Reach of a Chef or Dolce Italiano

Reach of a Chef: Professional Cooks in the Age of Celebrity

Author: Michael Ruhlman

The author of The Soul of a Chef looks at the new role of the chef in contemporary culture

For his previous explorations into the restaurant kitchen and the men and women who call it home, Michael Ruhlman has been described by Anthony Bourdain as "the greatest living writer on the subject of chefs-and on the business of preparing food." In The Reach of a Chef, Ruhlman examines the profound shift in American culture that has raised restaurant cooking to the level of performance art and the status of the chef to celebrity CEO. Bibliophiles and foodies alike will savor this intimate meeting with some of the most famous chefs in the kitchens of the hottest restaurants in the world.

Newsday

I'm sure [Ruhlman is] a pretty good cook himself, but I would urge him not to give up his day job, because he's a terrific writer.

Wall Street Journal

Ruhlman consistently comes through with touching lyricism.

New York Times Book Review

[Ruhlman] has a wonderful sense of narrative and pace ... an amazing visual and aural memory.

New interesting textbook: Panini or New Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen

Author: Gina DePalma

Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen

Foreword by Mario Batali

Scrumptious, easy-to-make Italian desserts from the hand of a master.

"Follow the seasons. Keep the flavors pure and straightforward. Use proper yet simple techniques." Applying this aesthetic to the Italian tradition, Gina DePalma has created a cookbook of the desserts that have wowed diners at Babbo, New York's most coveted reservation since it opened eight years ago with DePalma as pastry chef. From her exciting imagination spring desserts such as Sesame and White Corn Biscotti, Little Grappa Soaked Spongecakes, and Chocolate and Tangerine Semifreddo. Recipes for classics like Cassata alla Siciliana join new interpretations of traditional desserts such as White Peach and Prosecco Gelatina. More than just a cookbook, Dolce Italiano reveals the ten ingredients you need to know to make Italian desserts, along with wine pairings to accompany the recipes. Never before has a cookbook given home cooks a chance to experience the full variety and subtlety of Italian desserts. Mario Batali has called Dolce Italiano "pure inspiration."

Publishers Weekly

DePalma, pastry chef at upscale Italian restaurant Babbo in New York City (owner Mario Batali contributes a foreword), approaches Italian-American desserts from three directions: traditional Italian (Polenta Cookies from the Veneto); Italian-American, learned at the elbow of her Calabrese grandmother (in a charming introduction, DePalma recalls how her grandmother used to visit her family in Virginia, stepping off the plane from New York bearing hunks of cheese, cans of olive oil and DePalma's favorite taralli); and what are best described as American-Italian. The latter are true hybrid desserts, such as a crustless Yogurt Cheesecake with Pine Nut Brittle, which combines mascarpone and the Greek-style yogurt now widely available in U.S. grocery stores. This concoction has probably never appeared on any menu in Italy, but it successfully marries ingredients and techniques from both places, without losing sight of the genuine quality that is the hallmark of Italian food. DePalma's tone is genuine, too, whether she's recalling how she woke up in the middle of the night in her Brooklyn apartment to obsess over a lemon tart or patiently explaining why real balsamic vinegar is costly, but worth it. (Oct.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Courtney Greene - Library Journal

Tantalizing yet comforting, sophisticated but simple, DePalma's cookbook bears the same virtues as the Italian sweets it describes. Presenting a wide array of traditional Italian recipes, it includes her own ingenious and mouthwatering updates and alterations and covers many desserts, including cookies, cakes, puddings, ice cream, fruit, specialties, and even savories and cheese selections. Introductory materials offer information about regions within Italy, important Italian ingredients, necessary equipment, and a helpful source list included as an appendix. Each recipe is introduced with notes and explanations steeped in DePalma's own extensive experience. She is currently pastry chef at Mario Batali's Babbo in New York City and has been nominated for the James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef Award. Recommended for all public libraries.