Andy Baraghani peeled hundreds of onions at Chez Panisse as a teenage intern, honed his perfectly balanced saladmaking skills at Estela in New York, and developed recipes in the test kitchens of Saveur, Tasting Table, andBon Apptit. It took him all those years tofigure out the cook he wanted to be: a cook who is true to his Persian heritage, a fresh-vegetable lover, a citrus superfan, and an always-hungry world traveler. InThe Cook You Want to Be,Baraghani shows home cooks on how to hone their own cooking styles by teaching the techniques and unexpected flavor combinations that maximize flavor in minimal time.

AtBon Apptit,Baraghani created a bevy of viral recipesfrom Tahini Ranch to Fall-Apart Caramelized Cabbagethat becamehousehold staples. Here, he follows up with more umami-rich dishes, beautiful and restaurant-wort