Tamar Adler's 2011 book "An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace" came out at a time when male chefs were being celebrated as rock stars, Anthony Bourdain ruled the airwaves and "Top Chef" was appointment viewing for a certain type of restaurant-goer. Her book, which began by extolling the virtues of boiling water, went completely against the grain of the food culture at the time. There was no bombast and there was no hubris: Adler wanted readers to be guided by their palates and instincts, as she was. Though she'd cooked at the storied Chez Panisse restaurant, what she really wanted to demonstrate for people is that what they were capable of creating at home with whatever was available could be just as good.
"An Everlasting Meal" had some recipes, but it was more about an ethos, a philosophy of the kitchen. Now, with "The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A–Z," she is providing an alphabetical and ingredient divided guide to what to do with leftover vegetables, pickles, sauces, snacks and much more, with a chapter that includes both meat and tofu. A reader of the original "An Everlasting Meal" can intuit what the cookbook version looks like. Indeed, what Adler has provided is a guide to cooking intuition — an encyclopedia of what to do with herb stems, lingering falafel and extra sardines. "Anything that is true of a Carrot, cooked," she writes under the entry "Parsnips, cooked," "is true of a parsnip." The introduction reminds the reader, "the amount of leftover mashed potatoes you need is the amount you have." To some, this will be a relief; to others, a source of anxiety. But Adler tries to get the audience onto her wavelength, building their confidence by reminding them, "All cooking really requires is perception, practice and patience."
