The Babbo Cookbook
by Mario Batali
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mario BataliEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-04-30
ISBN: 0609607758
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Book Reviews of The Babbo Cookbook
Book Review: The best Italian Restaurant Cookbook.
Summary: 5 Stars
This recent cookbook by Mario Batali presents the recipes done at his flagship restaurant, Babbo, with a few borrowed from the seafood restaurant, Esca. The book appears to be as good or better a representation of the food at its namesake restaurant than most I have read. It is thereby, the best possible consolation for those of us who have tried repeatedly and failed to attain a reservation at Babbo at a reasonable time for an American to eat dinner.
Unlike Mario's earlier two books, there is no attempt in this book or at his restaurant to be wholly true to original Italian recipes, but only because Mario is true to the very Italian doctrine of buying what is the best at local markets. He, for example, makes great use of Pennsylvania grown shittake mushrooms, even though they are unknown in Italian cuisine.
The chapters follow the course of a typical Italian meal, including:
Aperitivi (before dinner drinks)
AntiPasti
Pasta
Mare (seafood)
Contorni
Terra e Bosco (Domestic and Foraged Meats)
Pre-Desserts and Cheese
Dolci (Sweet desserts)
Digestivi (after dinner drinks)
The book ends with short chapters on `Tools of the Trade', Babbo's Tasting Menus, and Sources. As one of the two tasting menus show, pasta is one of the main stars at Babbo. The pasta chapter is the longest and includes some of the most interesting dishes. Being very fond of lamb, I was especially attracted to the recipe for mint tagliatelle wherein lamb shoulder is cooked into an olive flavored ragu used to dress a fresh tagliatelle made with dough including a mint puree. From his Food Network show, `Molto Mario', I am already convinced of the flavorfulness of the lamb shoulder. Here, Mario gives the perfect excuse to use it.
If one accepts the challenge of making fresh pasta and are not put off by the occasionally exotic ingredient such as guanciale (pork jowls), calf's tongue, and beef cheeks; most of the recipes are fairly simple for the experienced amateur chef. If you wish to make your own stocks, the chicken stock recipe is straightforward and relatively similar to one found in `The Best Recipe' from Cooks Illustrated. There is little of the hyperfussiness you may find from Jeremiah Tower or Thomas Keller. As Mario states in his introduction, this is not a result of `dumbing down' the recipes for the home cook, it is simply the way things are done at Babbo. There is, however, a devotion to high quality ingredients. One of the drawbacks of this dedication is that Babbo has access to some cured meat only because they make the products themselves. While this is a bit unfair to the rest of us, there is still plenty here which we should have no problem assembling from a good farmers market of a good megamart.
I generally am not impressed by the culinary photography in most cookbooks. It seems that there are only two ways to do it right. One approach is to do none or limit them exclusively to hand models demonstrating techniques. The second approach is to give us a picture of every single dish. Mario takes the latter option and the photographer, Christopher Hirsheimer deserves the credit he receives on the title page along with Mario. All photos are in color, in focus, and appetizing.
While the book is primarily about the recipes, Mario does throw salt in our wounds from failed attempts at making reservations by describing some of the supporting features which make Babbo the success it is. Wine, for example is an important part of dining at Babbo. Mario's partner Joe Bastianish is an important expert on Italian wines and Babbo is billed as both a Ristorante and Enoteca, a wine bar, so the attention to details of serving wine are very serious. However, Mario did not include wine pairings for these dishes, and I do not miss them.
My perceptions may be clouded by my admiration for Mario as a teacher of regional Italian cooking, but one of the most rewarding aspects of this book is the way in which Mario communicates the sense of Italian hospitality he strives for at Babbo. The sense of `gemutlichkeit' (sorry, I don't know the Italian take on this Austrian notion) is palpable as you read the recipes and stories behind the food at Babbo.
A delightful restaurant cookbook and a must for Mario fans.
Summary of The Babbo Cookbook
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.
One of the most coveted reservations to have in New York City is at Babbo, Mario Batali's flagship restaurant in Greenwich Village. In The Babbo Cookbook, Batali (author of Mario Batali Simple Italian Food and Mario Batali Holiday Food) takes readers behind the scenes of his popular restaurant--from the kitchen to the front of house--sharing 150 recipes for his innovative Italian fare and offering tips on menu selection, service, and presentation. Along the way, Batali expertly captures the intimate buzz, the warm hospitality, and the generous attention to detail that makes Babbo a singular dining experience.
Before digging into any of the dozen-plus featured antipasti, Batali offers several specialty aperitivi, including the refreshing Blood Orange Bellini. Two of Babbo's signature dishes, Mint Love Letters with Spicy Lamb Sausage (little ravioli stuffed with a filling of sweet peas, mint, heavy cream, and Parmigiano-Reggiano) and Beef Cheek Ravioli (so good the book recommends doubling the filling and freezing a batch), are broken down and made more than accessible to the home cook. Other exceptional pasta options include Pumpkin Lune with Butter and Sage (finished with a dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano and amaretti cookie crumbs) and Gnocchi with Oxtail Ragù (a reinterpretation of a Batali family classic, still served at Salumi, his father's must-visit Seattle shop). Chapters "Mare (From the Sea)" and "Terra e Bosco (From the Earth and Forest)" offer Crispy Black Bass with Endive Marmellata and Saffron Vinaigrette ("'crispy' sells more food than a barrage of adjectives," Batali reveals) and a succulent Osso Buco with Toasted Pine Nut Gremolata. There's a wonderful section on pre-desserts and cheese, and in "Dolci" pastry chef Gina DePalma wraps things up with Maple and Mascarpone Cheesecake, Meyer Lemon Semifreddo, and a tempting cookie plate.
The Babbo Cookbook is a gorgeous affair--nearly every recipe is accompanied by a color photo of the finished dish. Batali is an intelligent and inspiring guide throughout the book, and Babbo co-owner Joseph Bastianich (who cowrote the terrific Vino Italiano with Babbo wine director David Lynch) provides detailed notes on their topnotch table and wine service. Some of the recipes may seem daunting to tentative home cooks (the recipe for Warm Testa with Waxy Potatoes opens with "Place the pig's head in a large pot with water"), but Batali recognizes that readers don't have the benefit of being backed by a kitchen staff and offers tips and modifications to turn out a version of the dish as close as possible to the real deal. Whether you choose to cook your way through one recipe at a time or attempt to turn out an entire tasting menu for a special occasion, Batali's Babbo Cookbook is a keeper--a book you'll turn to again and again. --Brad Thomas Parsons
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