dear cooks,

The premise of this new book from Martha Stewart is simple: you want to cook delicious meals for family and friends in the comfort of your home, but you're pressed for time. To take the stress out of planning a dinner, Martha offers more than just recipes—she provides 52 complete meals, each featuring a starter, a main course, a side, and dessert. They're cleverly designed with a simple prep schedule that lets you plan and cook dinner in about an hour. Using easy-to-find ingredients that make the most of each season's flavors, you'll pull off a Sunday supper for close family or a casual get-together with friends with astonishingly little effort—and never once have to think about what pairs perfectly with your main entrée!

Larousse Gastronomique

about the book

Larousse Gastronomique has been the foremost resource of culinary knowledge since its initial publication in 1938. Long revered for its encyclopedic entries on everything from cooking techniques, ingredients, and recipes to equipment, food histories, and culinary biographies, it is the one book every professional chef and avid home cook must have on his or her kitchen shelf. In fact, Julia Child once wrote, "If I were allowed only one reference book in my library, Larousse Gastronomique would be it, without question."

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Braised Chicken Marsala

Makes 4 Servings

• 4 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (about 1¼ pounds)
• 4 chicken drumsticks (about 1 pound
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 red onions, peeled and quartered through the stem
• 2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 3/4 cup Marsala (sweet Italian fortified wine)
• 1¼ cups chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium store-bought

Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse chicken, pat dry with paper towels, and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, high-sided sauté pan over medium-high. Working in batches, brown chicken on both sides, turning once, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter; tent loosely with parchment paper, then foil, to keep warm. After all chicken is browned, pour off excess fat.

Add onions, tomatoes, and thyme to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Pour in Marsala; cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Return chicken to pan and pour in stock; bring to a simmer. Transfer to oven; cook until chicken is cooked through and tender, about 35 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter, and cover to keep warm.

Skim off excess fat from liquid in pan; simmer liquid over medium-high until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes and serve, spooning pan sauce over each.