Every month I review a cookbook that has made waves, and help you decide whether it should be on your shelf. Do you have a cookbook you would like me to review? Contact me through my Ask the Chef! Page.
October has brought us the cookbook Pasta Sfoglia. [The link takes you to the cookbook in my store] The second part of the name is enough to choke out an English speaker, so let me tell you how it is pronounced. (Svo lia)
The Good
The cookbook starts out with Ron explaining how he came to love pasta from his Great Nonna’s kitchen. I envy the experience he had with her. You can tell that she planted the seed to what drives him today. From there, Ron and his wife travelled to Italy to build the foundation of their wonderful restaurant.
The pictures are amazing in the book. For sheer porn value alone, I would buy this book. Expertly crafted, each image captures the essence of the dish it represents. That is hard to find in a cookbook these days, as the usual workings reveal the creative side of the artist as opposed to the chef.
The cookbook starts off with the base techniques you need to make fantastic pasta. (Note also, pasta can mean pasta, gnocchi, and risotto as well.)
The recipes are stunning as well. The best part is that each recipe also has a reminder inside to refer back to the base techniques. This is important, as too many cookbooks start out with techniques, only to leave them at the beginning. When a cook goes to make the recipe, she is forced to remember just where the hell the reference text is. Nice touch.
Finally, every recipe is usable. Some examples:
Pappardelle alla Bolognaise (pg. 32) – Every one and their dog has a version of Bolognaise sauce. The interesting part is that the sauce is a two-stage process that has Ron’s touch on it. (He adds lamb for additional depth.) He is also authentic with the use of cream to enhance the mouth-feel of the sauce. Money!
Ricotta Cavatelli, Mint Pesto, Toasted Pine Nuts (pg. 55) – I can taste the pesto as I read this. The sauce is 4 ingredients, which uses mint in a way that we are not used to. If you were to serve this dish in-between a lamb course, it would be spot on.
Big Nonna’s Chicken Ragu (pg. 61) – Simple and spot on. The flavors of chicken, tomatoes and spaghetti are simple and effective. I can imagine serving this dish as comfort food at home, or for the staff in my restaurant.
Spaghetti, Strawberries, Tomato, and Balsamic (pg. 68) – Yes, you read that right. Tomatoes and Strawberries! I have paired strawberries with black pepper and balsamic before as a dessert. Can you imagine this dish for a pasta course? What a bold move!
I could continue to list all the recipes in the book that impress me, but then you would find that this post would be like an index. You can tell these recipes are from his restaurant, and are favorites.
The Bad
Okay, I just had a post about scales. I do not believe it is the authors fault, but everything is in those infernal volumetric measuring devices. I just wish that there was a standard for the two systems. Trust me; a cup of 00 flour is not going to weigh the same amount as a cup of all-purpose flour.
The Ugly
There is nothing that I can say that is truly bad about this cookbook. Every single recipe is awesome, the pictures rule, the little stories in the beginning of each recipes rock.
The Verdict
You need this book on your shelf. That’s it. If you call yourself a serious or professional cook, this book must be on your shelf.
The book is all about great food through solid technique. As a professional, the recipes inside are really inspiring. I would be tempted to just copy them out and place them on my menu. (Of course, I would never do that.) The sweet potato gnocchi (pg. 13) inspired me create vegetarian dish for my banquet menu. The cookbook inspired me that much.
What do you think of the cookbook Pasta Sfoglia? [The link takes you to the cookbook in my store] Let me know by the comments, or find me through my Ask the Chef! Page.
