Whether you're a master chef or a home cook, you know that great cooking starts with outstanding raw ingredients. Waldy Malouf is famous for the ways he transforms the rich harvest of his beloved Hudson River Valley into splendid fare that is elegant yet down-to-earth, innovative but true to its roots.

In more than 200 recipes, Chef Malouf shares his pleasure in cooking with the many fresh ingredients, from delicate baby salad greens and earthy root vegetables to free-range chickens and handcrafted cheeses, widely available nowadays not just in the Hudson Valley but anywhere. In a book nominated for a prestigious Julia Child Cookbook Award, Malouf draws inspiration from the valley's landscape and its people as he serves up a feast of American regional cooking at its finest.