Andy Baraghani peeled hundreds of onions at Chez Panisse as a teenage intern, honed his perfectly balanced salad–making skills at Estela in New York, and developed recipes in the test kitchens of Saveur, Tasting Table, and Bon Appétit. It took him all those years to figure 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. In The 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.
 
At Bon Appétit, Baraghani created a bevy of viral recipes—from Tahini Ranch to Fall-Apart Caramelized Cabbage—that became household staples. Here, he follows up with more umami-rich dishes, beautiful and restaurant-worthy meals (that take half the time), and well-known dishes recast in utterly delicious ways. Among his debut cookbook’s 100 recipes, new surefire hits include Caramelized Sweet Potatoes with Browned Butter Harissa; Sticky, Spicy Basil Shrimp; and Tangy Pomegranate-Chicken. Cooks will find inspiration to riff on, quick meals for hurried weeknights, condiments galore, and memorable meals to impress dinner guests. In essays throughout the book, Baraghani shares convictions (why everyone must make his beloved Persian egg dish, kuku sabzi) and lessons to live by (the importance of salting fish before cooking it).
 
The Cook You Want to Be is a trove of go-to recipes and knowledge, stunning photographs, and delicious, simple home cooking for modern times.

Define and develop your individual cooking style - and become the cook you want to be - in 120 flavour-forward everyday recipes and easy-to-understand techniques.

Andy Baraghani is the talented chef behind many of Bon Appetit's viral recipes - favourites like Cauliflower Bolognese, Tahini Ranch Dressing and Ramen Noodles with Miso Pesto - he creates wow-factor flavours, delivers beautiful and satisfying meals with minimal fuss and reworks well-known dishes in utterly delicious ways.

Andy's love of flavour began with the comforting dishes of his Iranian parents' immigrant household. Blending the home cooking of his upbringing and his professional training, Andy evolved into a culinary influencer by asking himself, 'What kind of cook do I want to be?'. In answering that question for himself - the cook who can balance flavours and the cook who makes a perfect salad, for example - he became known for trying new techniques, working with easy-to-find but underused ingredients and creating unexpected combinations.

Among his debut cookbook's 120 recipes and 120 sumptuous photographs you'll find for new surefire hits, such as Roasted Beetroot with Mint and Sesame, Pomegranate-Glazed Chicken Legs with Buttery Almonds, plus dozens of dishes to refresh and expand your weekly repertoire. In essays throughout the book, Baraghani shares convictions and key lessons.

This cookbook is a genre-breaking cookbook of transformative techniques and recipes that will guide all to become the kind of cook that they want to be.