Girl in the Kitchen: How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats and Drinks [Hardcover]

Stephanie Izard (Author), Dan Goldberg (Photographer), Heather Shouse (Collaborator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 2011

Stephanie Izard knows how to inspire, captivate, and cook up a storm. Fan favorite and the first and only woman to win on TV's Top Chef, she's also the chef and owner of the acclaimed Girl & the Goat restaurant in Chicago. The Girl in the Kitchen collects more than 100 of Izard's best recipes, from innovative appetizers like Asian-Spiced English Peas to luscious desserts like Quince and Fig Cobbler with Vanilla Mascarpone. Beautifully photographed and bursting with flavor, personality, and insights into the top chef's process including where she finds her cooking muses, how she shops for food, and which beers and wines she chooses to accompany her meals this book represents the culmination of a craft and provides inspiration that reaches far beyond the kitchen walls.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There's A Girl In The Kitchen, and you better fasten your apron and sharpen your knives, because Stephanie Izard about to take you on a incredible cooking adventure. These delicious recipes will make you the top chef of your family."
-- Art Smith

"I met Stephanie on the set of Top Chef and was very impressed by her discipline, talent as a cook, and creative passion. Following her success, in this book she demonstrates for us her true 'w IZARD ry' in the kitchen."
--Daniel Boulud

"Stephanie's book is not only one of the most visibly appealing and beautiful cookbooks I've seen in a very long time, it's also filled with awesome creative recipes that are sensible (like her). Stephanie is an amazing chef, an immense talent and a wonderful woman."
-- Michelle Bernstein

"The Girl in the Kitchen is a fresh, approachable and delicious addition to my cookbook library, written by a young, passionate chef, on the brink of a massive career! Now with this book we all are invited along for the ride."
-- Gail Simmons

About the Author

Stephanie Izard was named Top Chef in season four of the award-winning Bravo series, and is now chef/owner of Girl & the Goat in Chicago.

Heather Shouse is a Chicago-based reporter for Food & Wine and the Eat & Drink editor of Time Out Chicago.

Dan Goldberg is a Chicago-based food and lifestyle photographer. His work for Chronicle Books includes Latin Grill.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First Edition edition (October 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811874478
• ISBN-13: 978-0811874472
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 0.9 x 9.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wish it felt more familiar October 13, 2011

By jenerationx

Format:Hardcover

Stephanie Izard is a huge talent and is one of the best chefs on the scene today. I was super excited about this cookbook after eating at Girl and the Goat, where my friend and I had one of the best dining experiences of our lives.

My disappointment probably stems from my own assumptions about what the book would contain -- after all, it's true that it DOES NOT say that it contains recipes from Girl and the Goat. So this review is just to warn others who may erroneously assume, as I did, that the book would contain recipes for some of the wonderful dishes that are served at Stephanie's Chicago restaurant.

I never thought it would include the recipe for Pig Face, as braising an entire hog's head would be daunting for the average home cook, but I *was* hoping for her recipe for sauteed green beans, which are out of this world. Since I don't live in Chicago, I was looking forward to possibly being able to duplicate at home part of my wonderful experience at Girl and the Goat.

I was also rather dismayed to find that Stephanie's website contains many -- if not all -- of the recipes found in this book. While certainly I enjoy a beautiful cookbook (which it is) that I can keep on the shelf with the rest of my cookbook collection, I kind of felt that I had paid for what was essentially free content on the web. Then again, the same can be said of the Pioneer Woman's cookbook, so your mileage may vary on whether or not this is something that would bother you.

All that said, I am looking forward to trying many of the recipes found in the book; Stephanie seems to have a fantastic grasp of flavors and comes up with dishes that have almost universal palate appeal.

Edit on 10/31/2011: I had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie at a book signing recently and she conveyed two pieces of information that I found useful and might be interesting to others who are thinking of purchasing this book. First, she revealed that the recipe for her fan favorite green beans is actually "secretly" in the book! It was originally conceived as a recipe for English peas -- so if you take that recipe from this book, sub the peas for fresh green beans, then add cashews and sliced shallots, you have the G&tG green beans. :D Full disclosure though, I checked the recipe afterward and it doesn't seem 'complete.' At the restaurant, they also drizzle some sort of opaque white sauce over them, which the English peas recipe doesn't have... not sure how big a difference that makes. The second piece of info is that she IS actually working on a restaurant cookbook from G&tG, so there's also that to look forward to!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Does Anyone Proofread? May 22, 2012

By Chris Beattie

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had mixed emotions about writing a review. The recipes sound delicious and the photography is wonderful. Saying that and reminding myself that Chronicle Books is a very well-respected publishing house, it's obvious that no one bothered to look at the book in the Kindle Format. Or, they just didn't care - which is worse. The formatting is nightmarish where all the text runs together. A little formatting would have saved what is, otherwise, a lovely book.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Like the restaurant, you will love the book May 27, 2012

By Marsha Bartsch

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I received this wonderful cookbook and have since bought 2 for gifts. The recipes are like the food in the restaurant - Mostly easy, simple and always good. She has wonderful narratives which explain the reason or cause of some of her recipes and the photography of the food is gorgeous. Best, is that Izard is fearless when using different cuts of meats and/or produce. I won't use all the recipes in this book (what cookbook does one ever use all the recipes?) but there are many that are so good. Try the Bok Choy and Fennel bulb salad, the green beans, the papparadelle,...