Mark bittman

This easy slurry method—from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything: The Basics—takes polenta into weekday fare. And this recipe shows how to make a deeply flavored mushroom sauce with the simple addition of dried porcini.

Don't be intimidated by cooking chicken and rice in the same pan. Chicken and rice dishes from around the world can vary widely, but this recipe is a hit!

Keep it vegan until six, then eat whatever you want. No calorie counting and no banned foods; lose weight and get healthy, with a side-bonus of supporting a more sustainable food system. Sounds pretty good, right? Mark Bittman has been building toward this diet for years, and has now released his manifesto, VB6. I read the book. I tried the diet. Here’s what happened. Before we launch into this discussion, I just want to take a time out.

In his latest book, Bittman shares 100 iconic dishes prepared three ways: the easy version; the vegan version; and the all-out version.

Jim Lahey’s recipe for a European-style boule generated enough questions to warrant further discussion here.

The ingredients of this classic Portuguese soup meld beautifully under pressure, so you only need water—no stock—to get a savory, rich broth.

This is the most minimalist eggplant Parmesan imaginable, really an eggplant gratin with tomatoes. You cook the eggplant in abundant oil. Yes, you can broil it or bake it, but I really think the taste of eggplant slices that have had oil boiled right through them is dreamy. Make a 15-minute tomato sauce of fresh or canned tomatoes, onion and olive oil, then grab a gratin dish and layer the eggplant, sauce and Parmesan. Do this two or three times, and that's it. Bake until it's bubbly and…

Creamy, dreamy, fluffy hummus is 10 minutes away.

This is both one of the simplest and best pasta recipes I can think of. Rather than cooking a sauce, you just (vigorously) stir everything together in a big bowl. Good all the time (even for breakfast), but especially at midnight.

This mac and cheese recipe takes advantage of the starchiness of noodles to make a creamy cheese sauce without a roux or béchamel.