Everything i want to eat

What makes a chef great is her palate, writes Mark Bittman, and the food [Jessica] Koslow makes is highly seasoned, both down-to-earth and luxurious.

In fewer than five years as the chef and owner as LA's Sqirl, Koslow has solidified her reputation as one of the country's most influential chefs.

Her food, which Bon Appetit's Christine Muhlke describes as healthy-meets-to-hell-with-it is designed to surprise us and to engage every one of our senses-it looks good, tastes vibrant and feels fortifying yet refreshing.

In Everything I Want to Eat, Koslow shares more than 100 of her favourite recipes, filling her book with plenty of vegetarian and vegan offerings, but, like her restaurant, offering up options for the bacon-eaters among us as well.

Koslow helps readers strike a balance at home, teaching them how to make some of her most popular dishes: Burnt brioche toast with ricotta and jam; the Sorrel-pesto rice bowl topped with a poached egg; Valrhona chocolate fleur de sel cookies; and more.

The ingredients called for are a modern mash-up of vegetables, grains, and spices from the world over.

The recipes are unfussy but thought provoking.

They will inspire home cooks to reach beyond their comfort zones flavour-wise-to learn a new, exciting way to eat every day.