conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me a description for a book titled Twenty Dinners about with the genre: Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Beverages & Wine.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first five paragraphs for this book.. Start with the sentence 'Twenty Dinners
  The kitchen was just where we'd rather be, but it always turned out that was where the real gathering was anyway'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Twenty Dinners
  The kitchen was just where we'd rather be, but it always turned out that was where the real gathering was anyway. Our friends weren't sitting around the table waiting for food—they were helping prep or clean or just hanging out with us. There was no "Dinner will be served at eight o'clock." It was more like "Okay, open another bottle of wine because we forgot to put the burgers on." It was delicious, fun, simple, and it couldn't have been more relaxing.
  These days, Chris spends most of his time on tour with his band, but whenever he comes back, one of the first things that happens is we start up the grill—no matter what time of year—and get all our friends together. It's a great excuse to cook up a big cut of meat and reconnect. Aside from turning out some tasty things for dinner, we really like how happy our food makes people—especially when we put out great classic dishes or childhood favorites like rib eye steaks or roast chicken but do them up with a little something extra, like potatoes roasted with duck fat or kale salad with brown-butter pine nuts.
  Every step of the way, our friends have come along for the ride, which is what makes every meal that much more special. They show up at our impromptu dinners, let us take over their kitchens, are eager recipe testers, and contribute to our gatherings plenty of booze, records, firewood, desserts, and good conversation. More than the food, that's what getting together is all about. So many of us have moved away from the families we grew up with. But it's our friends who become a family of a different kind. Bringing everyone together to share a meal, stories, laugh, complain about work or the subway, or just generally put folks' day behind them is what we consider a truly family affair.
  So how do you cook great food and have a good time doing it? For us, it starts with nailing the basics—learning how to prepare ingredients, understanding how they taste, and thinking about how each ingredient will ultimately turn into something you want to eat. All you need are a few techniques in your repertoire, some high-quality ingredients in your pantry, and maybe a few friends to help shuck, peel, dice, or babysit the action on the stove. From there, it's really just about dancing a little more in the kitchen.
  Look, we're not chefs. We don't run restaurants and we're not in a professional kitchen working dinner service every night. We do all this stuff at home, which is why we believe that you can do the same. Neither of us pretends to have some golden key to culinary excellence, but what we do have is experience. We've been able to learn from our mistakes, and now we're passing that on so you don't have to get there the hard way. We've also picked up really great ways to get the most out of what we're cooking, and the simplest, most straightforward methods to do it. But our goal isn't only to get you cooking the perfect steak (which you will) or knowing how to make your own pickled vegetables (yes, even that)—we're going to help you trust your own instincts so you can just get in the kitchen and jam.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me four more paragraphs.. End with the sentence ' Fold in the mustard.'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: In a small saucepan, slowly melt the milk and butter together over low heat. We generally like to use the ratio of 2 parts milk to 1 part butter. Remove from the heat and reserve.
  In a large saucepan, place the potatoes in just enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until a fork or cake tester slides in easily.
  Drain the saucepan and mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy. A food mill works best, but if you don't have one, use a masher or ricer.
  Transfer the mashed potatoes back to the saucepan. Over low heat, whisk the potatoes as you add in the milk-butter mixture, one ladle at a time, until you get a creamy texture that can hold a soft peak. Fold in the mustard.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last five paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Also, don't feel obligated to buy things at the "best" places. Even the greatest market stalls, butchers, and fishmongers have their off days. Sometimes not everything is going to look ideal. So use common sense—if something looks unappealing to you, don't buy it.
  For red meat, you're looking for healthy, tight marbling. A steak has great marbling when the white ribbons of fat run evenly through the muscle. The flesh should be firm and bright red, which means there is more blood in the tissue and that it's fresher. Gray is never a good sign, and brown is also not right. Again, look that there are no saw marks from bad butchering and instead look for smooth flesh, void of punctures. You might have high hopes about having a beef tenderloin for dinner, but if there's a big hole in it, it's not going to cook right. Be flexible and get what looks great. The same guidelines apply to pork and chicken, except pork should be a beautiful pink color and poultry a vibrant yellow or pink. When any meat has a gray quality and is giving off a lot of juice, you should buy your meat elsewhere, as this meat has most likely been frozen and maybe even improperly stored.
  Much love goes out to everyone who supported us through this process. In particular we'd like to give thanks to:
  Rachel Holtzman, for her tireless work and dedication. There's no way we ever could have done any of this without you. We can never say it enough and are eternally grateful. Lillie O'Brian, for her wealth of sweet treats; Byron Bates, for showing everyone how much fun wine can be; Nino Cirabisi, for all the late-night drinks and dedicated support; Jerad and Justin Morrison, for giving us a better way to wake up and Annie McGee for answering our constant questions; Ash Merriman, for her fantastic food and always offering a good listen—and advice—when needed; and Jeremy and Sean Stanton, for making sure people know that meat is even more awesome when it's shown the proper love.
  Anna Sheffield, for bringing a bit of the New Mexico magic; Bob and Cora Hales, for sharing their home; Janis Donnaud, for always having our backs and being a fantastic agent; Doris Cooper and Francis Lam, for helping us bring our ideas to life and making the journey that much more enjoyable; Lisa Callaghan, for giving us a better experience in the kitchen; James Lowe, for being both a patient and brilliant teacher; Geordy Pearson, for always being there and being gracious; Ben Freemole and John McCarthy, for being patient teachers and true friends; Justine Kahn, for her endless support and steady direction down a winding road; Maria Pi-Sunyer de Gispert, for her patience, love, and positivity throughout.