Egg

For culinary visionary Michael Ruhlman, the question is not whether the chicken or the egg came first, it's how anything could be accomplished in the kitchen without the magic of the common egg. He starts with perfect poached and scrambled eggs and builds up to brioche and Italian meringue. Along the way readers learn to make their own mayonnaise, pasta, custards, quiches, cakes, and other preparations that rely fundamentally on the hidden powers of the egg. A unique framework for the book is provided in Ruhlman's egg flowchart, which starts with the whole egg at the top and branches out to describe its many uses and preparations - boiled, pressure-cooked, poached, fried, coddled, separated, worked into batters and doughs, and more. A removable illustrated flowchart is included with the book. Nearly 100 recipes are grouped by technique and range from simple (Egg Salad with Tarragon and Chives) to sophisticated (nougat). Dozens of step-by-step photographs guide the home cook through this remarkable culinary journey.

Review: "As useful as it is elegant, as comforting as it is revelatory, Egg elevates its humble subject to well-deserved heights, providing detailed (and delicious) instructions along the way."--Dan Barber, executive chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns

"Home cooks and professionals will embrace this useful resource, which includes a pull-out flow chart measuring over four feet long."--Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

"I am, notoriously, an egg slut. This book has everything you need to know about the ingredient that gives in so many ways. And keeps on giving."--Anthony Bourdain, author, television host, producer

"The chart alone is genius."--Michael Symon, chef, author, and co-host of The Chew

"The subtitle is no exaggeration, and Ruhlman, with great panache, proves it on page after page of his master class...You'll never see eggs in the same way again."--William Grimes, The New York Times Book Review

"We're obsessed with Michael Ruhlman's new cookbook Egg, and know that you're going to love it as much as we do."--Alessandra Bulow, Epicurious

Prizes: Short-listed for James Beard Foundation Book Awards (Single Subject) 2015.