Books by author: Roger Ebert

It's interesting to ponder a cookbook containing only recipes that the author has neither cooked nor tasted, but this book isn't about the recipes. Rather, it is a minimalist manifesto that encourages you to experiment and not worry too much about it.

I had read Ebert's original blog post about "The Pot" a couple of years ago and bought a rice cooker as a result. As a result, my family has enjoyed excellent rice and a handful of quite good one-pot meals (from a different cookbook). After reading this book, I have started using my "Pot" to cook oatmeal for breakfast, and last night, I "winged it" with some brown rice, broccoli, and leftovers (and the result was pretty good).

I am a huge fan of getting away from the tyranny of the recipe and just cooking, and Ebert is a great writer, so from those perspectives this is a worthwhile book. But believe me when I say you don't need it as a cookbook.