Foreword -- Introduction -- How to use this book -- Part one: the four elements of good cooking. Salt -- Fat -- Acid -- Heat -- What to cook -- Part two: recipes and recommendations. Kitchen basics -- Recipes: Salads; Dressings; Vegetables; Stock and soups; Beans, grains, and pasta; Eggs; Fish; Thirteen ways of looking at a chicken; Meat; Sauces; Butter-and-flour doughs; Sweets -- Cooking lessons -- Suggested menus -- Tips for further reading.