The Everyday Gourmet: Making Great Meals in Less Time

The secret to making great meals in less time lies in thinking like a chef; several techniques for turning out restaurant-quality food; a braised osso buco that almost cooks itself; a risotto that needs only 20 minutes of one's undivided attention.

Taking the hassle out of making breakfast, an important meal of the day; Chef Briwa shows recipes and ideas for putting together a quick breakfast; a basic muffin recipe and whole-grain cereal with fruit and nuts; a traditional Chinese fried rice.

Cooking with what is on hand in the house; elevating it with a simple ingredient or two; cooking with canned beans, jarred pesto, leftover bread and planned overs; creating dishes ranging from a hearty frittata to a fresh take on minestrone soup.

Focusing on making and adding one's own personal touches to a basic chowder recipe, a classic meal; Chef Briwa guides one step by step through this dish; he demonstrates how to make chowders special by using everything from chorizo to fish to corn.

Simple dishes can prove to be well-rounded, unforgettable meals; discovering how to transform items as simple as cheese, grapes, tomatoes, a head of cauliflower, and a bunch of endives into multilayered, complete meals.

Discovering how to break down the menu for a dinner party into more manageable tasks; exploring how to make a multicourse meal featuring several appetizers, a bread salad, steak with chimichurri sauce, plank-roasted salmon, and a simple dessert.