Sparks in the Kitchen

Amazon.com Review:
Katy Sparks, formerly chef at Quilty's in Manhattan, is noted for delicious cooking that's French-based and globally influenced. Sparks in the Kitchen offers 160 approachable recipes for all courses and occasions--dishes like Broiled Shell-On Shrimp with Juniper, Black Pepper and Citrus Dipping Salt; Garlic-Studded Leg of Lamb in Red Chile and Cumin Crust; Arugula with Grilled Peaches, Goat Cheese, and County Ham; and Sugar Snap Peas with Browned Shallots, Pancetta and Mint. Sweets, such as Warm Berry and Mango Gratin in Mascarpone Chantilly and Mohr im Hand, over-the-top souffléd chocolate cakes with chocolate sauce and whipped cream, are equally tempting. Included also are snack and cocktail formulas, notes on ingredients and equipment, and useful tips and suggestions. Some readers will find the abundant autobiographical material (there's 21 pages of it up front and more throughout the text) unwarranted, while others will enjoy Sparks's stories about her Vermont family, among other recollections. With a section on techniques, and photo-illustrated throughout, Sparks in the Kitchen bridges the divide between everyday and restaurant cooking--a welcome rarity in a chef's cookbook. --Arthur Boehm

A top pick for cooks seeking innovations and pizzazz:
Take a talented chef, have her apply professional techniques to home cooking pursuits, and then publish a cookbook of the results and you have a vivid presentation of fresh flavors, new recipes, and explanations of what enhances traditional methods in SPARKS IN THE KITCHEN. Katy Sparks' restaurant is a very popular New York City venue: now her taste for innovation and drama is accessible to home cooks in such dishes as Soft-Shell Crab Tempura with Crushed Blackberry and Horseradish Relish, or Roasted Cauliflower Gratin. A peppering of color photos adds interest but the 'meat' is in the recipes themselves. A top pick for cooks seeking innovations and pizzazz. Diane C. Donovan, Editor California Bookwatch

A great find:
I bought this book after reading Judith Jones' new memoir "The Tenth Muse," wherein she recommends "Sparks in the Kitchen" as a great find- a great find it is! I love everything about this cookbook. Katy Sparks infuses anecdotes about her family and life into every recipe that make the book a pleasure to read as well as cook from. The recipes are accessible to many different skill sets and she provides useful information about culinary techniques that she has learned over her many years in professional kitchens. I especially love her recipes that elevate simple classics, such as roast chicken, with the addition of a variety of tasty compound butters. Overall, it's a lovely book that I've gotten a lot of use out of so far!