I finally broke down and bought The Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple Recipes by Ted Allen. I’m never sure about celebrity cookbooks; they seem like more of a novelty than a real resource. But we watch Iron Chef religiously, and I always like what Ted Allen has to say. And I’m impressed with this book. The recipes are real food that I would cook (roast chicken, fried chicken, braised short ribs, sesame noodles) and many of the instructions are almost conversational. I like the tone, I like the wine pairings, I like his tips for entertaining. I even love the cocktails chapter, which is thoughtful enough to include a non-alcoholic creation for our friends and family who don’t imbibe. I’ll be trying out several of these recipes soon, and I’ll post with pictures and details.