David Burke's New American Classics

One of America's most innovative and accomplished chefs gives us a book full of deliciously original recipes both for everyday meals and for memorable entertaining. Over the course of a brilliant career, David Burke has created imaginative and irresistible updates of classic American cuisine. Now he makes it easy for the home cook to master a classic dish and then add innovative touches to make it even more tempting, in what he calls contemporary classics. In addition, he includes "Second Day Dishes," a new and magical approach to leftovers.Here is how it works: classic Eggs Benedict with Hash Brown Potatoes and Oven-Dried Tomatoes leads to Canadian Bacon and Onion Potato Cake with Poached Eggs and Spicy Tomato Salsa, which in turn leads to Bacon, Potato, and Eggs Strudel on the second day. Traditional Broiled Shrimp with Scampi Butter and Tomato-Rice Pilaf is transformed into Sauteed Shrimp with Spinach-Lasagna Roll and Crisp Spinach, and then into Shrimp Fried Rice and Sausage the next day.A Classic Chef's Salad Bowl can be turned into Carpaccio of Chef's Salad, and then Chef's Salad Bruschetta. Roast Chicken "Farmhouse Style" with Potatoes, Mushrooms, Bacon, Onions, and Apple Cider Gravy is reconceived as Seawater-Soaked Chicken with Thyme and Poppy Seed Gnocchi, and a day later can become Chicken-Potato Pancakes with Apple Sour Cream Sauce. New York Cheesecake becomes Grand Marnier Cheesecake Souffles, changed on the next day into Coconut Cheesecake Beignets with Red Fruit Sorbet and Berries.From appetizers to desserts, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner--117 delectable recipes (including Titanic French Toast with Three Jams; Oh, My Cod!; Chocolate Chip UFOs; and many more of Burke's signature whimsical creations)--a fabulous cookbook.From the Hardcover edition.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Fiction, Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.