Here is the full text of the USA Today review of Cooking to Beat the Clock.
By Jerry Shriver
March 26, 1999
In the time it takes his less fortunate friends to have a pizza
delivered, Sam Gugino can whip up a saffron-scented bouillabaisse -- complete with
homemade croutons and garlicky mayo -- wash a pot, open the wine and dazzle a table of
four.
"Beat the Clock," which features versions of classic
dishes such as cassoulet, chicken saltimbocca and jambalaya, is perhaps the most
appetizing in a wave of recent titles that promise to speed up and/or greatly simplify
meal preparation. The competition includes "The 15-Minute Chef" by Patricia Mack
(HP Books, $15.95); "The 30-Minute Kosher Cook" by Judy Zeidler (William Morrow,
$22); "The Pressured Cook" by Lorna Sass (William Morrow, $19.95); and
"Just Add Water" by Lauren Chattman (William Morrow, $22).
Quick-and-easy remains one of the most popular cookbook genres,
indicating that life in the late millennium is as frenzied as ever and that the dozens of
previous volumes still haven't solved the dilemma of what to throw on the table after
work.
"Friends from the old school of cooking recognize…that
this is the way people are living and eating today," says Gugino as he covers the
bouillabaisse pan with a lid to speed cooking. "At the same time, people will always
prefer home-cooked meals. No matter how good takeout food has gotten today, it's not as
satisfying."
The restaurateur-turned-food writer began developing time-saving
strategies in the 1970s when he lied in California and faced a daily hour-plus commute. He
later wrote a New York Times story featuring 10-minute recipes for two people; that led to
this book, which features recipes for four.
"I've tried to take the best ingredients, using fresh items
when possible, and put them together in 15 minutes for a meal," he says. "It's
no more expensive than ordering takeout, and it's cheaper and better for you than most
restaurant foods."
Among Gugino's keys to quick success in "Beat the Clock"
(which he also explains on his Web site, at www.samcooks.com):
* Keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer. "It solves 75% of
your problems."
* Get organized. Good equipment such as heavy-bottomed skillets,
sharp knives, a food processor and a sauté pan "lasts longer and will help you to
cook better. And locate it where you can get to it easily."
* Focus. "When you get into the kitchen, blank everything else
out. Don’t even sip a glass of wine. Be leisurely about eating your food, but not
about the cooking."
What would a traditional yet practical cook such as Julia Child say
about Gugino's bouillabaisse, which features quick sautéed onions and garlic, roasted
peppers from a jar and just three kinds of seafood?
"I would like to think she'd say that this is not as good as a
classic bouillabaisse, but that it is a delicious meal that you can make at home in 15
minutes - and better than what you'd normally eat."
15-Minute Bouillabaisse
(serves 4)
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1 15-oz. can whole tomatoes
2 8-oz. bottles clam juice
2 teaspoons ground fennel
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
3 4-oz. pieces monkfish or swordfish
3 4-oz. pieces halibut, snapper or sea bass
8 oz. cleaned squid bodies
1 small French baguette
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers from a jar
1 egg yolk
Preheat a broiler and adjust the broiling rack so it is 3 to 6
inches from the heat source. Put 1 tablespoon oil in a large,deep, heavy skillet
over medium-high heat. Peel and quarter the onion. Peel the garlic. Put the
onion and 3 garlic cloves in a food processor. Pulse just until chopped.
Scrape into the skillet, raise the heat to high and cook for 2minutes. Meanwhile,
drain the tomatoes and chop coarsely.
Add the tomatoes, claim juice, fennel, and salt and pepper to taste
to the skillet. Over the skillet, crust 1/4 teaspoon saffron between your
fingers. Stir well, cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, cut fish pieces in
half. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium, add the fish, cover and cook for
5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the squid into rings. Add the squid for the final
minute.
While the seafood cooks, cut the baguette on the diagonal into nine
half-inch slices. Put eight of them on a baking sheet and toast both sides in the
broiler, about 1 minute on each side.
To make the (accompanying) rouille: Drop the remaining garlic clove
down the chute of the food processor with the motor running. Stop the motor and
scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the roasted peppers,
egg yolk (or1/4 cup egg substitute), reserved bread slice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon
saffron. Puree, then, with the motor running, gradually add the remaining 7
tablespoons of olive oil through the cute until the mixture has the consistency of
mayonnaise. Season with salt.
Divide the seafood and broth among 4 soup plates. Spread the
rouille on the tasted bread slices and put 2 slices on top of each plate. Serve
remaining rouille in a bowl at the table.
