Diane Forley shows how to build a dish--and a menu--from the vegetable on up in this innovative cookbook that looks at flavors through a botanical prism.

Forley's fascination with the properties and groupings of fruits and vegetables--in the garden, in the kitchen, and on the plate--suffuses and defines The Anatomy of a Dish, a classic collection of recipes that is interspersed with botanical information and charts.

For Forley, vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes define flavor, texture, and sensibility in cooking. The progression of recipes reflects this attitude. The first part looks at vegetables one at a time, and details some of Forley's favorite ways to prepare them. All are wonderful dishes on their own, but they also form a foundation for the rest of the book. For example: Simple lentils are served with vinaigrette or made more substantial with the addition of shredded duck confit and diced roasted sunchokes, or paired with roasted monkfish. Other recipes include Baby Lamb Chops with Roasted Eggplant Salad with Sesame Dressing, Apple and Leek Hash, Roasted Winter Vegetable Stew, Sauteed Salmon with Corn Sauce, and 200 other recipes.

Cooks who care to broaden their culinary horizons will find this unique approach as delicious as they'll find Forley's recipes, with
their straightforward charm and exceptional soaring flavors.