Staff meals are the stuff of legends, despite the fact that most professional kitchens use them as an opportunity to get rid of food that’s about to spoil or use odd bits leftover from prep. However, in some kitchens, the “family meals” are a way to unite the team, experiment with future menu items, or give a young cook a chance to shine. On the heels of Staff Meals from Chanterelle (2000) and just before Off the Menu: Staff Meals from America’s Top Restaurants (October 11, 2011) and Restaurant Staff Meals: The Food that Fuels the World’s Best Kitchens (slated for fall 2012), comes an indispensable family meal cookbook from one of the world’s most innovative chefs—The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adrià (Phaidon), which has just been published. Even if you’re more comfortable navigating cobblestone streets in platforms than wielding a microplane in the kitchen, this book will show even the most harried and clueless of cooks how to prepare a simple dinner at home—and, as an unexpected bonus, it will also be a meal that will forever impress guests. Read more on Vogue.com and purchase it on Phaidon.