Cat Cora's Classics With a Twist: Fresh Takes on Favorite Dishes

On the wildly popular show Iron Chef America, Cat Cora uses her instincts to transform random ingredients into exciting creations on a moment's notice. In this book, she turns her eye to some of our most popular dishes to make them faster, fresher, and lighter.These are the swift meals that Cat relies on when she comes home from work to cook for her own family: Greek-Style Nachos, Grilled Chili-Lime Flank Steak Soft Tacos, Crispy Baked Fish Stix with Mustard Dipping Sauce, Quick Chicken Curry with Peas, and Sour-Cherry-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes. In dishes like Baked 'Fried' Calamari with Marinara Dipping Sauce and Tex-Mex Tuna Casserole, Cat puts a new spin on old favorites.She updates others, tossing chipotle-spiced croutons into a Caesar salad, or replacing the usual beef in stroganoff with chicken and adding fresh tarragon. Each recipe illustrates Cat's motto: just because a dish is a classic doesn't mean it can't be improved upon. AUTHOR CAT CORA made television history when she became the first female Iron Chef on the Food Network in 2005. In 2006 she received the Teacher of the Year Award from Bon Appétit and was named executive chef of the magazine. She is the president and founder of Chefs for Humanity, which raises funds for emergency and hunger-related causes. The mother of four boys, she is the author of Cooking from the Hip, and she recently launched the restaurants CCQ at Macy's in Costa Mesa, California, and Kouzzina at Walt Disney World. ILLUSTRATIONS 60 colour photographs *