"As a chef," says Michael Chiarello in At Home with Michael Chiarello, "I can either build on a classic recipe or deconstruct it and put it back together with a new identity." The Napa Valley-based TV chef and author takes his own message to heart in this collection of 135-plus recipes for imaginative entertaining. Chiarello's formulas, for the likes of Grilled Salmon and Spinach Salad with Corn Juice "Zablione," Turkey Osso Buco, and "Short Stacks" with Shredded Chicken and Balsamic BBQ Sauce, do reflect his ceaseless invention; but unlike some other chef's recipes, these are cook-friendlier, with flavors rooted in "homier" Italian and American culinary traditions. His chapter on pasta and rice dishes, with the likes of Lasagna of Roasted Butternut Squash, and Bordetto of Shrimp-Stuffed Pasta Shells, is particularly good. The book also provides useful advice for easier, more original party-giving in, for example, Entertaining 101, which includes counsel on choosing a dining area, scaling recipes, and wine do's and don'ts, among other topics. Readers should know that many of the attractive dishes require a kitchen workout, and that invention occasionally overruns best taste, as in, for example, a dish of fennel-flavored pork tenderloin with a dressing of molasses, sage, and balsamic vinegar. Still, the majority of formulas, which include tempting sweets like Molten Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes and Freeform Cheesecake Poured Over Fresh Fruit, should make guests very happy as well as expanding the cook's repertoire. With alluring photos, the artfully produced book should, in itself, get the entertaining-at-home urge going. -–Arthur Boehm
This review is from: At Home with Michael Chiarello: Easy Entertaining [Hardcover]Michael Chiarello's cooking shows -- and the books that accompany them -- are all about making people comfortable. The food is wonderful, with a strongly Italian influence, but his emphasis is on helping you entertain friends and family without driving yourself crazy.One way in which this shows, in At Home with Michael Chiarello, is how many of the "big" recipes are spread over several days. A recipe for pea and potato raviolini with sage brown butter -- which certain sounds exhausting -- has you make the dough and prepare the vegetables the day before; roll and fill the ravioli in the morning; and cook them right before serving. It all sounds very do-able. And the recipes make me anxious to do it.The book is separated into the usual chapters -- appetizers, soups & salads, pasta & rice, meat & poultry, etc. --but you'll find a high percentage of the book is devoted to appetizers, soups, and salads. This book is about entertaining, after all, when you do more than make a one-dish meal for the family. Most recipes serve 6-8.Some of the recipes are very simple -- a bruschetta tart, or a super-quick minestrone -- while others are definitely complex. It's a good balance. I have my eye on a roasted artichoke pesto, and his roasted tomato soup with sunny-side-up crouton, both of which are likely to appear at my next dinner party.Which is not to say that the entrees are anything to sneeze at. He has a "cheap and tasty pork and orange stew" that I'll make for just the two of us. His cioppino has a long list of ingredients but the book assures me it's worthwhile ("I know this recipe looks like a killer," Chiarello writes, "but it's really quite simple and the entire thing can be made 4 hours in advance.") His desserts are good, with an emphasis on simplicity (raspberry gratin, for instance), but I expect you'll have a dedicated cookbook for that part of the meal.There are a few menu suggestions, but not as many as I'd like. Nearly every recipe has a wine suggestion, though.The writing is friendly, the instructions are clear, and the pictures are gorgeous. This one is a winner. Get it!...
This review is from: At Home with Michael Chiarello: Easy Entertaining [Hardcover]Am an admitted Chiarello fan but also a serious, experienced cook. Found this new book to be as good as his last one. Love the pantry recipes - having these extras onhand make the ordinary extraordinary just like he promised. Best section is the side dishes. If you are looking for new dishes for your vegetables, this is a great source. Most are good enough to stand on their own and do in this carnivore's home frequently. If you like things just a little different - buy this book. The recipes are clear, the writing entertaining and your friends & family will be impressed!...
This review is from: At Home with Michael Chiarello: Easy Entertaining [Hardcover]To be honest I don't watch many of Michael's shows but the book is beautiful and perfect for those who are constantly on the lookout for entertaining recipes and ideas.I like how the book is organized: Michael gives you detailed instructions on preparing for a party: all the way from what to do one and two days before to the hour before. This will be help...
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