Craft of Cooking

August 18, 2003
"I haven't tried to simplify these recipes for the sake of the home cook," writes Colicchio (Think Like a Chef). "Simple food doesn't mean simplistic. It requires a healthy dose of skill and hard work." And with that caveat, he offers up 125 uneven dishes. While there are plenty of recipes that are simple to prepare, most of the book's recipes require time, patience and, occasionally, deep pockets: Duck Ham must hang in the refrigerator for three weeks; Braised Monkfish calls for 17 ingredients, three of which are sub-recipes; and foie gras and black truffles make several appearances. Colicchio is unapologetic in including "behemoth" recipes—restaurant dishes that he admits may be out reach of most home cooks. Uncompromisingly fresh flavors are his touchstone, and squeamish cooks may find it disquieting to discover that many ingredient animals such as soft shell crabs and lobster meet their end at the cook's hand. Colicchio has subdivided the chapters into sections according to technique—roasting, sautéing, braising, puréeing, marinating. Each chapter includes ingredient portraits, as well as essays, that give a sneak peek behind Craft's doors. (While the photos throughout are nicely placed, the extreme close-up of carrots and celery on the cover is a kind of culinary Rorschach test.) The essays, though, are a jarring interlude because the book, which is written from Colicchio's point of view, suddenly does an about face by quoting the chef, and the disembodied narrator is never revealed. But will all this dampen sales? Certainly not. The Colicchio name is enough to sell this book, and the clear, simply written recipes will quell even the worst case of kitchen anxiety. Photos.

October 15, 2003
The food of New York City's upscale Gramercy Tavern, where Colicchio is chef/ co-owner, was featured in his unusual first cookbook, Think Like a Chef, which provided a glimpse into how a creative chef develops his recipes. Since then, Colicchio has opened several of his own restaurants, including Craft, where he serves what he describes as "simple, soulful dishes centered around single ingredients," served family-style. With the sauces, condiments, and other such accompaniments listed separately, the choice of putting together a dish left to a certain extent up to the diner, the menu there at first stymied some, including restaurant critics, but Craft has since become one of the most popular restaurants in the city. Here Colicchio offers his favorites of its "ingredients-driven dishes": Pan-Roasted Chicken with Chicken Jus, Pan-Roasted Asparagus, Porcini in Parchment. As in the first book, there are thoughtful explanations of technique and why the recipes work; for the more adventurous cook, there is also a selection of more elaborate or labor-intensive dishes. Mini-essays on "Family Meal," "Lunch Service," etc., provide a behind-the-scenes look at the Craft kitchen. For most collections.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.