Cover of a book titled 'Secrets of the Best Chefs: Recipes, Techniques, and Tricks from America's Greatest Cooks' by Adam Roberts, surrounded by vegetables, lemon, salt shaker, and cheese on a grey surface.
Two chefs in a professional kitchen seen through a circular opening, with shelves of plates and kitchen equipment around them.

In 2010, I set off on an adventure with photographer Elizabeth Leitzell to cook with 50 of the best chefs in the country and to learn three recipes from each of them. I had the honor of getting to cook alongside José Andres, Alice Waters, Samin Nosrat, and Renee Erickson, just to name a few. Some of the recipes in this book — like the lentil soup with sausage, chard, and garlic from Gina DePalma (featured on Smitten Kitchen) — remain some of my favorite recipes of all time.

Eggs frying in a cast iron skillet with chopped herbs on top, on a stovetop.
Two men, one wearing glasses and the other a white chef's coat with a blue apron, are looking at a sheet of paper in a kitchen.

“One of the best and most approachable books on chefs’ cooking I’ve seen—showcasing recipes anyone can master, without fussy techniques or fancy equipment."

-David Lebovitz, author of The Sweet Life in Paris

“As interpreter, tour guide, doppelganger, chef-speak translator, and technical test bunny, Roberts heightens the experience of cooking with the greats by giving us the inside track on accessing the greatest kitchen talent of our time."

-Andrew Zimmern

"Adam Roberts is the affable and infectiously curious friend we all wish we had with us in the kitchen—the one who prods us with questions, entertains us with amusing tales, and makes us feel better when our cake flops."

- Amanda Hesser, food writer and founder of Food52

Woman slicing cheese over a plate with cooked pasta and chicken on a kitchen countertop.
A young man is taking notes while talking to an older woman in a kitchen. The woman is wearing an apron over her clothes and appears to be explaining something. The kitchen has green tiled walls, a stove, and various cooking ingredients and utensils on the counter.
Plate of poached eggs topped with leafy greens, shredded cheese, and anchovies, garnished with lemon zest.