Chef Justice Stewart shares more than 70 flavorful recipes in his new cookbook, “Mastering the Art of Sous Vide Cooking.” The sous vide is a cooking method where food is placed in plastic or a glass jar and cooked in a water bath at a precise temperature. Professional chefs prepare meats, vegetables and desserts this way to maintain most of their nutrients and to enhance taste. Stewart offers great tips for using the machine at home. He also provides information on essential equipment needed to get started.
Ten chapters divide the paperback into short segments making reading quick. Each recipe displays its own vibrant image. Some of my favorites include Argentine skirt steak with chimichurri, beef ramen, veal roulades with juniper butter, garlicky chicken thighs and Pacific salmon with citrus kale salad. Clearly, this book is a meat lover’s paradise.
The ingredients sit on the sidebar while the instructions take center stage on the page. I find this a bit unusual, but not distracting. However, I’m not a fan of the small italicized font; it makes perusing difficult. Still, this didn’t prevent me from jotting down notes of foods that I want to try. Doesn’t this sound delicious, monkfish with saffron beurre blanc, Moroccan-style sticky meatballs, caramelized cabbage wedges and cardamom spiced pears in red wine?
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Born and raised in the New York borough of Queens, Stewart loved fishing with his father as a child. The aroma of fresh fried fish captivated him and the neighbors alike. Though his father passed away when he was 10-years-old, he treasured every moment spent with him. As a young man, he worked in construction and cooked at home on a regular basis. This helped improve his culinary skills which gave him the confidence to host dinner parties. In 2011, he started his food blog, GourmetDeconstructed.com. Justice jumped at the opportunity to cook with a Louisiana chef in New York City and with both feet planted in the industry at the age of 40, he soon became a sous chef at Madison Square Garden cooking for high-end clientele. These experiences taught him what he needed to know to open his own catering business, Gourmet Deconstructed Catering & Personal Chef Services.
I’m delighted to recommend “Sous Vide Cooking” for three reasons. One, it has inspired me to purchase my first sous vide. Two, I’ve learned a new cooking method from someone who has mastered the technique. And three, I can serve my family the cuisine they deserve from my kitchen; nutritious and delicious. The way it was intended.
“Mastering the Art of Sous Vide” is available on Amazon.
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