Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38968 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-30
• Released on: 2002-04-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Amazon.com
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

From Publishers Weekly
This book reads not only as a guide to modernized Italian cooking, but also as a very successful advertisement for its phenomenally successful namesake New York City restaurant. While it offers recipes for signature dishes such as Mint Love Letters with Spicy Lamb Sausage and Beef Cheek Ravioli, it also includes descriptions of some of the workings of the restaurant, such as a brief essay on the difference between side dishes offered in traditional restaurants in Italy and the side dishes offered at Babbo. The recipes are excellent clearly written and easy to follow and carefully edited for the home cook but some of the ingredients and equipment called for will be difficult for laypeople to acquire, and many recipes are quite complex. Planked King Salmon with Cucumbers and Balsamic Vinegar calls for an 8-by-12-inch cedar plank; Bollito Misto requires calf's tongue, a capon and cotechino sausage. And Marinated Fresh Anchovies with "Giardiniera" and Lobster Oil requires boning fresh anchovies but fails to provide instructions. Still, the mixtures of flavors in dishes such as Whole Roasted Branzino with Braised Fennel and Lemon Oregano Jam and Joe's Veal Chop with Chanterelles, Roasted Garlic, and Campari are irresistible. Desserts follow the same traditional-Italian-with-a-twist formula just as successfully: Olive Oil and Fresh Rosemary Cake is a refreshing version of an Italian "keeping cake," and Pumpkin Cake with Toasted Pine Nuts and Olive Oil Gelato combines traditional flavors in surprising ways. (Apr.)Forecast: This book is as classy and culinarily tempting as the restaurant it represents. Sales should be brisk, especially since getting a reservation is next to impossible.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Batali is the co-owner of three New York City restaurants and host of two popular Food Network television series. His first book, Mario Batali Simple Food, presented many of the dishes from his original restaurant, P¢. Babbo, which he opened in 1998 to great success, is known for its emphasis on organ meats and other specialty cuts, and included here are recipes for Batali's famous Beef Cheek Ravioli, Salted Jellyfish Salad with Golden Tomatoes, and the like. But there are also many recipes for such mouthwatering if less "exotic" dishes as Mint Love Letters (i.e., herbed pasta squares) with Spicy Lamb Sausage and Black Bass in a Lemon Brodetto. Most of the recipes are shown in stunning close-ups, and Batali's "front of the house" partner, Joe Bastianich, provides commentary on serving wine and related topics. Batali's TV series will ensure demand beyond the restaurant's fans; for most collections.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

A maybe
I had great hopes for Babbo after watching Batali on the food channel. I give it the Simon Cowell 'it is just ok'. The book has some interesting tidbits preceding each recipe, making you want to read on. But there never was that 'aha' moment. The veal and pork ragu was, again, just ok and the pumpkin orzo was inedible, way to sweet from the honey.
I really wanted to like this book, so I combed over the recipes again a couple of times and gave up. I think his earlier book 'Mario Batali' is a better choice.

Lives Up To Expectations
Unable to obtain a reservation at the restaurant, I settled for the next best thing - Mario Batali's cookbook. I have not been disappointed. In fact, I am even more determined to experience the cuisine firsthand! Just reading the recipes provides vicarious enjoyment. The Pork Chop Milanese is delicious, but the Barbecued Skirt Steak is incredible. The accompanying recipe for Salsa Verde is worth the price of the cookbook. The recipes are easy to follow and prepare, and the ingredients seem, for the most part, easy to locate. (Sources are given for the more exotic ones.) These are creative and innovative recipes made accessible to the home cook.

One of my Favorites!
I love this book! Since it arrived (about a month ago) I have made 3 dishes, which really means I have made about 6. Most of the dishes in this cookbook require several other recipes which are also found in the book. For instance, the classic Osso Buco requires you to make a basic tomato sauce as well as a brown chicken stock. Could you go out and buy a good tomato sauce and chicken stock? Yes, but then your finished product wouldn't be the same.

Another aspect that I love about all Batali books are the stories. There are little introductions to each section and recipe as well as general guide lines to service.

If you have eaten at Babbo or any of Batali's restauraunts and are looking to recreate that experience at home, you should really own this book. It doesn't come with the ambience or the service, but you will get all the recipes! Even the weird ones (to Americans at least) like Warm Testa and Warm Tripe. I encourage you to make those as well as they are truly delicious! Enjoy!