So many shades of green

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An ideal spinach

But sometimes you just want sauteed spinach, practically naked and unabashed. I finally find the answer in the unlikeliest of places: Thomas Keller's "Bouchon" cookbook. (OK, maybe that's the likeliest of places.)

Keller's simple recipe produces what for me is the Platonic ideal of spinach. Melt butter (not too much) in "the biggest skillet you have," add a lot of minced shallots and saute gently. Then add only as much spinach as will fit in the skillet, using tongs to turn it in the butter, and as it wilts, add another handful, and so on. What's great about Keller's method is that you treat the very leaves with respect, and they keep their integrity. "The spinach," he writes, "should be perfectly cooked -- not just wilted, but not overcooked either -- sauteed over gentle heat until the leaves are tender and bright." The result is sauteed spinach with unparalleled body; you can really taste the leaves, but it all comes together irresistibly. The leaves don't weep, probably because they're added progressively.

Oh, one other little detail: When you drop in the first handful of spinach, you also drop in eight cloves of confit garlic (peeled garlic cloves cooked gently for 40 minutes in canola oil). Without it, the dish would still be wonderful, but with it, it's remarkable: The silky-buttery texture and sweet flavor of the garlic provides the perfect counterpoint to the minerally leaves. Make much more of the garlic than you need; it will keep for a month.

Paul Bertolli's recipe for spinach soup from "Chez Panisse Cooking" satisfies a primal craving for pure spinach flavor. It's light and elegant, with no stock -- just water -- so it works for vegetarians, to boot. Bertolli's technique is interesting: He melts butter, then adds water along with a mirepoix (diced carrot, celery and onion). He simmers the mirepoix for 20 minutes, adds more water and the spinach, cooks it for only about a minute, then purees. The emerald color is as gorgeous as the pure flavor.

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Rich and elegant

For something dressier and richer, a fantastic spinach and mushroom gratin turns up in "Guy Savoy: Simple French Recipes for the Home Cook." The recipe relies on heavy cream, and lots of it, so it's not for everyone. But it's smart: You reduce the cream way down, and pour it over boiled, drained and squeezed spinach topped with sauteed mushrooms and bake it briefly. It's incredibly luscious and elegant.