Anne Byrn, the eminent Cake Mix Doctor, showed us that a dash of creativity, a few additional ingredients
and a generous helping of her inspired ideas could turn ho-hum, store-bought cake mixes into superb confections.
So, assuming she did not live by cake alone, her pleased patients began to ask what the Doctor whipped up for the
rest of the meal. The answer is found in The Dinner Doctor,
Byrn's practical prescriptions for serving busy, hungry families food that tastes fantastic but is simple to assemble.
The basic technique is, no surprise, doctoring—expanding on the cornucopia of convenience foods available in our
ever-improving supermarkets. The trick is to choose the main ingredient wisely, doctor it intelligently and use quick,
classic techniques to bring out the flavor. And there's lots of flavor in the more than 230 recipes Byrn supplies: just
try the White Bean Soupe Au Pistou, Garlicky Cheese Grits Casserole, Shrimp Curry in a Hurry or Mexican Lasagna. Every
recipe is topped off with a tip, and over a dozen lists of "15 Ways to . . . " offer extra-quick fixes for everything
from a deli roast chicken to a can of baked beans, a bottle of salsa or box of brownie mix. This is medicine that's easy
to take!
The Dinner Doctor
By Anne Byrn
Workman, $14.95, paperback
496 pages, ISBN 0761126805
If it takes one to know one, then Jeremiah Tower is the one to take us on a tour of the current culinary geniuses.
Tower, a founding father of the American Culinary Revolution ("serious simplicity" based on the finest and freshest)
that started in California in the early '70s, selected 13 James Beard Award-winning chefs from coast to coast to feature
in his 26-part PBS series, and has now put those recipes and his lively and informative commentary in
America's Best Chefs Cook with Jeremiah Tower. Though all these star-studded chefs cook
in elaborate restaurant kitchens, Tower chose to cook with them at home, leveling the gastronomic playing field for mere
mortals like us. More than 100 recipes run the gamut from starters and sandwiches through desserts, and even though we're
cooking with the crème de la crème, many are deceptively simple: Charlie Trotter's Crisp Arugula-Polenta Cakes,
perfect with roasts and ragouts; Michael Romano's Chicken Saltimboca served with Spinach and Garlic; and Robert McGrath's
divinely rich Skillet Pecan Pie. You can't beat the best, so why not join this happy band of sensational chefs?
America's Best Chefs Cook with Jeremiah Tower
By Jeremiah Tower
Wiley, $29.95
224 pages, ISBN 047145141X
Anne Byrn, the eminent Cake Mix Doctor, showed us that a dash of creativity, a few additional ingredients
and a generous helping of her inspired ideas could turn ho-hum, store-bought cake mixes into superb confections.
So, assuming she did not live by cake alone, her pleased patients began to ask what the Doctor whipped up for the
rest of the meal. The answer is found in The Dinner Doctor,
Byrn's practical prescriptions for serving busy, hungry families food that tastes fantastic but is simple to assemble.
The basic technique is, no surprise, doctoring—expanding on the cornucopia of convenience foods available in our
ever-improving supermarkets. The trick is to choose the main ingredient wisely, doctor it intelligently and use quick,
classic techniques to bring out the flavor. And there's lots of flavor in the more than 230 recipes Byrn supplies: just
try the White Bean Soupe Au Pistou, Garlicky Cheese Grits Casserole, Shrimp Curry in a Hurry or Mexican Lasagna. Every
recipe is topped off with a tip, and over a dozen lists of "15 Ways to . . . " offer extra-quick fixes for everything
from a deli roast chicken to a can of baked beans, a bottle of salsa or box of brownie mix. This is medicine that's easy
to take!
Support your 
If it takes one to know one, then Jeremiah Tower is the one to take us on a tour of the current culinary geniuses.
Tower, a founding father of the American Culinary Revolution ("serious simplicity" based on the finest and freshest)
that started in California in the early '70s, selected 13 James Beard Award-winning chefs from coast to coast to feature
in his 26-part PBS series, and has now put those recipes and his lively and informative commentary in
America's Best Chefs Cook with Jeremiah Tower. Though all these star-studded chefs cook
in elaborate restaurant kitchens, Tower chose to cook with them at home, leveling the gastronomic playing field for mere
mortals like us. More than 100 recipes run the gamut from starters and sandwiches through desserts, and even though we're
cooking with the crème de la crème, many are deceptively simple: Charlie Trotter's Crisp Arugula-Polenta Cakes,
perfect with roasts and ragouts; Michael Romano's Chicken Saltimboca served with Spinach and Garlic; and Robert McGrath's
divinely rich Skillet Pecan Pie. You can't beat the best, so why not join this happy band of sensational chefs?