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Estela

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Named one of the Best Cookbooks of Fall 2018 by The New York Times Book Review, Epicurious, Grub Street, The Kitchn, and more

“The rare restaurant-y cookbook whose recipes actually turn out as well as the seemingly unattainable photos.”
The New York Times Book Review
 
One flight up, in a bustling neighborhood bistro overlooking the chaos of one of downtown New York’s busiest streets, Ignacio Mattos serves food so uncannily delicious it consistently earns him accolades like “Chef of the Year,” and his restaurant Estela a spot among the World’s 50 Best.

Everyone wants a taste of Estela, from loyal local customers to out-of-town foodies, visiting chefs to visiting presidents. The food is bold, bright, layered, playful, and surprising. Innovative without being precious. Comfort food, really. Food that bursts to life in your mouth—food that hits you right there.
 
Estela, the long-awaited cookbook, shows how to think like Ignacio Mattos, who as an immigrant sees ingredients with fresh eyes. Here is how to look at something as ordinary as a button mushroom and make it extraordinary (shaved thin over ricotta dumplings), or as familiar as burrata and transform it (with a pool of juiced herby greens and charred bread). How to use vinegars, citruses, fish sauce, and pickling broth to give each bite a pop of flavor. How to compose a plate in layers, so that the deeper you dig, the more that is revealed, while each forkful carries an electric marriage of flavors and textures.
 
Estela presents over 133 recipes, including classics that will never leave the menu, like Lamb Ribs with Chermoula and Honey, Mussels Escabeche on Toast, and the hide-and- seek joy of Endive Salad with Walnuts and Ubriaco Rosso. Small plates meant for sharing with friends and family, like Cherry Tomatoes with Figs and Onion. Incredible pan-seared steaks. And basics for the pantry that will elevate whatever you feel like making.
 
Estela is the restaurant, but Estela is far more than a restaurant cookbook. It’s an inviting and creative expression of Mattos’s fresh and influential style.

449 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2018

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Ignacio Mattos

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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Profile Image for Jennifer.
577 reviews
August 6, 2018
Estela is a beautiful restaurant which serves gorgeous plates of foie gras in grape leaves and panna cotta with vinegar and honey, so it is no surprise that this attractive hardcover is chock full of amazing pictures and recipes. Must have for any foodie/New Yorker.
2 reviews
November 29, 2018
A restaurant cookbook that actually has plenty of useful tips and tricks to be plucked throughout. Can't see myself making all of the recipes, but a few, like the salads, are manageable. Endive amazing. Otherwise, lots of inspiration and beauty.
Profile Image for Liquidlasagna.
3,038 reviews111 followers
October 7, 2020
Ignacio follows his own path, cooking with joy and confidence, approaching food from all perspectives, making bold statements yet remaining humble. Estela is serving some of the purest, most beautiful food in New York City.
Alice Waters
Profile Image for Laura.
3,902 reviews
May 13, 2024
A restaurant cook book. Still has many reciepes for home cooks, definitely some flavor inspirations. some great sauces although overall not a cook your way through this book.
16 reviews2 followers
July 31, 2018
I love the pictures, the stories, and the descriptions throughout the book. The recipes are easy to follow, some of the ingredients could be hard to find if you live in a smaller town or a more rural location. This would be a cookbook that I would pick up and try the recipes I could and just enjoy reading the ones I wasn't able to make.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews

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