Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook by Michael Ruhlman

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  • Raw zucchini salad

    Raw zucchini salad

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Salads; Side dish; Appetizers / starters; Vegan; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: zucchini; shallots
    show
  • Sage-garlic-brined pork chops

    Sage-garlic-brined pork chops

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Main course
    • Ingredients: kosher salt; shallots; garlic; lemons; sage; bay leaves; black peppercorns; pork chops
    show
  • Lemon confit

    Lemon confit

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Ingredients: kosher salt; sugar; lemons
    show
  • Bacon at home

    Bacon at home

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Breakfast / brunch; Cooking ahead
    • Ingredients: garlic; bay leaves; dried red pepper flakes; honey; thyme; pork belly
    show
  • Citrus-cured salmon

    Citrus-cured salmon

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Appetizers / starters; Cooking ahead
    • Ingredients: kosher salt; oranges; grapefruits; lemons; limes; salmon fillets
    show

  • Caramel sundae with extra-coarse salt

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Ice cream & frozen desserts; Dessert
    • Ingredients: ice cream; coarse sea salt
    show
  • Weekday coq au vin

    Weekday coq au vin

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Stews & one-pot meals; Main course; Cooking ahead; French
    • Ingredients: chicken legs; bacon; onions; garlic; carrots; shallots; bay leaves; white mushrooms; red wine; honey
    show

  • Pan-steamed snap peas

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Side dish; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: snap peas
    show

  • Rotisserie chicken and leek soup

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Soups
    • Ingredients: onions; carrots; garlic; bay leaves; tomato paste; rotisserie chicken; leeks
    show

  • Perfect meat loaf with chipotle ketchup

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Main course
    • Ingredients: onions; Madeira wine; baguette bread; beef chuck; pork shoulder; marjoram; thyme; Worcestershire sauce; canned tomatoes; garlic; ground cumin; canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce; fish sauce
    show

  • Pastrami short ribs

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Grills & BBQ; Main course; Cooking ahead
    • Ingredients: kosher salt; pink salt; garlic; black peppercorns; mustard seeds; coriander seeds; chile flakes; allspice berries; nutmeg; cinnamon sticks; bay leaves; whole cloves; ground ginger; beef short ribs
    show

  • Easy chicken stock

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Stocks; Quick / easy; Cooking ahead
    • Ingredients: chicken carcass; onions; carrots; bay leaves; black peppercorns; tomato paste
    show
  • Traditional French onion soup

    Traditional French onion soup

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Soups; French; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: Spanish onions; baguette bread; sherry; Gruyère cheese
    show
  • Winter vegetable garbure

    Winter vegetable garbure

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Soups; Winter; French
    • Ingredients: leeks; onions; shallots; garlic; ham or bacon rind; celery; carrots; bay leaves; tomato paste; potatoes; ground cayenne pepper; white cabbage; sherry vinegar; chives
    show
  • Green bean, corn, and onion salad with roasted shallot vinaigrette

    Green bean, corn, and onion salad with roasted shallot vinaigrette

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Salads; Dressings & marinades; Side dish; Vegan; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: onions; green beans; shallots; corn
    show
  • Roasted shallots

    Roasted shallots

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Side dish; Vegan; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: shallots
    show

  • Macerated shallots

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Side dish; Vegan; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: shallots
    show

  • Lemon-shallot mayonnaise

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Sauces, general; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: shallots; lemons; mayonnaise
    show

  • Lemon-shallot crème fraîche

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Sauces, general; French; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: shallots; lemons; crème fraîche
    show
  • Mac and cheese with Soubise

    Mac and cheese with Soubise

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Pasta, baked; Sauces, general; Main course; French
    • Ingredients: onions; shallots; milk; sherry; fish sauce; dry mustard; nutmeg; ground cayenne pepper; macaroni pasta; Comté cheese; panko breadcrumbs
    show

  • Grouper ceviche with chiles and lime

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Main course
    • Ingredients: grouper; red onions; limes; jalapeño chiles; Fresno chiles; cilantro
    show
  • Pulled pork with Eastern North Carolina barbecue sauce

    Pulled pork with Eastern North Carolina barbecue sauce

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Sauces, general; Grills & BBQ; Main course; American
    • Ingredients: pork shoulder; apple cider vinegar; dried red chiles; fish sauce
    show

  • Lemon-cumin dal

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Stews & one-pot meals; Main course; Indian; Vegan; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: dried mung beans; black-eyed peas; ground cumin; turmeric; ground cayenne pepper; fresh ginger
    show

  • Sautéed duck breasts with orange-cranberry gastrique

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Sauces, general; Main course
    • Ingredients: cranberries; orange juice; bay leaves; duck breasts; sherry
    show

  • Cider vinegar tart

    from Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, A Cook's Manifesto: The Ideas and Techniques That Will Make You a Better Cook Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman

    • Categories: Pies, tarts & pastries; Dessert; Cooking for a crowd
    • Ingredients: all-purpose flour; gelatin; egg yolks; apple cider vinegar; butter; ground cardamom
    show

Notes about this book

  • Breadcrumbs on May 24, 2012

    Note: Errata as noted on M, Ruhlman's website: Ruhlman’s Twenty, Errata: Page 22: the first paragraph states that 40 grams of salt in a liter of water will result in a 1% salt solution. The correct amount should be 10 grams per liter. Page 161: the correct amount of granulated sugar is 1/2 cup, not 1-1/2 cups

  • Lindsay on May 24, 2012

    Please see our blog about the correction in the Snickerdoodle recipe. In the first printing (subsequently corrected) there's 2x as much sugar as there should be.

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Pan-roasted pork tenderloin with garlic, coriander, and thyme

    • Cheri on November 24, 2021

      This was simple and good. Used cumin instead of coriander, no herbs (didn’t have them). Roasted 22 min at 350, basted twice. Perfectly done. Nothing fancy, but nice weeknight preparation. Served with Allison Roman’s Frizzled green beans and mushrooms

  • Perfect roasted chicken

    • Fiona on May 04, 2013

      I've cooked a few chickens Ruhlman's way and they have turned out perfect with crisp skin and moist breast. I used to cook them at a much lower temp for much longer - never again. Because they cook so much quicker this way, I'm cooking whole chickens more often.

    • SpatulaCity on December 05, 2023

      Made for a delicious chicken! Moist turkey through and through, with thin and crispy skin. Had a 5lb bird so cooked for an additional 20 min or so. Next time I’d try to fry brine the bird a day ahead so the salt could have time to penetrate the meat. But otherwise this was a winning method!

  • Scottish shortbread

    • Kfaber on January 09, 2014

      Probably the best shortbread recipe I've ever made. Used a very high quality butter which I think made a difference.

  • Braised pork belly with caramel-miso glaze

    • mwasilewski on June 26, 2022

      Good without the sauce. Put the remaining lemons flattened on top which created a wonderful sauce

    • jahqdruh on May 28, 2017

      Very salty for my taste. When I dialed back on the salty ingredients by about a third, this was a winner.

    • Apepin on February 01, 2021

      Delicious. I made the glaze and liked it, but the pork would be great in many applications without that added step.

  • Sautéed duck breasts with orange-cranberry gastrique

    • jayg312 on November 02, 2013

      Great sauce to go with this. The fresh cranberries break down when cooking. Need to try with the suggestions for sides. Might throw some shallots in the gastrique next time.

  • Charlotte's apple jack

    • dvajefink on January 27, 2012

      Reminds me of a recipe from childhood, callled apple betty. Very good loved the nutmeg.

  • Butter-poached shrimp with grits

    • bching on January 24, 2020

      Delicious. Start the grits the night before and slow cook them as suggested. I would scale down to 1 cup of grits. About 5 shrimp per serving. I used 1 cup of shrimp shell stock in the grits in place of some of the milk

    • SpatulaCity on March 23, 2023

      Delicious! Love the pure simplicity of the butter poach method! Just lavish and divine shrimp. I cooked the grits low and slow for two hours and they were great. Poured the shrimp butter into them as Ruhlman recommended. Yummmm. Even better the next day!

  • Basic white wine marinade for chicken and fish

    • SenseiHeidi on May 16, 2022

      Don't bother. Not very flavorful.

  • Spicy beef with bell peppers

    • Frogcake on May 01, 2016

      This will be in my dinner rotation by popular demand! Very tasty stir fry indeed, which my kids happily eat for lunch cold (as suggested by the author). The combination of flavours is complex. Five red peppers roasted was sufficiently hot for my family. Next time will try with chicken.

    • jahqdruh on May 28, 2017

      Surprisingly good. I smelled the sauce for the stir fry and just knew it was going to be horrible. I figured anything that smelled like my brother's dirty socks couldn't possibly be good. I was wrong.

  • Banana-blueberry bread

    • SpatulaCity on September 21, 2023

      Sadly this didn’t work for us. There isn’t enough banana flavor - it’s barely discernible. Also the sugar was reduced to compensate for the banana, but I think it was taken down too much. It did achieve a blueberry muffin texture though!

  • Brussels sprouts sautéed in spicy bacon fat

    • SpatulaCity on March 23, 2023

      Fine, but I prefer roasted Brussels sprouts for simplicity.

  • Spicy roasted green beans with cumin

    • SpatulaCity on March 23, 2023

      Good, but the cumin seeds fall off too easily. Might work better with the seeds ground up a bit?

  • Weekday coq au vin

    • SpatulaCity on March 08, 2023

      First time making coq au vin and I thought it was lovely. Very easy to assemble and cook through the steps and yielded a deeply flavorful sauce and perfectly cooked chicken. Served over egg noodles. Now I have to go make a classic version to see how it compares!

    • angrygreycat on September 27, 2022

      Made this for dinner tonight. It was fine but I have made much better coq au vin. It was also not particularly quick for something named a weekday meal. cooking time alone was an hour.

  • Mac and cheese with Soubise

    • SpatulaCity on March 05, 2023

      Absolutely delicious. Gotta love a recipe that calls for more cheese than noodles! Used gruyere and sharp cheddar for the cheese mix. The sherry and white wine vinegar make for a nice and subtly sweet contrast to the onion. I needed more milk to make the sauce, and added more nutmeg and fish sauce to match my taste preference. The sauce pretty much baked into the noodles in the oven so it’s not like your traditional, creamy, saucy Mac. For broiling I put the pan far from the broiler, and even with that distance it only needed 10 min to get deeply brown and crunchy. My husband who is so annoyed with my love for mac and cheese made it clear he wouldn’t be having any… but took a taste…. Proceeded to eat half the pan!

  • Sage-garlic-brined pork chops

    • SpatulaCity on March 09, 2023

      Pan fried and served with the lemon caper sauce as suggested. Husband loved it! I overcooked it but it had enough rich yummy flavor to make it tasty

  • Deviled eggs with blue cheese and bacon

    • SpatulaCity on November 24, 2023

      A big hit as a party app! I added the entire amount of crumbled bacon and chive to the filling, and garnished with a small slice of a cherry tomato and long snippets of chives. Turned it into a play on Wedge salad. This will be a go-to from now on! Delicious!

  • Marlene's Yorkshire pudding

    • angrygreycat on January 25, 2019

      I made this tonight to go with some bangers, mash and brussels. Excellent yorkies that rise quite high and have the lovely crispy texture outside and pudding-y inside.

  • Raw zucchini salad

    • jimandtammyfaye on April 02, 2022

      A frequent repeat. Fresh, lemony, easy and a great side for most anything. Don't be afraid to use salt as stated. It works magic!

  • Panfried pork chops with lemon-caper sauce

    • nutrica6 on October 02, 2023

      This is one of my favorite pork chops recipes. Note that you only need 1/2 cup of flour for dredging. 1 cup is wasteful, and you end up throwing a lot of it away. I only needed about 1 cup of Panko as well. Keep the burner on medium at the highest so as not to burn the breading while waiting for the interior to cook.

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Reviews about this book

  • Kate Cooks the Books

    If you are willing to accept his premise and fly without the net of a recipe for a while, you will get a lot out of this book. ...a good cookbook for a beginning cook...

    Full review

  • Boston Globe by T. Susan Chang

    No one could accuse Ruhlman of being an ascetic. Neither is he an innovator...But that’s exactly its charm. If "Ratio’" appealed to the food geek, "Twenty’" appeals to the perfectionist.

    Full review

  • Oregonian

    Ruhlman's an excellent teacher, and his explanations of each concept are easy for nonprofessionals to understand; step-by-step photos show how to master techniques like chopping onions...

    Full review

  • Lisa Is Cooking

    ...it's written in such a straightforward, accessible style, it's a pleasure to read. This is no dry, kitchen science textbook.

    Full review

  • Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

    ...if what you're holding out for is a greater understanding of how cooking works - and why some techniques are superior - one title stands out on those crowded shelves.

    Full review

  • Chicago Tribune

    ...a thick but accessible tome aimed at taking your cooking game to the next level - no matter where you start.

    Full review

  • Los Angeles Times

    ..I can see culinary acolytes, those hardy souls dreaming of one day cooking their way through "The Complete Robuchon," taking this to bed at night to read and reread, each time getting a little more.

    Full review

  • Globe & Mail (Toronto)

    It's hard not to love Twenty, and even harder not to love Mr. Ruhlman's refreshing perspective on what a cookbook can be.

    Full review

Reviews about Recipes in this Book

  • ISBN 10 0811876438
  • ISBN 13 9780811876438
  • Linked ISBNs
  • Published Oct 19 2011
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 368
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Chronicle Books

Publishers Text

Rare is the cookbook that redefines how we cook. And rare is the author who can do so with the ease and expertise of acclaimed writer and culinary authority Michael Ruhlman. Twenty distills Ruhlman's decades of cooking, writing, and working with the world's greatest chefs into twenty essential ideas from ingredients to processes to attitude that are guaranteed to make every cook more accomplished. Whether cooking a multi-course meal, the juiciest roast chicken, or just some really good scrambled eggs, Ruhlman reveals how a cook's success boils down to the same twenty concepts. With the illuminating expertise that has made him one of the most esteemed food journalists, Ruhlman explains the hows and whys of each concept and reinforces those discoveries through 100 recipes for everything from soups to desserts, all detailed in over 300 photographs. Cooks of all levels will revel in Ruhlman's game-changing Twenty.

Ruhlman's Twenty from michael ruhlman on Vimeo.

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