Alfred Portale's Twelve Seasons Cookbook: A Month-by-Month Guide to the Best There is to Eat [Hardcover]

Alfred Portale (Author), Andrew Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2000

"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.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Alfred Portale is one of our foremost chefs. His cooking at Manhattan's Gotham Bar and Grill is widely acclaimed for its refined yet down-to-earth deliciousness. "When it comes to cooking," Portale says, "there are 12 seasons," a truth his 12 Seasons Cookbook explores in bountiful detail. Reflecting that each month embodies its own seasonal and psychological moment, and therefore makes its own demands in the kitchen, he presents more than 100 recipes matched to the culinary calendar. Though many of these require a cooking workout, a sufficient number are simple enough for most cooks to try when the mood strikes.

Portale characterizes the months. November means Thanksgiving and December Christmas, and for these he provides recipes like Pumpkin and Sweet Garlic Custards and Lamb Chops and Truffled Mashed Potatoes. The depths of February require a little "culinary sunshine" in the form of Lemon Risotto with Spot Prawns, among other dishes, while May is "the big bang of the culinary year," a rebirth celebrated with dishes including Grilled Soft-Shell Crabs with Asparagus, New Potatoes, and a Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette. July is "birthdays and barbecues"--Montauk Chowder salutes this height of summer--while September signals a return to school and work, demanding "recipes for busy times" such as Orichette with Chicken, Swiss Chard, and Reggiano Parmigiano. A wide range of dessert recipes, such as Coconut Panna Cotta, are also included. Throughout, Portale offers "flavor building" ideas for dressing up recipes, "thinking ahead" notes for staggering preparation, and dish variation suggestions. With 150 illustrations, thematic menus, what-to-drink advice, and a section on basics like stocks, the book presents a culinary calendar that works for year-round dining enjoyment. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly

Three years after his IACP Julia Child Award-winning Alfred Portale's Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook, the influential New York chef offers a winning, personal take on seasonal cooking from a Northeastern perspective. Mirroring his restaurant menu's monthly changes, Portale presents recipes that pay close heed to what's fresh throughout the year as well as bring together bold flavors in unexpected ways, as in Seared Foie Gras with Poached Quince, Tangerine and Pomegranate Juice. While this restaurant cuisine can intimidate - many recipes require multiple building blocks - it is not beyond the reach of enthusiastic cooks. The directions are clearly presented, even for such challenging fare as Soupe de Poisson and Trout Wrapped in Bacon with Braised Escarole, Green Lentils, Sage and Sherry Vinaigrette. In addition, many recipes are simple, yet sublimely accented, such as Grilled Chicken Marinated in Cumin, Lemon and Garlic, Cauliflower Vichyssoise and Mango Sorbet. In addition, Portale indicates which components can be prepared ahead of time. Many steps involved in Brandade with Radish, Red Onion and Olive Salad, for example, can be completed well in advance of the final baking. Then there are such uncomplicated savories as Bruschetta of Cherry Tomatoes, Fava Beans and Pecorino Toscano; and Prosciutto, Pear, Arugula and Honey Mustard Sandwich. Expectedly, luxury is celebrated lustily with frequent appearances by lobsters, caviar and truffles, and there's a cameo role of an expensive condiment in Bosc Pear Carpaccio with Microgreens, Pecorino Romano and 25-Year-Old Balsamico Tradizionale. Portale's upscale inspiration is alluring throughout.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1 edition (October 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767906063
• ISBN-13: 978-0767906067
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #632,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Portale is a FOOD GOD!, December 6, 2000

By 

Anna Richards (new york, ny) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alfred Portale's Twelve Seasons Cookbook: A Month-by-Month Guide to the Best There is to Eat (Hardcover)

Having had enormous success with Alfred Portale's previous book-"The Gotham Bar and Grill cookbook", I couldn't wait to buy this one. 12 Seasons goes into detail about ingredients that are "in season" for each of the 12 months throughtout the year. Its as if every month is a "season" - what a delightful concept!! This book brings out the artestry in food and makes you appreciate it's beauty and flavour. The recipes in this book are easy to follow and the final outcomes have all been impressive. I have been using both of Alfred Portales books as guides and educational tools in my quest to be a greater cook - and they have helped me tremdously. I have learned so much. Unlike other famous chef's cookbooks that I have purchased - Mr. Portale seems to have taken a concerted effort to "teach" his readers. He helps you to realize the beauty in cooking. That's what makes him a food god.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't be afraid - dive in and mess up every pan you own., August 8, 2001

By 

Coy A Stout II (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alfred Portale's Twelve Seasons Cookbook: A Month-by-Month Guide to the Best There is to Eat (Hardcover)

I received this book as a gift from my mom for Christmas 2000...the timeline goes something like this: Voraciously read every recipe and narrative, groaning in ecstacy at the photos for the first 2 months. Displayed on cocktail table for guests to do the same for 2 months. Finally overcame intimidation and tried the recipes in 5th month! Dinner guests, who previously ooh-ed and ahh-ed over my cooking were stunned by the new circle of culinary bliss I had acheived. The recipes may be a bit initimidating, like you could possibly find baby turnips at the local supermarket to go with seared duck and roasted peaches (a winner - I subbed cubed, peeled turnips to good effect), but are well worth the effort. Honestly, invite guests who will be so grateful for the plates you set before them that they will jump up and volunteer to help clean up the kitchen later! Every recipe is worth the challenge and the mess... and its a good excuse to add new items to your kitchen equipment collection. If you don't cook, buy this book as a gift for your most kitchen-accomplished friend and ingratiate yourself in hopes of an invitation.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Visuals and Inspiration, lacks Proper Detail, October 18, 2001

By 

Bill Iselin (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alfred Portale's Twelve Seasons Cookbook: A Month-by-Month Guide to the Best There is to Eat (Hardcover)

This is a fantastic book written by a fantastic chef. The physical quality of the book is terrific as is the layout of the pages. Especially striking are the pictures that accompany every recipe (Portale is known for creating some of the most stunning visuals in culinary, and all the recipes are captured splendidly). However, although he explains why he chooses a particular recipe for each of the "12 seasons", he does not go into any detail concerning the ingredients used. I was hoping for more of a "where and why" for the ingredients that make up each recipe. I will have to complement this book with another that details the peak seasons for ingredients that make up the recipes as well as how to select the best of them.