Geoffrey Zakarian's Town/Country: 150 Recipes for Life Around the Table
Author: Geoffrey Zakarian
For every home cook who wanders the aisles of the local supermarket asking the question “What do I want to cook for dinner?,” celebrated chef Geoffrey Zakarian—owner of the highly acclaimed restaurants Town and Country in New York City—offers two sublime recipes for each of his sixty-five favorite ingredients. Whether it’s just-in-season asparagus, a gorgeous steak beckoning from the butcher’s case, or the sweetest August corn that catches your eye, Zakarian helps you turn it into a quick weeknight meal or Sunday supper—a Country recipe—or elegant Saturday-night dinner-party fare—a Town preparation.
Zakarian’s inventive, flavorful creations for ingredients that run the gamut from the humble apple to luxurious lobsters include:
TOWN— Ribeye Steaks with Wilted Watercress and Romaine Marmalade
COUNTRY— Grilled Flank Steak with Smoked Barbecue Sauce
TOWN— Arugula Cannelloni with Chanterelle Sauce
COUNTRY— Ziti with Arugula Pesto and Crispy Prosciutto
TOWN— Poached Salmon Tartare with Avocado, Fennel, and Vinaigrette
COUNTRY— Grilled Salmon with Smashed Cucumber–Date Salad
TOWN Liquid Gold Chocolate Tart
COUNTRY— Deep Dark Chocolate Pudding
Featuring stunning full-color photographs and an approach that is at once familiar and fantastic, comfortable and creative, Geoffrey Zakarian’s Town/Country pre-sents the perfect combination for amateur to ambitious American cooks.
From Acorn Squash to Zucchini—150 recipes arranged by ingredient to fit your pantry and your mood
Publishers Weekly
Zakarian has crafted the zesty celebration of opposites you would expect from the chef/owner of the New York restaurants Town and Country. "Pairings or partnerships are what make a recipe dynamic," he says in an introduction that generously acknowledges other chefs and the great home cooks in his life. He's in love not just with the usual contrasting dyads of smooth/crunchy, sweet/sour and hot/cold: his recipes come in sets of two, reflecting opposite approaches to the same core ingredients-with the common goal of explosive intensity. So the "town" take on the noble crustacean is Lobster Ginger Royale, with a ginger broth (perhaps made out of homemade chicken stock) and coconut milk custard, entailing a day or two of prep and execution. The "country" cousin is a lobster roll, assembled at the last minute; and Zakarian recommends Hellman's mayo, although he also tells you how to make your own if you must. The language throughout is refreshingly basic, save for the occasional home-baked word (e.g., "asparagussy"). The man of opposites includes enough arcana and innovation to entice a pro, yet his clear and realistic instructions make it possible for a weekend cook to produce minor miracles. Bacon's closeups-raspberries, squash, fennel, crabs-complement the words. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Zakarian opened his first New York City restaurant, the upscale Town, in 2001; this fall, he opened a somewhat more casual spot called Country. Here he presents recipes from both restaurants, grouping them by main ingredient-from acorn squash to halibut to strawberries to zucchini-presenting a pair (or two) of recipes for each. He describes the dishes from Town as luxurious and those from Country as country- or family-style, but, in fact, many of the Country dishes-White Asparagus and Porcini Salad, for example, or Warm Mackerel with Basil Chiffonade and Zucchini Vinaigrette-seem just as elaborate or sophisticated as the Town recipes. In any event, most of these recipes are for special occasions rather than for spur-of-the moment family meals "around the table" or entertaining. For area libraries and others where chefs' cookbooks are popular. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Interesting textbook: Gesetz, Geschäft, und Gesellschaft
Spanish Kitchen: Regional Ingredients, Recipes, and Stories from Spain
Author: Clarissa Hyman
"There are many common threads within the cooking of Spain, from rice to oranges, and Spanish home cooking throughout the Peninsula is simple, uncomplicated, and direct. The flavors of fresh, local ingredients need no disguise or affectation. Yet, for both historical and geographical reasons, the sense of regional identity and separatism remains strong in the many provinces of Spain, and this is also proudly reflected in the cooking." "The book is divided into 17 chapters, each highlighting an ingredient from a particular region of Spain. Each chapter tells the story of an ingredient in terms of culture, history, cultivation, traditions, location, and context. A selection of recipes using the ingredient then follows, illustrating the Spanish pride in quality regional products and their determination to safeguard their unique Iberian culinary heritage." Illustrated with photographs of Spain's diverse regions and recipes, this latest book from Clarissa Hyman celebrates the flavor of Spanish life and food.
Publishers Weekly
Part cookbook, part travelogue and part history lesson-albeit an engaging one-this volume offers an epicure's tour of Spain, with recipes. It's divided into chapters by region, each focusing on a specific ingredient (or two) that is a source of local pride and providing a brief, food-oriented history. In the chapter on Castile-Madrid, for example, Chinch n garlic is the ingredient of choice, and recipes include Garlic and Chile Shrimp, and Spicy Monkfish with Saffron and Chilies. Other chapters go from savory to sweet, as in the La Rioja chapter, which features pears in Duck Breast with Honey-Spiced Pears, Pears Poached in Moscatel and Spices, and Rioja Pear Cake. The Valencia chapter showcases oranges in Toasted Bread with Garlic and Orange, Hake in Orange and Saffron Sauce, and Delicias (an almond and chocolate confection). Recipes are generally simple and often rustic; there just aren't enough of them (only 75). The color photos by Peter Cassidy are honest; they don't try too hard to make things look modern or slick when they simply are not. Together with the text, they provide an authentic look into Spanish cuisine and the areas where it is prepared. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
British author and 2002 Glenfiddich Food Writer of the Year, Hyman explores the varied regions and ingredients of Spain in her third book. Similar in format to her previous work, Cucina Siciliana, this book is divided into chapters, each dedicated to one of the 17 regions of Spain, complete with histories, stories, and recipes. Highlighting foods and spices such as sobrassada, pimenton de la Vera, and bonito del norte, the narrative and 75 recipes illustrate how interaction with many cultures over the centuries has affected Spanish cuisine. While this is a lively introduction to the regional diversity of Spanish food, it may be intimidating for beginning cooks. Most of the recipes rely on using a unique ingredient not readily found in most supermarkets (although some substitutions are suggested, no source list is given), and cooking times and temperatures are not consistently provided. Penelope Casas's Delicioso! and Tapas have more detailed instructions, and for a more exhaustive survey Janet Mendel's My Kitchen in Spain has over 200 recipes. Recommended for public libraries with larger collections.-Kimberly Bartosz, Univ. of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
