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.
Clarkson Potter
April 2002
336 pages ISBN: 0609607758 Hardcover Add to Wish List
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.