Kitchen evangelist Lauren Groveman has her finger firmly on the pulse of the '90s. "People don't have time to fail" in the kitchen, she says, emphatically. Giving people the skills and the confidence to succeed there is a mission she approaches with passion in her new cookbook, "Lauren Groveman's Kitchen."
"I've written the book with the most generous spirit I could muster," she says. To be a good teacher, she says, "you have to give your secrets away."
That's why her book is full of information, from time-management tips, questions and answers, "Tips from a Teacher," to recipe variations and equipment notes. "You need to go beyond simple instructions," she says. "A lot of people say, 'You can do it,' but they don't say how. If you can't do what I can do, I've failed."
Ms. Groveman, 36, a former actress and model, is a cooking teacher and TV chef based in Larchmont, N.Y. She studied with Lee Strasberg at Actors Studio in New York City and planned an acting career. But her manager told her that for the greatest success, she'd have to move to Los Angeles. Ms. Groveman's husband Jonathan is a New York-based investment banker; they were anxious to start a family. So, she says, she left acting behind. "I walked away. It was very scary."
But she found a home in her second career, cooking. "I always knew that I loved to nurture," she says. "I took some [cooking] courses, and I loved it. I just jumped in with both feet."
Classes started at home
And then, she says, "people started asking me to teach them what I knew." She taught in her home; students would prepare a meal and sit down to eat. She realized there was great need for such courses.
"Women over the last two decades said, 'OK, I can do the house stuff, the kid stuff -- I don't want to do it anymore, I want to make money, do creative stuff,' " Ms. Groveman says. "It was a very valuable era, but there was a price to be paid. We have all these talented people who don't know the first thing about nurturing."
She understands some people's fear of cooking failure. "Cooking is a very vulnerable sport," she says. "You're asking people to ingest your artwork," and every person at the table "has the power to break the artist's heart."
That's why her book starts with a chapter on "Kitchen Management" that includes tips on equipment, cleaning and storing, and staple ingredients, including the brand names she prefers. It's also why the book is full of tips, step-by-step illustrations of techniques (how to chop an onion, how to cut up TC chicken) and "time-management tips."
"I learned to cook as an adult," she says, "so the questions I had are the natural, normal ones you have." No one should feel bad about asking questions: "Every question is an important one. Answers make room for more questions -- and that's called growth."
As for those who complain they don't have time to cook, she says, "Everyone has time to cook, if they make it a priority. If you play a set of tennis, you've chosen to make that a priority. I want people to view the kitchen more normally. Usually you view the kitchen as a place where you do something for someone else.
However, she says, the kitchen can become an artistic refuge. "We all need to get out, to be creative, but we don't have to leave the house.
Cooking as an art
"My feeling is, people spend so much time out of their houses, they need to spend more time in them."
Cooking, with its wonderful aromas and flavors, is a "replenishment" of the nurturing dimension in life, Ms. Groveman says. "The food in my book is designed to make people feel more connected to the people in their houses.
"Cooking is not narcissistic, like all other recreations," she says. "It's the most loving hobby. Everyone touched by it feels better."
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Here is one of Ms. Groveman's recipes. In the book it's accompanied by a time-management tip ("The marinade can be assembled a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator."), "Tips from a teacher" on indoor grilling, a general note about cooking fish, and a variation for roasting whole roasted fish in the oven. She also notes that the marinade would go equally well with swordfish, tuna or halibut.
Ginger-scented grilled salmon
Serves 6 to 8
1/2 cup aromatic peanut oil (see note)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger root
1/3 cup minced scallions (green onions), trimmed white part and 1 1/2 to 2 inches of the tender green
3 to 4 pounds salmon fillet, cut into 6 to 8 individual servings, or 6 to 8 salmon steaks (allow 8 or 9 ounces of fish per adult and 4 to 6 ounces per child)
peanut oil or cooking spray, for grill (not needed when broiling)
For marinade: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except salmon and oil for grill and mix thoroughly.
For fish: Gently rinse the fillets under cold water and pat dry. Choose a glass dish that is large enough to fit fillets in a single layer. Brush the skin of each fillet with some of the marinade and place in the dish (skin side down). Pour the remining marinade over the fish, using a basting brush to cover fish well. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate no longer than 12 hours.
To grill: Before heating the grill, brush it well with oil or cooking spray. Heat grill or coals to hot and place salmon (with marinade left on) on the hot grill. Cook salmon a total of 7 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness, turning once. When done, salmon will be beautifully seared on the outside. For medium-rare, it should retain a deeper orange tinge at the very center. If desired, cook until pink throughout but avoid overcooking, or the fish will be dry.
To broil: Heat the broiler until very hot. Lay each fillet (with marinade left on) on a cold broiler pan (skin side up). Broil close to heat source, turning once, until crispy and the fish flakes easily but is not dry, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Note: Look for aromatic peanut oil at gourmet shops, Asian food stores and health-food stores.