The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest [Hardcover]

Vitaly Paley (Author), Kimberly Paley (Author), John Valls (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008

Nestled in a converted Victorian in Portland's trendy Northwest District, Paley's Place Bistro and Bar has been serving Vitaly Paley's creative, beautifully executed cooking for over a decade. Co-owner Kimberly Paley's joyous hospitality has helped make their restaurant into a West Coast destination. Both Paleys' unquenchable ardor for local, luscious, sustainably produced food and drink means the Paley's Place dining experience just keeps gets better.
 
With characteristic generosity, Vitaly and Kimberly bring their elegant, soulful fare home in The Paley's Place Cookbook. Chapters on appetizers; soups, salads, and sandwiches; pastas and grains; fish and shellfish; meat, game, and fowl; vegetable side dishes; and desserts are complemented by extras, including a primer on putting together a knockout Oregon cheese course and a bevy of recipes for hand-crafted and seasonal cocktails. Wine pairings point the reader to well-matched styles and makers from the Pacific Northwest and France.
 
Teaching the reader to create blissfully perfectdishes from the ground up, whether simple (Grilled Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto; Tomato-Bread Soup) or showy (Duck Wellington with Mole Sauce; Vegetable-Stuffed Morels with Green Garlic Confit and Parmesan Cream), the authors emphasize the building blocks of wonderful food: great ingredients and great technique.
 
Throughout the book, the Paleys introduce us to some of the many skilled food producers who make the Pacific Northwest a culinary treasure trove, and also take us inside the chef's thought process as he creates and refines his recipes. Evocative photographs—of finished dishes, gorgeous local foodstuffs, and the people who produce the food that gives so much pleasure—round out this personal, passionate, enlightening, and utterly delicious cookbook. 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This scrumptious collection of recipes and stories from the owners of Paley's Place Bistro and Bar in Portland, Ore., offers an intriguing mélange of Eastern European Jewish, Mediterranean, mainstream American and Pacific Northwest culinary influences, from Truffled Crab Melt to Duck Wellington with Mole Sauce, designed to match a Syrah's flavors of cinnamon, clover, black pepper, cayenne, butter, chocolate, tobacco and fungus. Some recipes are almost outrageously simple, like George's Gathered Greens: mixed greens, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. But most are complex, and many, like Chicken Roulade, in which chicken legs are ground with herbs and wrapped with breasts in caulfat—the lacy lining of a pig's abdominal cavity that keeps the chicken beautifully moist, then melts away in the cooking—require elaborate preparation, which, fortunately, the authors illustrate with excellently detailed photos. The Paleys often highlight their suppliers, such as Gene Thiel, a potato farmer in his 70s, who speaks of the pleasing esters present in potatoes, explaining how they affect both taste and smell and likes to breakfast on a pan-sized steamed potato pancake with herbed scrambled eggs and vinegared bread. Recipes for pantry items such as ketchup, maraschino cherries and persillade (a mix of chopped garlic and parsley) are included, as well as imaginative suggestions for wines to complement the dishes. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"This is a cookbook that will be used until it's in tatters."
—Shelf Awareness

"With the release of The Paley's Place Cookbook, we can fall in love all over again with the Pacific Northwest."
—Portland Oregonian

"This scrumptious collection of recipes and stories from the owners of Paley'­s Place Bistro & Bar offers an intriguing mélange of Eastern European Jewish, Mediterranean, mainstream American, and Pacific Northwest culinary influences."
—Publishers Weekly

"Whenever people ask me where they should eat in Portland, the first place I recommend is Paley's. Vitaly's food is creative, spot-on, and always delicious. The Paley's Place Cookbook is the perfect complement to a great restaurant: a great book that both professional chefs and home cooks will enjoy for many years."  
—Ethan Stowell, chef/owner of Union Restaurant, Seattle
 
"Vitaly and Kimberly Paley's good nature and good cooking fill this book with gastronomic joy abounding."  
—Fergus Henderson, author of The Whole Beast
 
"The Paley's Place Cookbook is much more than a collection of wonderful recipes and wine pairings. It expresses the inventive and curious spirit of Vitaly and Kimberly Paley, whose enthusiasm for fresh seasonal ingredients and willingness to follow their instincts and palates is infectious. It makes you want to cook, eat, and drink with gusto!"  
—Daniel Johnnes, Wine Director for Daniel Boulud's Dinex Group

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580088309
• ISBN-13: 978-1580088305
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.8 x 10.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #498,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Buying a Bookshelf For, December 4, 2008

By 

S. J. Michaud (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest (Hardcover)

We bought the Paley Place Cookbook after attending a recent culinary presentation by Mr. Paley and his wife at the Astor Center in NYC, at which they hosted an evening of food preparation and wine tasting that was interesting and satisfying on many levels. The book shows off even more of the Paleys' versatility. In the book he consistently underlines a point he made at his Astor Center presentation - that in good cooking, "ingredients are the stars". In support of that premise, the Paleys take time in the book to explain the background and methods of the Oregon food and wine suppliers they have worked with over the years to ensure a steady supply of the best local ingredients for their restaurant's dishes - 2 and 3 pages each for some of the farmers, fishermen, and suppliers of mushrooms, truffles, cheeses and hazelnuts. The point they make is clear - the closer you can be to the growers of the ingredients for your planned meal, the better the meal is likely to be.

I liked the book very much as both a sensory experience (with its fine pictures of scenes from the preparation and presentation of dishes at the Paley Place restaurant) and a literary one (the book seems to match Mr. Paley's in-person persona, with a lot of information, a lack of pretence and no hype). I especially liked the sections in which Mr. Paley spoke of memories of culinary experiences with his mother and from the kitchens of his grandparents in Russia.

Another of the useful features of the book is that is has a range of recommendations to match the reader's mood to be casual or formal, simple or elaborate. The first thing we made was the aioli (following Mr.Paley's suggestion to use a mortar and pestle, patience and care). Next will be the Roman-style chopped chicken liver and creamed Brussels sprouts with bacon - and the French fries. Then we'll move to the more elaborate entries.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars E. Kerzhnerman, December 2, 2008

By 

E. Kerzhnerman (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest (Hardcover)

Although I have had the pleasure of being introduced to the authors of this extraordinary cookbook in person, after you read through the book, you will get to know them as well as I do.

The Paleys make an incredible team. They complement each other with their backgrounds and their knowledge of great food and wine.

The "Paley's Place Cookbook" is a pleasure to read. While glimpsing through the book in search of a recipe, you will find yourself reading a short story on how the recipe came about. You will learn from Vitaly as he shares personal tips and cooking techniques. You will learn to prepare dishes using seasonal ingredients and develop the curiosity to try something unusual. Satisfaction is realized from the simplicity of preparing an out of the ordinary dish.

Vitaly and his wife take you on a journey into their world in Portland, Oregon through anecdotes and magnificent illustrations. Of course, what is a great menu without a properly paired wine? Kimberly is exceptional in balancing her wine selections with Vitaly's culinary creations.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars if you love good food-it's for you, November 21, 2008

By 

L. Aroutiounian "Lilli" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest (Hardcover)

The Paleys wrote a wonderful, tasty cookbook filled with "technically accessible" recipes that are feasible to be materialized in the kitchen even in the unexperienced hands of a dilligent novice, which I am not. This is not to say, however, that I am ready to brave the Wellington Duck yet despite the pleading for the dish from my 8 year old son. I especially enjoy trying "Russian" dishes that Mr.Paley, who spent his chidhood and adolescent years in Russia, presents with his own creative twists. "Olivier" is a Russian classic, and no holiday table is complete without it... Mr. Paley adds green string beans to the old fashioned classic and it gives a new kick of flavor! Kisel, a delicious winter berry drink, is a must for anyone who, like me, avoids carbonated soft drinks. Mushroom lovers will find mouthwatering options for their favorite fungi.
The award winning haute cuisine chef, Mr. Paley, started his grown up life as a classical pianist- a metier that requires, among other skills,a precise touch, perfect sense of time and, of course, good taste. I find Mr.Paley's recipes benefiting from his Julliard sophistication:) All the dishes that I have tried so far come out nicely, as long as I follow the recipe precisely!

The book is written in a very active, upbeat voice, with just right amount of personal anecdotes and informative tips. Actually, I could use even more tips as far as my everyday cookings goes. For instance, I did not know that regular table salt kills the flavor of foods due to the additives. So, go ahead and use Kosher salt instead.

The illustrations are tempting and appetizing, and the recipes are easy to follow. Highly recommend this book. I hope one day to eat at the Paley's place restaurant in Oregon.