Yes, it's possible to buy a cookbook today for 1 cent! And it could be one of mine. No matter, I love this review that just came in from "Sandy." The unexpected critique is of the first book in my 1-2-3 series, Recipes 1-2-3: Fabulous Food Using Only Three Ingredients, written more than 18 years ago. The book was published in Turkish, Czech, Hebrew, and in metric for the UK and Australian audiences. The simple concept gave rise to the Minimalist column in the New York Times which was based on this work. Some of my favorite recipes from this book include Seared Salmon with Pancetta and Sage; Mahogany Short Ribs; Turnip and Havarti Torte; Chocolate-Banana Terrine; and Lemon Buttermilk Ice Cream. Many thanks to Sandra Lee Smith for taking the time to rediscover a golden oldie. RECIPES 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold is one of those cookbooks that will surely knock your socks off (or your oven mitts, at least).

There have been, you must have noticed if you automatically scan all the cookbooks in book stores and in particular, the flurry of cookbooks devoted to just a few ingredients—there are many great cookbooks on this topic. Rozanne Gold was one of the first to take this concept a step further. First of all, RECIPES 1-2-3 is a beautiful hardcover cookbook by Viking Press, with photographs by Tom Eckerle.

“Time is not on our side,” explain the publishers. “Not only don’t we have time to cook, we often don’t even have time to shop for food. Imagine being able to choose from more than 250 dazzling recipes that contain only three ingredients.”

Rozanne Gold is the author of the award-winning “LITTLE MEALS: A GREAT NEW WAY TO EAT AND COOK”. She is also consulting chef to the Rainbow Room and the new Windows On the World. First chef to New York City mayor Ed Koch, she is now Culinary Director of the world-renown Joseph Baum and Michael Whitman Co., and if that were not enough, she is also culinary counselor for Dunnewood Vineyards in California.

In the Introduction to 1-2-3, Gold writes “Think of the transparent sound of a small chamber orchestra; or the compressive clarity of haiku. When it comes to the senses, less is often more. So it is with our palates and the way we taste. The Western vocabulary contains only four descriptors for how we experience a morsel of food: salty, sour, bitter, and sweet. The Japanese posit a fifth sensation, called umami, a beeflike essence of wild mushrooms.

It was this realization, she says, that led her to develop RECIPES 1-2-3. She says that in her twenty years as a professional chef, she has “imposed dozens of ingredients onto a single dish, used paintbrushes and squeeze bottles to decorate plates; piled food so precariously as to challenge gravity…”

To read the full review, please click here.

“Rozanne Gold is the leader of a minimalist sect, one that uses the fewest possible ingredients to produce dishes that are not just credible but delicious.”

--Mark Bittman, The New York Times

“Inspired recipes from three top-quality ingredients – it just couldn’t be easier or better than this!”

--Jacques Pepin

“Recipes 1-2-3 is fantastic! It shows a pure understanding of how a great chef wants to and will cook at home.”

--Daniel Boulud

Last week I was asked to be a judge at a merlot wine tasting and dinner sponsored by the Long Island Merlot Alliance. As a fan of the efforts of Long Island winemakers and their wines since the late 1970's, I served them when I was the chef at Gracie Mansion in 1979 (specifically those from Hargrave Vineyards and Lenz Winery). Now, at City Winery on Varick Street, I was in the company of a cadre of esteemed wine writers, including Howard Goldberg from the New York Times, Joshua Greene, publisher of Wine & Spirits, Robin Kelley O'Connor from Christie's, and Patricia Savoie from the Wine Media Guild.

While we thought the task at hand was to rate 14 merlots from Long Island, there were seven "decoys" from France and California in the mix. The results showed that few could identify the French and California wines. This amused a handful of us and it showed the promise of Long Island's viticulture, making those seven merlots (and several of the winemakers present) very proud. I particularly enjoyed a merlot from McCall Vineyard from the North Fork known as Ben's Blend ($45) and also a Merlot Reserve from Castello di Borghese, also from the North Fork ($29). The wine that took first place (from both the afternoon and evening tastings) was the Wölffer Estate Vineyard Christian's Cuvee Merlot (The Hamptons) at $100 a bottle. (Who knew?) All the wines were from the 2007 vintage. The spread between the top wine (Wölffer) was 86.86 and the last (Chateau La Croix Saint-Georges from St. Emilion) was 82.96; narrow indeed.

Dinner was lovely, especially the company. I was seated next to the beautiful Ann-Marie Borghese (from Castello di Borghese) who is the last person you'd ever expect to see at New York's farmer's markets four days a week pouring her wines. I can't wait until she comes to the Park Slope market up the street from our house in Grand Army Plaza at the end of May. All in all, it was a great evening for Long Island, for merlot (which I tend not to cozy up to), and for the wonderful tradition of blind tastings, good food and conversation.

Great partners? Merlot and wine-dark short ribs. Here's the recipe from my Recipes 1-2-3 Menu Cookbook. It has a secret ingredient (hoisin!) which makes it really delicious and radically simple to prepare. A votre sante. Wine-Dark Short Ribs Serve with your favorite mashed potatoes or with brown rice studded with sun-dried cherries.

4 pounds short ribs, cut between the bones (cut in half across the bone, if desired) 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 2 cups merlot

Place the ribs, 1/2 cup hoisin, and 1 cup merlot in a large, nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Remove ribs from marinade. Transfer the marinade to a heavy pot large enough to hold the ribs in one layer. Add 3 cups water, the ribs, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook slowly over low heat for 2-1/2 hours, turning several times during cooking. Meanwhile, place remaining cup of merlot and 2 tablespoons hoisin in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and reduce until 1/2 cup. Set aside. When tender, remove short ribs with a slotted spoon. Bring liquid to a boil and cook until thick and syrupy. Whisk in enough of the reserved wine reduction until you have a well-balanced sauce. Add salt to taste. Pour sauce over ribs and serve immediately. Serves 4