Justin Spring begins his book with sentiments that are familiar to all of us. "Cooking is always a creative adventure...resulting almost always in sensual satisfaction, physical fulfillment, and incidental merriment. But it isn't always easy or blissful to cook in the small, awkward spaces in which many of us find ourselves."
Telling us that his intention is to 'close the gap between the kitchens we have and the cooking we wish we could do," Spring sets about the business of cooking in impossible places. Organization is the key, of course, and Spring is organized, but he also finds ways to adjust a recipe that might require the kitchens at Versailles, so that food tastes like it came from royal chefs. Inside the book are recipes for composed dinner salads, classic dishes such as choucroute garni, a mole-style lasagna with corn tortillas, sweet desserts, such as toaster oven brownie sand gingerbread.
Inside the book are ideas for:
- Cleaning and prepping the kitchen
- Buying appliances (toaster ovens recommended)
- Using space wisely. This includes lighting, under-the-sink storage, cup hooks, adjustable height shelving, wall-mounted appliances and more
- Selecting table and cookware. All the essentials are included, the extraneous meet their demise.
- 100 recipes that will give you the Versailles touch in a tiny space, from soups to meat or fish, to sides and desserts
About the author: Justin Spring has written feature articles on home design for the New York Times; Home Section, Martha Stewart Living and many others. He has lived very happily with his own itty bitty kitchen in midtown Manhattan for over 12 years. He lives in New York City.
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