Chef On A Shoestring: More Than 120 Inexpensive Recipes for Great Meals from America's Best Known Chefs [Hardcover]

With advice such as "buy only as much as you need," use "all parts of an ingredient," and "buy in-season ingredients," the introduction is useful, and easy to understand. Although each chef prepares three courses at a time, the book is divided by course so you can mix and match the recipes. Each recipe begins with information from the chef on his inspiration and any changes he might have made to stay within budget. Richard Sandoval's Mahi Mahi Ceviche is based on the ones he learned to make in Guerrero, Mexico, early in his career. Mario Batali's Marinated Roasted Peppers with Goat Cheese, Olives, and Fett'unta hails from Southern Italy, where fett'unta refers to toast drizzled with olive oil. And Michael Romano's Warm Shrimp and Bean Salad with Arugula can be made with lobster if you don't mind going over budget.

Some of these recipes are sure to amaze you. David Reardon's Pan-Seared Scallops and Oyster Mushroom Sweet Potato Salad with Cilantro Ginger Vinaigrette may be a mouthful to say, but it can be made in less than 30 minutes. John Schenk's Chile-Rubbed London Broil with Barbecued Onions is rich, filling, and bursting with flavor. Erica Miller's Chocolate Banana Terrine is not only quick and easy to make, it's beautifully elegant to serve.

These recipes are delicious, impressive, surprisingly inexpensive, and easily prepared. The instructions are clear and simple, and, as if all this isn't appealing enough, all royalties from sales of this book are donated to Share Our Strength, a charitable foundation of creative professionals organized to fight hunger and poverty. --Leora Y. Bloom

Here's a sample of the more than 120 delicious and surprisingly economical recipes from America's finest chefs, as featured on the popular "Chef on a Shoestring" segment of the CBS "Saturday Early Show: "

Mario Batali's Mushroom and White Bean Bruschetta

Terrance Brennan's Pear and Gorgonzola Salad

Roe Di Bona and Sue Torres's Chilled Avocado and Grapefruit Soup with Chipotle Chile Puree

Sara Moulton's Miniature Pumpkin Soup with Ginger and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Bobby Flay's Saffron Risotto with Sauteed Shrimp

Michael Lomonaco's Pan-Roasted Halibut with Spring Vegetables

Alfonso Contrisciani's Pepper-Crusted Turkey "London Broil" with Mushroom Confit

Matthew Lake's Grilled Pork Chops with Black Bean Salsa, Grilled Sweet Potatoes, and Roasted Corn

Linda West Eckhardt's Beef and Tomato Stir-Fry with Whiskey and Black Bean Sauce

John Doherty's Irish Tiramisu

Don Pintabona's Polenta Lemon Cake with Fresh Berries

Erica Miller's Chocolate Banana Terrine

Robert Bruce's Un Deux Trois Quatre Cake

Cooking great meals doesn't require spending a fortune on ingredients. Each week on the CBS "Saturday Early Show," a prominent chef is given twenty dollars to create a three-course meal for four. "Chef on a Shoestring" collects the best of those culinary delights to benefit Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading antihunger, antipoverty organizations. These recipes, created by some of the most celebrated chefs in the country, may have been produced on a budget but are rich in every other way.

The recipes are organized into convenient categories, such as Finger Foods and Small Plates, Salads, Pasta and Risotto, Poultry, Meats, and Desserts, to allow you to mix and match various courses from different chefs. You can begin a meal with Salmon Corn Cakes from Walter Staib of Philadelphia's historic City Tavern, serve Seared Chicken Breast with Red Onion Vinaigrette from Charlie Palmer of Aureole in New York as your main course, and finish with Beacon restaurant's Waldy Malouf's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. Or try the Asparagus and Bean Sprout Salad with Dill Pesto from Aquavit's Marcus Samuelsson, Tom Douglas's Crispy Fried Snapper with Chili Ponzu, and Coconut Rice Pudding with Fresh Mango from John Villa. Spice up your favorite burger or grilled chicken with Barbecued Onions from John Schenk of Clementine, and from '21' try Erik Blauberg's Baby Arugula Greens with Watermelon "Croutons" and Caesar Dressing, to jump-start a weeknight dinner.

Illustrated with eight pages of beautiful color photographs, with advice on stocking your pantry, buying in season, shopping on a budget, and avoiding the temptation to be too frugal, "Chef on a Shoestring" is a unique culinary adventure for taste-conscious, budget-conscious home cooks.