Process This! by Jean Anderson

Process This! by Jean Anderson

Compared to today's racy new food processors, early models seem positively antiquated. Among the cutting-edge innovations: mini bowl and blade inserts for standard models ... kinder, gentler dough modes that knead yeast doughs to perfection ... reversible blades, one side for grinding, one for chopping ... powerful braking actions that allow you to control the degree of chop ... sleek keypads that make clean-up a breeze.

The new generation of food processors, so powerful, so versatile, needs a new deriver's manual, a cookbook to teach you how to use them to their best advantage. Process This is that book.

Award-winning cookbook author Jean Anderson has spent two years putting the new processors through their paces and developing recipes specifically for them. (Don't worry, they work in older machines too; in fact they'll make them perform better than ever.)

Anderson has turned some 150 popular recipes upside-down, changing the order of mixing so that you can now prep almost anything by processor. Flaky piecrust? No problem. Pates, rustic or refined? A snap. Melt-in-your-mouth shortbread? You bet. Salsas and guacamole with plenty of texture? Sure thing. Asian stir-fries? Of course. Feathery cakes? Why not? Anderson has even turned the food processor into a bread machine, using it to do everything but shape and bake.

Throughout Process This you'll find dozens of time-saving tips and techniques. Why not mince parsley while you crumb bread? With meatloaves and casserole toppings so often calling for both, it makes sense. Why not processor-grate strips of lemon-zest? It's easy if you add a little sugar or salt. Chop onions and bell peppers in tandem? Whiz together all the dry ingredients for a cake or quick bread, then cut in the butter instead of creaming it separately? This is one-bowl mixing at its best.

Process This is much more than a cookbook, however. Its dictionary of foods teaches you how to slice, dice, chop, shred, and puree everything from apples to zucchini. There's even a handy table of equivalents to tell you exactly how many slices of bread you need for one cup of crumbs or how many onions it takes for one cup of coarsely chopped.

The 150 recipes range from simple to sophisticated: Two-Pepper Parmesan Wafers ... Chicken Liver and Red Onion Jam Pate ... Instant Icy Avocado Soup ... Penne with Midsummer Tomato Sauce ... Crispy Parmesan-Crumbled Chicken ... Ossobucco ... Old-Timey Corn Custard ... Two Potato Gratin with Bacon and Leeks ... Cheddar Scones ... Focaccia ... Frozen Lemongrass-Mango Mousse ... Toasted Hazelnut Tart ... Rugelach.

Whether you are a new cook, an experienced one, or even a professional, you will find Process This as indispensable as your food processor.

The winner of five best cookbook awards (Tastemaker, James Beard, IACP) and a member of the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame, Jean Anderson writes for Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Cottage Living, Gourmet, More, and other national publications. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.