Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen
September 29, 2016
15 Party Dips
October 28, 2016
Essential Italian Cooking
by Michael White, Andrew Friedman
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Having won or been nominated for just about every known prestigious culinary award, Michael White is hailed by food critics as the next great hero of Italian gastronomy. His reach extends around the globe with a clutch of acclaimed fine dining restaurants, including Marea, Ai Fiori, Osteria Morini, and pizzeria Nicoletta.
Now, in Classico e Moderno, White brings his passion for authentic Italian cuisine to the home kitchen, with recipes—nearly 250—that cover both the traditional and contemporary dishes of the region. In the “Classico” portion, White shares such iconic dishes as Meatballs Braised in Tomato Sauce; Pasta and Bean Soup; Cavatelli with Lamb Ragù and Bell Peppers; and Roasted Pork Leg with Rosemary and Black Pepper. The “Moderno” chapters feature recipes that have put White’s restaurants on the map, including Chicken Liver Crostini with Marsala-Braised Onions; Fusili with Red Wine–Braised Octopus and Bone Marrow; and Veal Chops with Roasted Endive and Pancetta Cream Sauce.
Both the Classico and Moderno sections offer ideas for your whole meal: first courses (Vitello Tonnato, Garganelli with Caviar Cream ), soups (Zuppa di Baccalá, White Bean Soup with Sautéed Shrimp), pastas (Tortellini alla Panna, Ricotta and Swiss Chard Tortelli), main courses (Pollo alla Diavola, Braised Lamb Shanks with Farrotto), and desserts (Crostata di Ricotta, Panna Cotta with Meyer Lemon–Basil Sorbet and Almond Milk Froth), as well as salads, pizzas, and basic formulas for pesto, stocks, and vinaigrettes. Including personal notes and anecdotes about White’s early sojourn in Italy and his flavorful career, Classico e Moderno will give you all the tools, tips, and tricks you need to cook tantalizing Italian dishes with the confidence of a seasoned chef.
Praise for Michael White and Classico e Moderno
“A masterpiece of culinary acumen and perfection in presentation . . . White once again sublimely deals with his cuisine of choice—Italian. In an attempt to bridge the gap between classic and modern, this chef extraordinaire offers the reader an experience in beauty and taste. . . . This book is a testament to both the importance/influence of Italian cuisine and to the rich and varied experiences its ingredients and tradition still have to offer.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Exceedingly appealing . . . [Michael White] is one of the great chefs of modern Italian food in this country, and in Classico e Moderno he teaches us enough so that we can try to follow in his footsteps.”—Vogue
“Hugely ambitious . . . White is one of a number of rising chefs here who aren’t Italian but have felt the freedom to refresh the concept of Italian food.”—Associated Press
“The future of Italian gastronomy, thanks to the spectacular inventiveness he brings to modernizing the world’s most popular cuisine.”—Gotham
“I’ve watched and tasted as Michael White has matured into his current position as one of the preeminent stewards and pioneers of Italian culinary tradition in America. Even his signature modern dishes are as relatable as the classics—and are perhaps even destined to be deemed classics in their own right some day.”—Thomas Keller, from the Foreword
“Michael White has, in very short order, grabbed the Italian food crown for New York City.”—Anthony Bourdain
TSG Review
Italian food yes please! Classics and brand-new recipes, sounds good so far. Everyone of them has a full page picture, Boom! Huge amount of sushi-like raw fish recipes—wait—what?
I followed all the recipes exactly as written.
Sautéed Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Parmigiano Cream
Serves 4
Pizza Margarita: Tomato and Basil Pizza, Pizza Sauce, Pizza Dough
Makes 2 12 inch pizzas
I used three recipes from the book to make this pizza. I have always been a fan of thick tomato sauces but this sauce was refreshing with it’s fresh ingredients even if it was a bit watery. You let it sit in the fridge overnight so all the flavors have time to intensify. I will totally use it again but I will most likely drain the sauce through cheese cloth first.
The Pizza Dough recipe worked just fine but the process for making it was more difficult than others I have done before. It starts in a stand mixer then you turn it out to finish kneading the dough by hand. It didn’t taste any different to me than the ones where you got from start to finish in a stand mixer.
As for the Margarita Pizza itself, that turned out just the way it’s supposed too, fresh, bright, and beautiful. The best ingredients and the simplest use of them. Basil, fresh mozzarella, pizza sauce.
Fusilli Con Ragù Napolitano
Serves 6 as an appetizer or 4 as a main course
Halibut with Baby Romaine, Guanciale, and Parsnip Puree
Serves 4
Summary
My new go-to-Italian-recipe-book. I couldn’t be happier with the recipes in here. great photos, and easy to understand directions. You are basically getting two cook books in one. The book is divided down the middle with a full recipe book from appetizers to deserts of classic recipes then the same thing at the end for modern recipes. All the recipes I did were from the classic part of the book except for the halibut with baby romaine, that one came from the modern section. There are a lot of seafood recipes in the modern section of the book so I stuck mostly to the sections with less shellfish in it. There are quite a few Italian-style sushi recipes in the modern section which I thought was odd. I normally don’t think of Italians eating much uncooked fish but they are pretty much surrounded by water so why not.There is a large amount of seafood recipes so if that is what you like this book is for you. For the people like me, who have problems with suction cups on your plate there are still plenty of noodle vegetable and meat dishes in here to make it worth your money. There are also a lot of neat old school techniques you are exposed to in this book as well. They show you how to make your own canned tuna for example. A high-end coffee table cook book that has recipes that work and is not just for show.
