Synopses & Reviews
One of the most respected chefs in the country, Paul Bertolli earns glowing praise for the food at Californias renowned Oliveto restaurant. Now he shares his most personal thoughts about cooking in his long-awaited book,
Cooking by Hand. In this groundbreaking collection of essays and recipes, Bertolli evocatively explores the philosophy behind the food that Molly ONeill of the
New York Times described as “deceptively simple, [with] favors clean, deep, and layered more profusely than a mille-feuille.”
From “Twelve Ways of Looking at Tomatoes” to Italian salumi in “The Whole Hog,” Bertolli explores his favorite foods with the vividness of a natural writer and the instincts of a superlative chef. Scattered throughout are more than 140 recipes remarkable for their clarity, simplicity, and seductive appeal, from Salad of Bitter Greens, Walnuts, Tesa, and Parmigiano and Chilled Shellfish with Salsa Verde to Short Ribs Agrodolce and Tagliolini Pasta with Crab. Unforgettable desserts, such as Semifreddo of Peaches and Mascarpone and Hazelnut Meringata with Chocolate and Espresso Sauce, round out a collection thats destined to become required reading for any food lover.
Rich with the remarkable food memories that inspire him, from the taste of ripe Santa Rosa plums and the aroma of dried porcini mushrooms in his mothers ragu to eating grilled bistecca alla Fiorentina on a foggy late autumn day in Chianti, Cooking by Hand will ignite a passion within you to become more creatively involved in the food you cook.
Synopsis
The New York Times has proclaimed Bertolli ''one of the two greatest working chefs in America, '' and Cooking By Hand is a fascinating exploration of the principles behind the remarkable food that he creates. For Bertolli, cooking simply and well is only possible when a cook responds to his ingredients with insight and care, and this is the principle behind all the recipes in Cooking By Hand, from Pan-Roasted Chicken and Risotto with Lecks and Balsamic Vinegar to the best fresh Tomato Bloody Mary you've ever tried. In keeping with his message of cooking simply, few of the recipes in the book have more than six or eight ingredients. Binding these recipes together are a dozen engrossing food essays that explore topics like the timeless quality of ripeness; the mysteries of balsamic vinegar; the joys of making, serving, and eating pasta; and the wonderful versatility of the tomato. Rich with the passion, wisdom, and skill gained from Bertolli's nearly 25 years of outstanding culinary achievement, this is a book to savor.
About the Author
PAUL BERTOLLI is executive chef and co-owner of Oliveto restaurant in Oakland, California. He has received numerous accolades, most recently the award for “Best Chef: California” from the James Beard Foundation in 2001. He is also known for his tenure as chef of Chez Panisse restaurant, where for ten years he guided the restaurants cooking toward Italian sensibilities. Active as a chef, writer, and artisan food producer, Bertolli tends to his garden, bread oven, salumi cellar, vinegar loft, pickle vats, distillations, wine, and other mysterious fermentations from his home base in North Berkeley, California.