Product Description
Some of the most inspired (and acclaimed) Italian food in the country is served
at Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Mario Batali’s flagship restaurant in the heart
of New York City’s Greenwich Village. Diners in this converted town house have
come to expect innovative flavors and artful presentations that make the most of
seasonal, local, and artisanal ingredients—all with a sensibility that is
distinctly Italian. Now home cooks can re-create these showstopping dishes, just
as they are served at the restaurant, to win raves of their own.
The
Babbo Cookbook is Mario’s biggest yet, filled with 150 recipes that have
redefined contemporary Italian cooking. Here for the first time he shares such
signature dishes as Mint Love Letters with Spicy Lamb Sausage and Beef Cheek
Ravioli, all showcasing his unparalleled ability to reinterpret the Italian
culinary tradition in a completely original way. Recipes for dozens of Babbo’s
renowned antipasti, many based on fresh seasonal produce, are followed by an
alluring collection of pastas; fish, fowl, and meat entrées; and a selection of
Babbo’s irresistible dessert offerings. From Grilled Pork Chops with Peaches and
Balsamic Vinegar to Spicy Lamb Tartare with Mint Crostini and a Quail Egg and
Wild Striped Bass with Charred Leeks and Squid Vinaigrette, The Babbo
Cookbook is filled with vibrant, complex flavors that belie their
straightforward preparations. Even classic recipes like Bollito Misto and
Pappardelle Bolognese come alive again in bright new renditions that delight the
palate.
Also included are notes on the unique touches that make a meal at
Babbo such a singular dining experience, from suggestions on wine service to
recipes for “predesserts” that smooth the transition from savory to sweet—all
representing the distinctive brand of Italian hospitality that has become the
Batali trademark.
The Babbo Cookbook is that rarity in the world
of restaurant cookbooks: a collection of accessible, appetizing recipes that
brings the spirit of a remarkable restaurant into the home kitchen without
losing an iota of tantalizing flavor in the translation. Hardcover, 336
pages.