All About Roasting

Molly Stevens' book, All About Roasting: A New Approach to a Classic Art, is a great resource for all things roasted.

She explains the science behind dry heat cooking and givers readers recipes that are simple, straightforward, and healthy. In addition to traditional roasts like beef, pork, poultry, and lamb, she offers recipes for less common foods like goose and goat, and less commonly roasted foods like fruits, vegetables, and seafood.

Learn why fatty roasts cook more slowly than leaner roasts (intramuscular fat acts like an insulator), why it's easier to over-cook meats the longer they roast (heat passes more quickly through cooked meat than raw meat), and why deep-sided roasting pans should be avoided (they prevent hot air from circulating freely around the roast).

Stevens covers important topics like shopping, seasoning, and carving. She discusses the pros and cons of brining and basting, explains how to best position oven racks, and gives guidelines for using low, moderate, and high heat. She even demonstrates how to butterfly a chicken and tells readers how to troubleshoot a turkey.

I'm looking forward trying some of her tempting condiments, like Home-Made Steak Sauce (with grapefruit, garlic, cinnamon, and clove) on page 107 and Blue Cheese and Chive Butter on page 111.