Alfred Portale's Twelve Seasons Cookbook: Summary and book reviews of Alfred Portale's Twelve Seasons Cookbook by Alfred Portale, plus links to an excerpt from Alfred Portale's Twelve Seasons Cookbook and a biography of Alfred Portale.
Alfred Portale's Twelve Seasons Cookbook A Month-by-Month Guide to the Best There is to Eat
by Alfred Portale, Andrew Friedman
Hardcover: Oct 2000,
400 pages.
"When it comes to cooking, there are twelve seasons," says Alfred Portale, the world-renowned chef of the Gotham Bar and Grill restaurant. To him, each month is a season unto itself--not just because crucial ingredients peak at different points during the traditional four seasons, but also because each month carries with it a unique set of emotions and associations.
Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook takes the home cook on a deeply personal journey through the year in food. Many chapters are ingredient-driven, such as May, which Portale dubs "The Big Bang of the Culinary Year," because of the proliferation of vegetables such as fava beans, asparagus, and morel mushrooms. August, entitled "Seize the Day," presents recipes that lend themselves to late-summer entertaining. "November--Giving Thanks" is devoted entirely to Portale's interpretations of Thanksgiving standards while "December--Celebrations" shares elegant holiday dishes as well as a selection of canapés and food to give as gifts. Portale also offers his unique approach to months like September in which he responds to the post-Labor Day return to work and school with "Recipes for Busy Times."
As in his award-winning Alfred Portale's Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook, Portale provides instructions for planning ahead and for how to vary or expand recipes to accommodate ingredient availability and seasonality. He also includes essays on favorite foods and techniques, tips on preserving, advice on what to drink, and suggestions for thematic menus. Brought to breathtaking life with more than one hundred full-color photographs, Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook captures the glory and possibility of every month of the year.
Daniel Boulud, chef/owner of Restaurant Daniel and Café Boulud
Market-driven month after month, Alfred's cuisine is refreshing and inspired. His personal comments and tips at the beginning of each recipe make this cookbook a real must for the motivated home chef.
Alice Waters, Chez Panisse
Careful observation of the edible landscape informs the cooking in this book and makes the dishes come alive.
Thomas Keller, The French Laundry
Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook is a perfect illustration of the inspirations that have made him one of America's great chefs. Combining the best seasonal ingredients with experiences that make each month unique, Alfred gives readers a wide range of exciting new dishes to create their own special memories.
Ferdinand E. Metz, C.M.C. president, The Culinary Institute of America
Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook is more than a collection of recipes. It is a tribute to the impeccably fresh, vibrant ingredients and classic balance of clear, intense flavors that are at the heart of Chef Portale's very personal and accessible cuisine.
Stylish, convincing, wise, funny - and just in time: the ultimate non-diet book, which could radically change the way you think and live.
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Daniel Boulud, chef/owner of Restaurant Daniel and Café Boulud
