"Ms. Freitag encourages home cooks to think like those chefs with easy-to-follow recipes that pair seasonal ingredients with culinary shortcuts." — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Amanda Freitag is a master at knocking out fabulous meals in her restaurant kitchen and on the set of Food Network's Chopped and Iron Chef America. But until recently, she was totally intimidated to cook at home in her tiny apartment kitchen—and she realized that she wasn't alone! Amanda set out to help other home cooks and created a list of restaurant-quality recipes that shine in the home kitchen. In her bright, lively voice, she helps you master the basic techniques that are the foundation of good, flavorful cooking. She also teaches you how to think like a chef—to consider seasonality, balancing flavors, understanding the steps, and learning how to improvise—to create a menu and execute dishes with pro techniques, as if she were right there in the kitchen with you. You'll find everything from the basics—sauces, marinades, stocks, and rubs—to first impressions, salads, and easy dinner recipes, and will even become skilled in making "The Scary Stuff"—recipes that may seem out of reach but are not. With The Chef Next Door, you'll be able to dazzle friends and family with a diverse range of dishes, such as Spinach Feta Pies, Kale and Farro Salad with Aged Goat Cheese, Lusty Lemon Chicken, Pop's Beer-Braised Bold Beef Stew, Mediterranean Potato Salad, Marinated Artichokes, Cocoa Carrot Cake, and more. Filled with beautiful color photographs that show how achievable good food really is, The Chef Next Door makes confident home cooking a breeze.