Customer Reviews

American Brasserie

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I have so many of Rick Tramonto and Gail Gand's wonderful books, that I can't keep track of them any more. For some reason, until recently, I totally missed this one, and it has quickly become one of my favorite cookbooks. I checked this book out of the library so many times that I finally decided to buy it! The book has very few pictures, a defect in my view, but the recipes more than make up for it.

First, the recipes are accessible. By that I mean that a home cook can produce outstanding results by following the instructions and looking for quality ingredients. Because this book (1) is based on dishes served at Brasserie T, an acclaimed restaurant, and (2) is written by two top chefs, you will be looking for things like balsamic vinegar, kalamata olives, clams, veal, lamb, fennel, polenta, etc. In one recipe, rabbit. Now, if you live in or near a major metropolitan area or well-stocked markets, that's not a problem. If you don't, you may have to improvise a lot, or make the effort to get the proper ingredients. The recipes are not hard, but many, not all, of them call for a lot of ingredients, and if you get them, you will be thrilled at the results of your cooking efforts.

Second, the savory recipes are so good that I have yet to make any of the desserts, and that's saying something since I love to bake. The book is divided into the following chapters:

Salads and Appetizers

Soups and Chowders

Pizzas

Breads and Sandwiches

Pasta, Risotti, and Grains

Main Courses

Weekend Cooking

Side Dishes

Cheese Plates

Desserts

Cookies

Ice Cream and Cool Drinks

Brasserie Basics

No molecular gastronomy here, just rustic food from Italy, France, and America. The Italian Lentil Soup with Smoked Bacon and Spinach is delicious, as are the Skirt Steak Sandwiches with Roasted Shallots and Horseradish Mayonnaise, Linguini with Manila Clams and Fresh Basil, and Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Herbed Fresh Ricotta. I have so many recipes bookmarked, that I'm going to be cooking from this book for a long while. A wonderful addition to a cooking library, and one of the best cookbooks I've come across. Outstanding.