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Battersby: Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Kitchen
Serve sophisticated, satisfying food--regardless of kitchen's size or scope--with recipes and advice from award-winning chefs Joseph Ogrodnek and Walker Stern of Brooklyn's Battersby and Dover fame.
Ogrodnek and Stern cook stellar meals in their restaurant Battersby's small (4 x 6') open kitchen where they break boundaries with taste combinations and levels of flavor. To pull off world-class food in such tight quarters, they have developed systems of organization founded on a roster of dishes that are largely prepared in advance (sometimes days in advance) and finished just before serving. And that is how they have organized their first cookbook: each recipe is divided into "to prep" and "to serve" instructions. And the recipes--from Crispy Kale Salad with Brussels Sprouts and Kohlrabi to Duck Breast with Quince and Radishes, from Corn Soup with Shrimp to Apricots with Honey and Sweet Ricotta--will make your meals memorable!
Ogrodnek and Stern cook stellar meals in their restaurant Battersby's small (4 x 6') open kitchen where they break boundaries with taste combinations and levels of flavor. To pull off world-class food in such tight quarters, they have developed systems of organization founded on a roster of dishes that are largely prepared in advance (sometimes days in advance) and finished just before serving. And that is how they have organized their first cookbook: each recipe is divided into "to prep" and "to serve" instructions. And the recipes--from Crispy Kale Salad with Brussels Sprouts and Kohlrabi to Duck Breast with Quince and Radishes, from Corn Soup with Shrimp to Apricots with Honey and Sweet Ricotta--will make your meals memorable!
- GenresCookbooksNonfictionFood
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2015
25 people are currently reading
517 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 12, 2016
We made such a good meal from this book. None of us thought when reading it that the meal would be spectacular, but it was. Not all instructions in the book are great, but the mistakes were all pretty obvious for any real cook. We thought the treatment of the vegetables was Ottolenghi-eque, though with a different spice pallet. Will definitely use again.
October 19, 2015
I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway.
I just received the book and cannot give a thorough review of the recipes (yet!), but I will give a little review of the structure and content.
It contains chapters of each course of the meal: bread, starter, fish, etc. Each recipe within the chapter contains a 'To Prep' and a 'To Serve'. The prep section contains steps that can be completed ahead of time, while the serve section is completed when you are ready to serve the dish (of course). The authors' theory behind this structure is to do the 'heavy lifting' beforehand. Like any cookbook, you are urged to read the entire recipe before attempting, and this would be especially important here because there is more than one list of ingredients per recipe. The dishes "draw mainly on French tradition, with Mediterranean and Asian influences".
Most recipes have a picture of the completed dish included. The food is positioned in an artistic, almost minimalist arrangement. It helps set the tone and intent of the cookbook - attention to detail at every step of the cooking process.
The recipes themselves are unique and intriguing; this is not the everyday home chef's cookbook. You will find recipes with ingredients that the average person isn't used to purchasing. I think this would be a great addition to your library if you are someone looking to branch out and stretch your comfort limits in cooking.
I'll add more, and adjust my rating once I feel I've sampled enough recipes to give a more complete review. Can't wait to try these ...
I just received the book and cannot give a thorough review of the recipes (yet!), but I will give a little review of the structure and content.
It contains chapters of each course of the meal: bread, starter, fish, etc. Each recipe within the chapter contains a 'To Prep' and a 'To Serve'. The prep section contains steps that can be completed ahead of time, while the serve section is completed when you are ready to serve the dish (of course). The authors' theory behind this structure is to do the 'heavy lifting' beforehand. Like any cookbook, you are urged to read the entire recipe before attempting, and this would be especially important here because there is more than one list of ingredients per recipe. The dishes "draw mainly on French tradition, with Mediterranean and Asian influences".
Most recipes have a picture of the completed dish included. The food is positioned in an artistic, almost minimalist arrangement. It helps set the tone and intent of the cookbook - attention to detail at every step of the cooking process.
The recipes themselves are unique and intriguing; this is not the everyday home chef's cookbook. You will find recipes with ingredients that the average person isn't used to purchasing. I think this would be a great addition to your library if you are someone looking to branch out and stretch your comfort limits in cooking.
I'll add more, and adjust my rating once I feel I've sampled enough recipes to give a more complete review. Can't wait to try these ...
October 3, 2015
I haven't been this excited about a cookbook for a long time. The presentations is great to start. The introduction is very detailed and provides a good guide on how to read the book. I like that most recipes have a 'to prepare' section, to allow for doing some work ahead of time. I browsed through the entire book and can't remember one recipe I wouldn't want to try. The introduction to the recipes provides a description of the recipe that allows one to appreciate the dish more. There is an additional explanation for some ingredients and tools as well, and the techniques are also detailed. Though it will take me some time to cook all the recipes, I'm excited of the time I will spend with the cookbook and of all the satisfied faces I will see when friends and family try the food.
Note: I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways...the review above was in no way influenced by this fact, and it's an honest review.
Note: I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways...the review above was in no way influenced by this fact, and it's an honest review.
March 27, 2020
I received this book free from Goodread:
https://bibliothecaeclecticus.wordpre...
Excellently written, easy to follow recipes, split into two distinct parts, apparently it's how they do it in the restaurant, prepare the food during the day, the first part, then finish/cook/plate it at service at night, the second part.
They explain how to create their style at home in an easy to follow manner, with some great pictures, but I'm afraid there are a few dark pictures in there also, I'm not sure dark works in a recipe book, especially for pictures that need to be clear.
All in all, I highly recommend this book if you want to try your hand at upscale cuisine, in an easy to follow style!!
https://bibliothecaeclecticus.wordpre...
Excellently written, easy to follow recipes, split into two distinct parts, apparently it's how they do it in the restaurant, prepare the food during the day, the first part, then finish/cook/plate it at service at night, the second part.
They explain how to create their style at home in an easy to follow manner, with some great pictures, but I'm afraid there are a few dark pictures in there also, I'm not sure dark works in a recipe book, especially for pictures that need to be clear.
All in all, I highly recommend this book if you want to try your hand at upscale cuisine, in an easy to follow style!!
July 22, 2016
I want to fly to NY and wait in line to have dinner at Battersby after browsing through this lovely cookbook. A lot of the recipes are very involved but a few are easily doable. So far I'm going to make the Rigatoni with Brussels Spouts, Bacon and Arugula and the Roasted Broccoli with Watercress, Lemon, and Pecorino. I'm sure there will be other recipes too.
December 3, 2015
This is a wonderful cookbook with great photos accompanying the recipes.
Some very unusual recipes (like the sunchoke salad) and very tasty results. I have tried 7 or 8 of the recipes already and they have all turned out well.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and try out the delicious recipes in this cookbook!
December 2, 2015
What a gorgeous cookbook! I have tried several of the recipes and they turned out great. I highly recommend this cookbook for all the foodies out there.
October 3, 2015
This book of recipes was a good one. I saw several I'd like to try and many others looked good as well. Worth getting if you enjoy cooking or collecting cookbooks.
*won on GoodReads First Reads*
*won on GoodReads First Reads*
September 27, 2015
This is the fanciest cookbook I own. Yet the recipes are so simple. This is more than a cookbook, it turns food into artwork and gives you in-depth instructions for each step.
October 16, 2015
Finally some new recipes! Very beautiful and fancier than anything I've ever made, but I still don't feel intimidated.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews