Customer Reviews

New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants

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I haven't always been impressed with Molly O'Neill's food column in the New York Times magazine: while it's always interesting, the food is frequently complicated and relies heavily on expensive, obscure ingredients. This book came as a pleasant surprise, therefore. This is one of those rare cookbooks that is both a joy to read and a genuine source of recipes. I'm a pretty novice cook, and everything I've cooked from this book has been a success. This is also one of the few all-purpose cookbooks I've encountered that's genuinely international. And Katherine Hepburn supplied O'Neill with the best brownie recipe I've ever encountered. I keep this cookbook on my kitchen counter, and I've given a copy to my mother. I can't think of higher praise than that.

For years, Molly O'Neill wrote the food page of the New York Times Magazine, and this book is essentially her collected wisdom, a valuable addition indeed to any culinary shelf.

The cookbook looks and feels like it should be a more modern version of an American staple-food cookbook such as The Joy Of Cooking. It isn't glossy or elaborately photographed, but once you open it up, you realize you're in a different league of cuisine. Thanks to New York's immigrant traditions it doesn't focus on any particular national cuisine - instead giving recipes for the food you find in the City; everything from latkes to jerk chicken to asian-influenced noodle dishes. Every recipe I've tried has worked marvelously, and few of them are terribly difficult. The recipes are broken down by course/type of food (e.g. pasta) rather than region of origin.

She's included little anecdotes about food, life in New York, and the lives of some of the chefs whose recipes she's included in the book. Unlike many, this cookbook is actually amusing to read.

On a side note, the cookbook had a cameo in the recent movie "Proof of Life."

Cooks Magazine recommended this cookbook as being very authentic. I bought it because of their review. They were absolutely right. The recipes are original/authentic New York complete with history and original photos. It's a great read even if you never make any of the recipes.
I highly recommend this book.

New York Cookbook is a witty, chatty book capturing the essense of New York City through it's unique food culture. There are over 400 delicious recipes from eateries famous, and not so well-known; plus mini-shopping guides to various New York neighborhoods such as Bay Ridge, Chinatown, Flushing, Greenpoint, Arthur Avenue, Hell's Kitchen, and Jackson Heights. Note, the book was published in 1992, and some of the shops mentioned in the book have either moved, or have gone out of business. nevertheles, this book is a great resource. rkchin. http://www.nychinatown.org

This book not only has recipes. It also has stories. Stories about the background of the recipes. Stories about the people behind the recipes. It is fun to read about the background of some of the areas I lived near or visited when I lived in Brooklyn as a child. This was one of my first cookbooks. Now that I have well over 50 cookbooks, this one still remains one of my favorites.

My wife and I have numerous cookbooks and we often are forced to season everything "to taste". When cooking from this book the food comes out with flavor. Along with flavor the book also provides recipes that other cookbooks would not advertise because they are too intense. One such recipe is a cake that requires 4 blocks of chocolate and 16 eggs. This recipe would not rank high on the health rating scale but is delicious. My recomendation is if you think the recipes from Better Homes & Gardens are "sinful" or "spicy" stay away from the New York Cookbook but you are looking for something more....enjoy.

I have cooked many of the recipes in this book, and they all turned out great! It's the cookbook I look at first when I want to cook something interesting. You have got to try the Tuna Rockefeller -- superb!

Molly O'Neill's New York Cookbook is a celebration of the New York Food world. She is the food columnist for The New York Times Magazine and spent five years working on this amazing book. The first recipe I tried was "Katie's Café au Lait Cheesecake with a Mocha Crust." The ingredients looked delicious with cinnamon and chocolate wafers for the crust and a rum and coffee flavored filling. I made it for Easter and everyone was very impressed.

Since the author is a food columnist I knew she would be selecting winning recipes and so I felt confident enough to make the recipe for a big occasion without even trying it out at least one time for myself. I was very pleased with the results and can recommend the recipe to you for any occasion.

Whether you are interested in trying lots of new recipes or you just enjoy reading cookbooks, the New York Cookbook has so much to offer. Page after page of delicious information mingle with the even more delicious recipes. Some of the fun recipes include:

New York Penicillin - a chicken soup made by Aunt Marie Stacey. This stock/soup is then used in a variety of recipes and is very easy to make.

Irish Soda Bread - Make two loaves of bread in no time at all.

Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce - The perfect sauce for pasta made with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, oregano and a little brown sugar.

Shrimp Fried Rice
Shish Kebabs
Meat Loaf
Rosemary Chicken
Chicken Paprikas
Pan-Fried Sole
Yoko's Japanese Salad Dressing
Marrakesh Carrots

Some of the sweet treats include: "Coney Island Fudge" made with cream and semisweet chocolate, "Zoe Morsette's Oatmeal Macaroons," "Aunt Olga's Cardamom Cake," and "Katharine Hepburn's Brownies." If you love ice cream, you may want to try out the recipe for Hot Fudge Sauce and Butterscotch Sauce.

A few of the highlights in this book include:

Food Walks - Wander through food markets
A Few Essential Ingredients in Italian Cooking
Manhattan Clam Chowder
In Search of New York Steak
A Trip Down Menu Lane
Festivals

The New York Cookbook is an extremely well-researched feast that will satisfy the cerebral appetite as well as please your family and friends when you try out the delicious recipes. These recipes have been created by some of the best cooks in New York and you can use them with confidence, knowing you are making something wonderful for dinner or dessert. This cookbook was a wonderful gift from a friend who loves visiting New York and I already have plans to buy copies for friends and relatives. This is a highly collectible cookbook with recipes you will look forward to making year after year.

~The Rebecca Review

As a freelance Caterer this book is one of my all time favorites! I have given copies to many friends and family members. The black & white cookies are to die for. I have made so many of the recipes in this book and ALL of them are fantastic! Try the soups you'll love them!

First of all, this book is worth its weight in gold just for the brisket recipie alone! (try Haina's Sure-fire Brisket - its easy and super!) Not only does this book have a great variety of multi-ethnic recipies, but it has interesting sections on different aspects of New York cooking. It's a great read and has super recipies.

Also, Catherine Hepburn's brownies are fabulous and Carrot Top carrot cake will make a carrot cake lover out of anyone!