Cook Beautiful

by Athena Calderone, Athena Calderone

The debut cookbook from Athena Calderone, creator of EyeSwoon, with 100 seasonal recipes for meals as gorgeous as they are delicious.

In Cook Beautiful , Athena reveals the secrets to preparing and presenting unforgettable meals. As the voice and curator behind EyeSwoon, an online lifestyle destination for food, entertaining, fashion, and interior design, Athena cooks with top chefs, hosts incredible dinners, and designs stunning tablescapes, while emphasizing the importance of balancing the visual elements of each dish with incredible flavors. In her debut cookbook, she’s finally showing the rest of us how to achieve her impeccable yet approachable cooking style.

Included are 100 recipes with step-by-step advice on everything from prep to presentation—from artfully layering a peach and burrata salad to searing a perfect steak. Recipes include Grilled Zucchini Flatbread with Ramp-Pistachio Pesto, Charred Eggplant with Zaatar and Yogurt Tahini, Mezzi Rigatoni with Radicchio and Guanciale, Stewed Pork with Squash and Walnut Gremolata, Blood Orange Bundt Cake with Orange Bitters Glaze, and more. Organized by season, each section closes with a tablescape inspired by nature, along with specific table décor and entertaining tips.

Cook Beautiful is where design meets food, where culinary tradition marries food styling, where home chefs become experts. These are luscious dishes to make for friends and family, with advice that will inspire you to create visually stunning, and still wholly delicious, culinary masterpieces.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Foodie, Coffee Table Books, Health

Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2017

Reviews

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книжка й справді відповідає своїй назві, тут кожен рецепт суцільна естетика. І хоча більшість страв виглядають як з дуже вишуканого ресторану, їх реально відтворити вдома і сама Атена говорить весь час про те, що будь-який рецепт можна адаптувати під свій холодильник і домашні запаси.

Книжка поділена по порах року (що я дуже люблю), напочатку кожного розділу вона говорить про овочі і фрукти, які в сезоні в цей час і взагалі пропагує харчуватися тим, що доступно в ту чи іншу пору року. Також в кінці кожного розділу авторка дає поради як декорувати світ і страви залежно від пори року.

Вже встигла приготувати кілька страв з зимового розділу і планую просуватися далі по порах року.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is indeed beautiful but overall a bit too precious and pretentious for my tastes. A few of the desserts do look amazing--panna cotta, cardamom cognac apple cake, earl gray chocolate souffle, blood orange bundt cake. But what's with all the flowy willowy photos of the author--fashion or food shoot? And this line got me: "When you're hubby is a tech-house DJ, it's safe to say that you'll spend part of your summer in Ibiza." Really?!

[Penmouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cook Beautiful is a seasonal cookbook i.e. the author, Athena Calderone, takes the reader on a cook's tour of the seasons. Her cookbook features seasonal recipes broken down into Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Each season features foodstuffs typically found and used allowing the cook to use the best foods while providing built in variety. Throughout her cookbook you will find menu suggestions and food tips based on the season being featured. At the back of her book you will find a chapter called Sauces and Extras along with another chapter called My Toolbox. The My Toolbox lists some of her favorite cooking gadgets. Calderone also includes a a section called My Pantry that lists some of her year-round cooking essential ingredients. To help the reader find some of the author's favorite cooking linens, tools, etc. there is a section called My Little Black Book that lists websites you can access to help purchase needed kitchen goodies.

Some of the recipes you'll find include:

Whole Stuffed Branzino Wrapped In an Herb Bouquet
Grilled Shrimp with Chile, Lemon, and Oregano
Green Panzanella with Grilled Chicken Pallards
Orecchette with Kale, Fennel, and Sausage
Earl Grey Chocolate Souffle Cake with Candied Kumquats

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

[Jo C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a visually beautiful book for home chefs who are appreciate innovative flavor combinations and easy preparations.

I debated back and forth before finally buying this book; it seemed a little too "lifestyle" for me. My experience with those sorts of cookbooks is that the food may look visually interesting but end up using hard to find or expensive ingredients that don't seem to benefit the end result (the glut of recipes of a few years ago with goji berries spring to mind).

Cook Beautiful is different. The book is broken into seasons with produce available during that season, and the recipes reflect that availability. While there are a few recipes I will never make (whole fish), most of them are easy to make and the ingredients are easy to find. My finished dishes are never as beautiful as Calderone's, but then again that's due to my lack of plating ability. The recipes themselves are fabulous.

Cook Beautiful won a James Beard Award, and I can see why. If you can look past the "aspirational lifestyle"vibe (I don't know how else to explain it), the recipes are worth their weight in gold.

[Deniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book.
It's simple cooking beautifully photographed and curated.
I love the simplicity of Calderone's cooking style, its a lot like I tend cook. But don't be fooled, simplicity doesn't take away any of the taste. The recipes are easy to follow and very inspiring.
My kind of cookbook

[Vanessa Slavich · Rating 5 out of 5]

has become my go to cookbook

[Jess Macallan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As the title indicates, this book is chock full of gorgeous plates of food to go with each recipe. Not only are the dishes visually appealing, but the simple, fresh ingredients should please most foodies. I love when cookbooks organize recipes by season, and the author goes a step further by helping readers arrange beautiful tables for entertaining according to spring, summer, fall, and winter. I was impressed with the wide variety of foods used in the recipes, and the focus on which foods were in season.

I bookmarked plenty of recipes throughout the book but focused mostly on fall. A few that have stood out so far: Jerusalem Artichoke, Celery and Pear Salad, Shaved Brussel Sprouts, Pine Nuts and Green Olives, and Pan-Roasted Chicken with Shallots and Dates. I'm looking forward to trying many of the winter recipes, including Chickpea-Merguez Hash and Pan-Seared Tangy Brussels Sprouts. I also appreciated the author's recommendations for kitchen tools and shopping resources.

I recommend this book for cooks who like to focus on simple but elegant dishes featuring fresh foods.

[Gaby F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Culinary Work of Passion:
Cook Beautiful by Athena Calderone is a book for people who like to entertain and who enjoy food with all of their senses. The table of contents reads like a menu of a high end restaurant. Yet the recipes are astonishingly simple, with the freshest, most vibrant looking ingredients of the season, artfully presented on earthy tableware. Logically, Athena has sorted her dishes by seasons. As it is fall right now, I will start with cooking some of the fall recipes. Among my favorites are:

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Dukkah and Watercress Pesto

Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Pine Nuts, and Green Olives

Slow-Roasted Arctic Char with Cranberry Chutney

One-Pot Stewed Pork with Butternut Squash and Walnuts Gremolata

In addition to her recipes, Athena also gives seasonal tips for arranging the table with reference to places where she buys her plates, bowls and silverware. Athena has successfully paired her talent for design and presentation with her passion to cook. This is a book that every serious cook should have in his or her possession.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Kym · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really beautiful cookbook. Each recipe includes a photo. The recipes are presented seasonally and are heavy in seafood and Mediterranean flavors. There are ideas for setting the table for each season and photos of the author and family in various outdoor settings.

I love the format of recipe on one side and photo on the other. This is a large book and the binding makes it a bit difficult to lay on the counter and cook without the page turning. Use a book holder.

There are many recipes that I am anxious to try. There are also quite a few restaurant-type recipes which I like to leave to, well, restaurants. However, this book will be a treasure for those who love to entertain and cook fancy, yet simple dishes for their friends.

[Sara-Juliette Hins · Rating 3 out of 5]

J’ai acheté ce livre à la suite d’une critique dithyrambique dans La Presse. L’autrice vantait les recettes somme toute simples et délicieuses et les trucs de présentation qui donnent ce petit supplément d’âme à chaque plat. Ça tombait à pic, je cuisine souvent des « C’est pas si beau, mais c’est bon! » Mes restrictions alimentaires (sans gluten) me limitent un peu, mais la première recette que j’ai essayée récemment me semble prometteuse. À suivre

[Audrey Gourdji · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most used cook book in my kitchen. I've slowly been making my way through all recipes and there has not been even ONE dud. Maybe they are just more aligned with my preferred flavour profiles, but each one turns out restaurant level quality and taste and, usually, without as much effort as the final dish suggests. 10/10 must have in the kitchen!

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful cookbook full of delicious recipies step by step guidance all told with style.Yummy recipies wonderful cookbook perfect to add to anyones collection .Thankyou Abrams books &Netgaley for advance readers copy for honest review,

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the cookbooks that I read at night to get inspired. Put post-its on what I wanted to try and to make grocery lists after shopping my pantry for ingredients. Gets my mind off what's going on outside my front door.

[Megon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very nice cookbook, I like how it is set up by season. Makes it easier to find what you want to make. And it's nice that it has some tips on presentation, which I definitely could use.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

*received for free through Goodreads first reads

A beautiful cookbook with mostly uncomplicated recipes for delicious food. I liked the layout and explanation of techniques.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

every recipe comes with pictures. love

[Juli Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trendy and insubstantial. Calderone reads like a bloggy, Gen-X Martha Stewart, which is not a compliment from me.

[Mariko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous! Fun to look at, but there's only one recipe I'd actually make. I did enjoy the dinner table decorating tips.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well presented book. Divided into seasons and seasonal recipes there is a craft to presentation which is well evidenced in this book.

[LaLa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was great but then I ended up cooking nothing from it so that is always an indicator...

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good recipes, though I wish Athena had had this book printed in black ink rather than light gray. Squinting while cooking is inefficient.