Thomas McNaughton's Flour + Water: Pasta is not for the faint of heart. This ambitious coffee-table book promoting McNaughton's San Francisco restaurant is geared toward experienced cooks. His recipes occasionally use tools that are not readily accessible for the average home cook, though he breaks down traditional methods into simpler steps and offers valuable tips on creating, cooking and storing pastas.
McNaughton explains the regional diversity of pasta, how each shape influences taste, the types of flour (such as zero-zero or semolina) used to create the dough and the concentrations of water and egg that flavor and strengthen it, as well as the condiments and essential ingredients that define classic Italian cooking. Recipes are categorized seasonally, and the intimate photographs have an old-world feel that wonderfully captures and accentuates the techniques behind each preparation. McNaughton draws from the bounty of Northern Californian ingredients to give his makeover of these Italian classics a modern twist. "Pasta is the canvas... to let what grows around you speak on the plate." --Nancy Powell, freelance writer and technical consultant