One of America’s most popular food writers, Mark Bittman penned the “Minimalist” column for the New York Times for 13 years and is the author of the ubiquitous How to Cook Everything series. The winner of two James Beard awards and the Julia Child general cookbook award, some of his other titles include Eat Vegan before 6:00 and Food Matters. He also hosts a weekly cooking video on the New York Times website and stars in the Public Television series Bittman Takes on America’s Chefs. From New Orleans beignets to Afghan snowshoe naan, Bittman’s latest book demystifies baking techniques from around the world through illustrations, advice, and thousands of recipes.

In conversation with Rick Nichols