Franny's

Starred review from May 20, 2013
Brooklyn residents have long enjoyed the simple yet incredibly flavorful meals at Franny’s, Andrew Feinberg and Francine Stephens’s much-beloved restaurant. This husband-and-wife team showcases a wealth of rustic, uncomplicated recipes for everything from soups, salads, and fritti to fish, vegetables, and cocktails. Where they shine brightest is in the chapters on crostini, meat, pasta, and pizza. Recipes for whipped eggplant and anchovy crostini; roasted pork sausage; bucatini with ramps; and pizza rustica are among the mouth-watering offerings they provide. Other favorites include marinated cabbage with walnuts, bread crumbs, and Parmigiano-Reggiano; meatballs; spring onion frittata served on toast; and chicken liver and pancetta. Most recipes are fairly simple and easily made at home. When a little more know-how is required, as is the case with their incredible porchetta, the authors provide straightforward step-by-step instructions accompanied by photos that demonstrate the proper technique. The dessert chapter is gelato-rich and offers up numerous varieties including strawberry, mascarpone honey, pistachio, caramel, and more. For fans of Franny’s, this book is a true gift that will be put to frequent use. Readers unacquainted with the restaurant will delight in the many culinary treasures the authors share. Agent, Janis Donnaud, Janis A. Donnaud and Associates.

August 1, 2013

Married chefs Feinberg and Francine Stephens own Franny's, a Brooklyn restaurant that serves pizzas, pastas, salads, house-cured salami, and more. With noted food writer Melissa Clark (Cook This Now), they share eight years worth of rustic Italian recipes like bucatini with ramps, tomato salad with burrata, and lemon sorbetto. Most are accessible, but some contain unconventional ingredients (e.g., xanthan gum, bottarga). Each chapter (e.g., "Crostini," "Fritti," "Fish") shows balance and variety--rare in a genre in which cocktails and desserts can be scarce. VERDICT This beautiful restaurant cookbook, with a foreword by Alice Waters, will excite readers who enjoy quality ingredients.

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