A funny thing happened as we read through this book. Looking at a recipe
for turkey soup with dumplings made from leftover stuffing, we began
to long for Thanksgiving leftovers.
If there is one book every home
cook should have, this may be it. Tom Valenti, known as the master of
comfort food, is one of New York City's superstar chefs, serving hearty
fare to a celebrity clientele at his restaurants Ouest and 'Cesca. With
coauthor Andrew Friedman, Valenti has written a book that is at once
the quintessential book on comfort food and the creation of an inspired
chef.
Valenti embraces the idea of home
cooked meals, creating recipes for comfort food that reach transcendent
heights. And if transcendence is not enough, Valenti understands the
workings of the home kitchen, and the needs of the home cook. These
recipes are cooked in one pot. No scrubbing, no pile of pots at the
end of a gathering. Relax, eat great food, enjoy your guests.
Valenti takes comfort food seriously.
He never talks down but gives us simple recipes that rely on imagination
rather than caviar to turn them into great food. Don't we all like macaroni
and cheese? So does Valenti, but he gives us a recipe for the classic
dish made with goat cheese and tubetti pasta. He transforms a simple
barley and mushroom soup with the addition of porcini mushroom and sage,
both of which deepen the flavors and enrich the broth. A classic braised
beef brisket is enlivened with the addition of distilled white vinegar,
and Valenti gives us this tip (among many others): the acidic lift vinegar
gives to a meaty dish will prevent it from seeming too heavy.
The litmus test for a great cookbook,
however, is its usability. Can we move easily through the written instructions?
Can we actually prepare this recipe without a staff of fifteen? The
answer to both these questions is a resounding yes. Author Friedman
has caught the easy tone of kitchen chatter. We are in conversation
with a neighbor, though this neighbor happens to be a great chef offering
tips and advice as we cook. Not only does he offers tips, but suggestions
for using leftovers as well as possible variations on each dish.
Leftovers include the turkey soup
and stuffing dumplings that has us dreaming about leftovers. There is
also a section on condiments and garnishes t, such as 'frizzled leeks,'
those small touches that help lift a meal out of the ordinary.
Perhaps the real value of this book,
however, lies beyond the scope of its pages: this book inspires. As
we worked to test (enjoy) the recipes, we found ourselves wondering
'why didn't I think of this?' Then our thoughts roamed and we wondered
how we could change one of our own standby recipes to make it more interesting.
Though we may not have the answers Valenti has, we are thinking, feeling
creative. In the meantime, here are recipes that Tom has kindly shared.
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