Open Kitchen

Book excerpt: Simple, stylish recipes for fearless entertaining from the renowned food stylist, New York Times contributor, and founding food editor of Martha Stewart Living. As a professional recipe developer, avid home cook, and frequent hostess, Susan Spungen is devoted to creating perfectly simple recipes for good food. In Open Kitchen, she arms readers with elegant, must-make meal ideas that are easy to share and enjoy with friends and family. An open kitchen, whether physical or spiritual, is a place to welcome company, to enjoy togetherness and the making of a meal. This cookbook is full of contemporary, stylish, and accessible dishes that will delight and impress with less effort. From simple starters such as Burrata with Pickled Cherries and centerpieces such as Rosy Harissa Chicken, to desserts such as Roasted Strawberry-Basil Sherbet, the dishes are seasonal classics with a twist, vegetable-forward and always appealing. Filled with practical tips and Susan's "get-ahead" cooking philosophy that ensures streamlined, stress-free preparation, this cookbook encourages readers to open their kitchens to new flavors, menus, and guests. Perfect for occasions that call for simple but elevated comfort food, whether it's a relaxed gathering or a weeknight dinner, Open Kitchen shows readers how to maximize results with minimal effort for deeply satisfying, a little bit surprising, and delicious meals. It is a cookbook you'll reach for again and again.