Craft of Cooking: Notes and Recipes from a Restaurant Kitchen: A Cookbook - Hardcover

Tom Colicchio

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0609610503 ISBN 13: 9780609610503

Publisher: Clarkson Potter / Publishers, 2003

Synopsis

Tom Colicchio, chef/co-owner of New York's acclaimed Gramercy Tavern, offers inspriation to cooks of any skill level with 140 simple recipes and technical tips.

Realizing that his own culinary style had grown increasingly unembellished, and gambling that New York diners were experiencing that same kind of culinary fatigue (brought on by too much "fancy food"), Colicchio set out to prove that the finest food didn't have to be the most complicated. So in March 2001 he opened a new restaurant, Craft, that offered diners simple, soulful dishes centered around single ingredients that went on to shake up many people's ideas of what "restaurant food" should be like.

Craft of Cooking leads you through Colicchio's thought process in choosing raw materials--like what to look for in fresh fish, or how to choose the perfect mushroom--to show that good food is available to anyone with access to a good supermarket, farm stand, or gourmet grocery. The book also features "Day-in-the-Life-of-Craft" portraits, which offer a fascinating, behind-the-scenes glimpse at areas of the restaurant beyond the dining room. These segments allow you to peer into the fast-paced prep kitchen, to witness the high drama of reservations, and to get a taste of the humor and empathy necessary to serve New York's colorful visitors and foodies.

Using Tom's straightforward and friendly voice, Craft of Cooking offers recipes suited to any purpose--from a quick family meal to a festive dinner party for twelve.

About this title

About the Author

TOM COLICCHIO was named Best New Chef by Food & Wine before opening the acclaimed Gramercy Tavern in 1994. He received the 2000 James Beard Award for Best Chef in New York City and for Best General Cookbook in 2001 for his first book, Think Like a Chef. His groundbreaking restaurant, Craft, was awarded three stars by the New York Times and named the James Beard Foundation's Best New Restaurant in America in 2002. The Craft restaurant family has grown to include Craftbar, Craftsteak, and 'wichcraft sandwich shops in New York City, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. Colicchio is also the head judge of the hit Bravo reality show Top Chef and an avid lover of sandwiches. He lives in New York City.

From the Back Cover

From Tom Colicchio, chef/co-owner of New York's acclaimed Gramercy Tavern, comes a book that profiles the food and philosophy of Craft, his unique restaurant in the heart of New York's Flatiron district, and winner of the 2002 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in America. From its food to its architecture and menu design, Craft has been celebrated for its courageous movement away from culinary theatrics and over-the-top presentations, back to the simple magic of great food.
Realizing that his own culinary style had grown increasingly unembellished, and gambling that New York diners were experiencing that same kind of culinary fatigue (brought on by too much "fancy food"), Colicchio set out to prove that the finest food didn't have to be the most complicated. From its opening in March 2001, Craft offered diners simple, soulful dishes centered around single ingredients that went on to shake up many people's ideas of what "restaurant food" should be like.
Craft of Cooking leads you through Colicchio's thought process in choosing raw materials--like what to look for in fresh fish, or how to choose the perfect mushroom--to show that good food is available to anyone with access to a good supermarket, farm stand, or gourmet grocery. The book also features "Day-in-the-Life-of-Craft" portraits, which offer a fascinating, behind-the-scenes glimpse at areas of the restaurant beyond the dining room. These segments allow the reader to peer into the fast-paced prep kitchen, to witness the high drama of reservations, and to get a taste of the humor and empathy necessary to serve New York's colorful visitors and foodies.
And then there are the recipes. Craft of Cooking presents 140recipes that range from the simplest dish of spring peas to roasted fish; from lush but effortless braises to complex brining and curing of meat for homemade charcuterie, included to give the reader a "fly-on-the-wall" experience of visiting the Craft kitchen for themselves. Dishes are divided-like the Craft menu itself-into categories of meat, fish, vegetables, potatoes, grains, desserts, and pantry, and then further delineated by technique-roasting, braising, sauteing, etc.-with abundant suggestions and technical tips. Using Tom's straightforward and friendly voice, Craft of Cooking offers recipes suited to any purpose--from a quick family meal to a festive dinner party for twelve.
As he did in his James Beard award-winning book, Think Like a Chef, Colicchio uses Craft of Cooking to teach, tell his story, and offer inspiration to cooks of any skill level. With more than 100 full-color and black-and-white photographs, Craft of Cooking is destined to become a staple of home cooks everywhere--the one "restaurant cookbook" they can't live without.

From the Inside Flap

From Tom Colicchio, chef/co-owner of New York s acclaimed Gramercy Tavern, comes a book that profiles the food and philosophy of Craft, his unique restaurant in the heart of New York s Flatiron district, and winner of the 2002 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in America. From its food to its architecture and menu design, Craft has been celebrated for its courageous movement away from culinary theatrics and over-the-top presentations, back to the simple magic of great food.

Realizing that his own culinary style had grown increasingly unembellished, and gambling that New York diners were experiencing that same kind of culinary fatigue (brought on by too much fancy food ), Colicchio set out to prove that the finest food didn t have to be the most complicated. From its opening in March 2001, Craft offered diners simple, soulful dishes centered around single ingredients that went on to shake up many people s ideas of what restaurant food should be like.

Craft of Cooking leads you through Colicchio s thought process in choosing raw materials like what to look for in fresh fish, or how to choose the perfect mushroom to show that good food is available to anyone with access to a good supermarket, farm stand, or gourmet grocery. The book also features Day-in-the-Life-of-Craft portraits, which offer a fascinating, behind-the-scenes glimpse at areas of the restaurant beyond the dining room. These segments allow the reader to peer into the fast-paced prep kitchen, to witness the high drama of reservations, and to get a taste of the humor and empathy necessary to serve New York s colorful visitors and foodies.

And then there are the recipes. Craft of Cooking presents 140 recipes that range from the simplest dish of spring peas to roasted fish; from lush but effortless braises to complex brining and curing of meat for homemade charcuterie, included to give the reader a fly-on-the-wall experience of visiting the Craft kitchen for themselves. Dishes are divided like the Craft menu itself into categories of meat, fish, vegetables, potatoes, grains, desserts, and pantry, and then further delineated by technique roasting, braising, sautéing, etc. with abundant suggestions and technical tips. Using Tom s straightforward and friendly voice, Craft of Cooking offers recipes suited to any purpose from a quick family meal to a festive dinner party for twelve.

As he did in his James Beard award-winning book, Think Like a Chef, Colicchio uses Craft of Cooking to teach, tell his story, and offer inspiration to cooks of any skill level. With more than 100 full-color and black-and-white photographs, Craft of Cooking is destined to become a staple of home cooks everywhere the one restaurant cookbook they can t live without.

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarkson Potter / Publishers
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0609610503
• ISBN 13: 9780609610503
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272