Kitchen Life

Book excerpt: The indispensable new cookbook for today's busy families from the New York Times bestselling author of Back to the Table. From James Beard Awardwinning chef Art Smith comes a book that gives readers more than 150 simple and delicious ways to feed -- and enrich -- their families. in Back to the Table, Art Smith, the New York Times bestselling author and personal chef to Oprah Winfrey, showed readers how to gather at the table to celebrate special occasions with food. In his new book, Kitchen Life, Smith shows today's busy families an altogether new approach to everyday dining by staying ahead of the mealtime jam while learning to prepare simpler, more satisfying meals. This is a Practical, indispensable book that America's busy families can turn to every day of the year. Kitchen Life's unique organization and tools teach readers to identify what type of cook they are, based on how they eat, shop, and manage their hectic schedules. Divided into helpful sections, it demonstrates how to: --Create more efficient and comprehensive kitchen pantries --Simplify and organize for cooking efficiently --Create weekly menus It also offers solutions to "real-life" family case studies based on actual examples drawn from people in everyday situations -- from working, stay-at-home, and single parents to families with teenagers or a new baby in the house. Interactive questionnaires will help readers evaluate their own individual cooking style and then tailor recipes and meal plans to make their kitchen life easier than ever. At the heart of Kitchen Life are more than 150 of Smith's delicious and easy-to-prepare recipes from snacks, soups, and salads to casseroles and desserts, including: Art's Macaroni and Cheese Soup, Taverna Pasta Salad with Roast Lamb, Curry-Crusted Cornish Hens with Red Peppers, Chili Shepherd's Pie, and Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.