Alison Becker Hurt owns and runs two of the most respected and popular restaurants in the New York area -- Alison on Dominick Street in Manhattan and Alison by the Beach in Sagaponack, Long Island -- bearing her name. But "restaurant food" is not what she cooks at home, and not what "Kitchen Suppers" is about. As Alison puts it, kitchen suppers "are never perfect -- and yet they are perfect in their imperfection".

In these pages, she shares not only the recipes for but also the stories behind meals that are uncomplicated in spirit, if not always in creation. Here you will find sizzling roasts -- from chicken to lamb to duck or beef, cooked with everything from figs to fennel to baby artichokes; aromatic one-pot meals like Lamb Shepherd's Pie, Braised Short Ribs with Acorn Squash Puree, and Duck Stew with Prunes and Apricots; soups, salads, and starters for every season; and homey, yummy desserts such as Alison's favorite Tarte Tatin and the Dark Chocolate Cake with Almonds and Orange, which, she says, she first made in junior high school.

Along with providing the recipes for preparing your own kitchen suppers, Alison also explains the philosophy behind her style of cooking and entertaining: You should never have to run back to the market for a forgotten ingredient because there is almost always a substitute in the cupboard, and you should never be afraid to use a clean but stained tablecloth because the stains are memories of good meals shared with joy.