At Home in the Kitchen

120 recipes for the casual meals--from simple breakfasts to 2 a.m. snacks--that the James Beard Award-winning, three-Michelin-starred chef of Manresa cooks at home.

When David Kinch isn't working at one of his four restaurants, he cooks in the salmon-colored bungalow--affectionately known as the Pink Palace--where he lives on the Northern California coast. A casual evening might include a game of limbo played with an old broom handle and dancing to Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" after digging into a rustic pasta made with cans from the pantry, or a simple roasted chicken, or too many oysters to count.

In At Home in the Kitchen, David presents the unfussy dishes he cooks most often, including Brussels Sprouts with Cider and Goat Cheese, Mozzarella Crostini with Lemon and Tomato, Penne with a Walnut Sauce, Peel and Eat Shrimp with Garlic and Rosemary, Pork Tenderloins with Coriander and Fennel, Whole Roast Cauliflower with Capers and Egg, Lentil Soup with Smoked Ham, and much more. While each recipe has no more than a few key ingredients, David's clever techniques, subtle twists, and fresh flavor combinations guarantee delicious results in no time at all.

Photographed on location in Santa Cruz, where David surfs, sails, and entertains, this fun and festive cookbook also features his recommendations for the best songs to listen to while cooking and the classic cocktails (rum punch, daiquiris, sangria, margaritas!) that should precede every meal. If you want to add a deliciously laidback vibe to your weeknight dinners, this book is for you.