Simply Ming One-Pot Meals

Ming Tsai, the Emmy Award-winning host of PBS’s “Simply Ming” and James Beard Award-winning chef of Blue Ginger, firmly believes that there are four basic needs in everyday cooking: taste, healthfulness, simplicity, and affordability. So with these principles in mind, Ming has created a groundbreaking cookbook, his first in five years, in which he tackles all four all combined together in one pot. Simply Ming One-Pot Meals: Quick, Healthy & Affordable Recipes (Kyle Books; November 2010; Hardcover; $24.95) showcases 80 mouth-watering recipes using the seven techniques of one-pot cooking – braising, wokking, sautéing, roasting, flash-frying, tossing, and soups. No matter which pot he uses, the results are simply delicious.

“I love to cook,” says Ming Tsai, “But like other busy people, I don’t always have the time. The chef in me aims to make the best, most excitingly delicious food possible; the dad and home cook in me wants those meals to be prepared hassle-free with minimum clean-up.” One-pot cooking began for Ming at home and was introduced to his legion of fans in season four of his hit television show. With Ming’s techniques and recipes; a good stock pot, wok pan, and Dutch oven in the kitchen; and good, simple, and affordable ingredients in the pantry, a full range of fabulous dishes, from soups and salads to simple suppers and dishes for entertaining, are at your fingertips. And, you will marvel at the pots’ time-saving versatility.

These stellar recipes demonstrate Chef Ming Tsai’s mastery of ingredients and flavors from around the world: Aromatic Short Ribs with Root Vegetables; Garlic Osso Buco with Celeriac; Scallop and Bacon Fettuccine; Wanton Shrimp and Noodle Soup; Sweet Potato Ravioli with Thai Basil Butter; Chicken and Tri-Bell Pepper Chow Mein; Moroccan Spiced Lamb Shoulder with Bell Pepper Couscous; Pork Kimchee with Noodles; and, once you try Ming’s Asian Spaghetti and Asian Sloppy Joes, you will never want to go back to the old standard recipe. Each recipe is accompanied by a stunning full-color photograph and a beverage pairing suggestion, and many feature Ming’s signature cooking tips.

Exploring technique through Ming’s one-pot system – taking underutilized woks and stockpots out for a spin – will also show you how cooking actually works, so you’ll be better at it. The proof though is in the eating, and in that regard, Simply Ming One-Pot Meals guarantees serious pleasure.

About the Author:
Ming Tsai is the Emmy Award-winning television host and producer of “Simply Ming.” His restaurant, Blue Ginger in Wellesley, Massachusetts, has earned him a James Beard Foundation award and Esquire’s “Chef of the Year.” He is the author of three bestselling cookbooks, including Blue Ginger and Simply Ming. He is also a member of the Harvard School of Public Health’s Nutrition Roundtable, as well as the national spokesperson for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). In the summer of 2008, Ming traveled to the Beijing Olympics with NBC’s “Today” show to provide viewers with insight into food customs and traditions that define his Chinese heritage. Ming lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two sons. Visit Ming online at www.ming.com.

Arthur Boehm writes about food for a number of national publications and is co-author of Modern Seafood Cook, The Empire Kosher Kitchen, Blue Ginger, and Simply Ming. He lives in New York City.