The Art of Simple Food summary

In California, where Alice pioneered her approach to cooking, fresh, delicious ingredients are so readily available that sometimes the best way to showcase them is in a raw salad, dressed lightly with a vivacious vinaigrette. 

For Alice, the best salads are a combination of whatever is in season and radiantly ripe; this is usually a combination of lettuces, vegetables, and fruits. But don’t think you have to seek out the fanciest, most obscure heirloom varieties of lettuce – Alice also loves a simple salad of flat-leaf parsley, tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, and a little salt. 

There’s nothing like a roast dinner to provide a homey, yet celebratory, atmosphere. Meat and vegetables alike benefit from time in a hot oven, where they develop a brown, crunchy surface with concentrated flavors to surround a tender, velvety interior. 

Luckily for cooks everywhere, a roast chicken in particular is a cinch to prepare. As usual, the raw ingredients are the most important foundation for a successful meal.

Poaching is a method of cooking delicate foods in a little liquid over very low heat – so low that it’s not even bubbling. This perfectly preserves the subtle flavors of a high-quality ingredient.

Eggs are probably the most commonly poached ingredient. They are delicious for breakfast on a slice of buttered toast, or for a simple lunch in a shimmering bowl of homemade chicken broth. For dinner, one of Alice’s favorite salads is a poached egg on a bed of curly endive lettuce tossed in a warm vinaigrette with bacon. When the poached egg is broken, the warm yolk enriches the vinaigrette, coating the bitter lettuce in the most satisfying way.

According to Alice, you can ask any cook what her favorite cooking method is, and the answer will be the same: grilling over an open fire. There’s something primal and satisfyingly immediate to grilling, as well as a thrilling unpredictability. Plus, there’s the joy of tending to a fire. 

It makes sense, then, that learning to grill is an incredibly rewarding process. The first thing to know is how to set up a good bed of coals. It’s actually not the fire that cooks the food, but heat radiating from the glowing coals. Any grill you use should have immediate access to the coals and a heavy grate that can be lifted or lowered as needed. 

Seasonal fruit is not only delicately sweet, juicy, and delicious – it’s beautiful to bring to the table. Plain, ripe fruit remains Alice’s favorite way to end a meal. Visit your local farmers’ market to find fruit at peak ripeness. Every farmers’ market will have slightly different fruit based on the season and location, so it’s up to you to personally get a sense of what’s available when.

When you’re at the farmers’ market, go with what looks and tastes best to you that day. The fruit should smell amazing – that’s a reflection of its ripeness. Then, ask the farmer for a taste. If the fruit is perfect, take it home and eat it that day. Only put it into the refrigerator if the fruit is at perfect ripeness but you can’t eat it that same day. And definitely let it come to room temperature before serving.