
BITTMAN : I do n’t know what to tell you. You ca n’t say it took longer than …
martin : So there ‘s no room for improvisation ?
BITTMAN : well, let me walk you through the recipe and we wo n’t criticize your – the fact that you ‘ve ignored the recipe entirely. But I think – this is my darling recipe in the book. And it should be 30 minutes. You turn the broiler on, you slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally, so they will cook faster and then you pound them a little bit on top of that. So they should be …
martin : Yeah, I missed that step .
BITTMAN : half-an-inch blockheaded at the most at that point and then you put the chicken cutlets on this already bake sheet and crown with these tomatoes that you sliced when you were slicing the chicken breasts and you fair broil on one side. And that should take only 10 minutes or less. And then while that ‘s happening you grade cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan and you get some basil ready and you make a mix of breadcrumb and the cheeses and when chicken ‘s done you put all that gorge on top and put it back in the broiler. And I ‘ve made this three or four times and I think it ‘s good an incredible recipe. And it ‘s not only faster than making a tomato sauce and baking the wimp and coating it in breadcrumbs and all of that. I think it ‘s better, it ‘s truly got a fantastic freshness to it .
martin : I ‘ll just make certain to read the directions next time .
BITTMAN : ( Laughter ) Thank you .
martin : What ‘s your go to meal, when you come home recently and harried and possibly you have great ingredients in your cupboard, but possibly you do n’t ?
BITTMAN : well, if I ‘m – if it ‘s late and I ‘m harry, chances are I do n’t have great ingredients. I mean, I strongly believe that you have to have a well-stocked pantry and you have to have some stuff in your refrigerator. But if you get home recently and harass chances are you do n’t. You have n’t had time to shop for the freshest material that you might have. sol, you know, I do a batch of pasta. I do a draw of eggs. There ‘s some – a big recipe in hera for scrambled eggs with broccoli that ‘s become a symbol for a lot of people. It ‘s just kind of got that right field comfort foodie feel and it takes 15 minutes. I mean, it ‘s in truth good, but, you know, I do – like many people, I do a set of pasta when it ‘s late at night .
martin : The key is to not be afraid. evening I can do this .
BITTMAN : That is the key – and to read the instructions .
martin : To read the recipe. Mark Bittman – he writes about food for the New York Times. He is the writer of the new book, “ How to Cook Everything Fast. ” Thanks so much for talking with us, Mark.

BITTMAN : It ‘s been real fun. Thank you very much .
Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our web site terms of practice and permissions pages at www.npr.org for far data .
NPR transcripts are created on a induce deadline by an NPR contractile organ. This text may not be in its final shape and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and handiness may vary. The authoritative phonograph record of NPR ’ south program is the sound recording record .