Richard Sax had a simple goal for this book: to take the fear out of cooking. "Take the time to learn a handful of basic cooking techniques," he writes in his introduction, "and you'll soon discover, if you haven't already, that working in the kitchen is fun." With Richard as benevolent friend, you'll soon see the kitchen as a room where you can be creative and relaxed. Here's everything you need to know to create a wonderful meal, from appetizers straight through to. Coffee and dessert. And before you even set foot in the kitchen, you'll learn how to read a recipe, compose a menu, get everything to the table at the same time, and clean up - there are even a handful of food safety tips. Seasoned cooks should also read on, for there is much of interest in these pages: Richard's enticing recipes. A hearty farmer's market vegetable soup. Soy-glazed broiled salmon with crisp, cool cucumbers. Winter pasta with fresh greens and roasted. Garlic. A New England boiled beef dinner. Honey-lemon glazed carrots and creamy mashed potatoes made without cream. And of course, the collection would not be complete without some of Richard's classic home desserts. What about a warm apple crumble cake? Or fudgy white chocolate chunk brownies? This is the kind of food reputations are built on.