The Gourmet Cookbook

With over 1000 recipes, I wonder what her process was for selecting the most essential or innovative ones. Did she aim for variety, tradition, or personal favorites?

I'm curious if there are hidden challenges in some of the more elaborate dishes or if most recipes are accessible to home cooks. Has anyone had a surprising success or failure?

The variety feels so rich—was this driven by Ruth Reichl's personal culinary journey, or was there a specific vision for celebrating global flavors?