Modern cooking can be summed up as perfecting some basic recipes to form the foundations of a personal repertoire, and then adding to them as confidence and creativity expand. Here, then, are 15 stylish but basic recipes that teach a range of easy-to-master cooking techniques - most with at least six variations - which provide a range of totally delicious, yet unpretentious food using fresh, top quality ingredients.Take chicken for example - once you've mastered the recipe for basic roast chicken, you can branch out and turn it into a hot salad. Or you could stuff the chicken before roasting it and then serve it on a baked potato gratin - and so on. This principle is extended to pan-fried steak, stew, pan-fried fish, steamed mussels, omelette, dried pasta, dried noodles, steamed rice and risotto, roasted vegetables, vegetable stir-fry, green salad, vegetable soup, pound cake and fresh fruit. Full colour photography - the kind that makes you want to get in the kitchen and cook - features throughout.