A Colander, Cake Stand, and My Grandfather's Iron Skillet

In every cooks kitchen, there is a treasured tool: a workhorse utensil, go-to gadget, or a family heirloom with its own background story and the lofty standing of being a cooks most-prized possession. These beloved items say as much about the cook as their style of cooking. They tell stories about a cooks past and about the moments that led them to where they are today. For some, it might be a spoon inherited from a grandmothers silver set, which they use to taste every sauce. Or it could be a spaetzle maker picked up during a stage in Germany thats been used during every job since. Whether its a colander, cake stand, or a grandfathers iron skillet, every chef has a piece in their arsenal that gives a glimpse into their cooking history, their philosophy, and their technique. In the enlightening kitchen compilation A Colander, Cake Stand, and My Grandfathers Iron Skillet, author Erin Byers Murray collects stories from 37 top chefs about their favorite kitchen utensil. The stories, told in the chefs own words, include the tale of how they came to acquire it, the details that it so essential, and insight into whyand whenthey rely on it. Along with each story, the chef provides a recipe utilizing the particular tool or something similar, so that home cooks can try their hand at a professional chefs approach. Laid out with a minimalists design and featuring fine-point illustrations of the tools as well as beautiful color photographs of each recipe, A Colander, Cake Stand, and My Grandfathers Iron Skillet reveals the personalities of some of Americas best and hardest working chefs, while giving readers a keepsake of recipes to go along with an insiders guide to some of the most treasured and essential -- kitchen tools in the country. Featured in A Colander, Cake Stand, and My Grandfather's Iron Skillet are some of today's most respected chefs including, among others, Jody Adams, Chris Kimball, Anne Willan, Andrew Zimmern, Norman Van Aken, Linton Hopkins, Joanne Chang, Slade Rushing, Jeremy Sewall, Ken Oringer, Jonathan Benno, Rob Newton, Chris Shepherd, Steven Satterfield, Virginia Willis, Ford Fry, and Kevin Gillespie.