Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.

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.

Paley's Place cookbook is what an ideal cookbook should be. It is not just a mere collection of recipes arranged by categories, but a book that presents a man's life passion. The author Vitaly Paley,who is also a chef of his famous restaurant The Paley's Place in Portland, Oregon, offers us an impressive array of trusted recipes that have proved to be succesful. But what I like most about this book is that Vitaly has succeeded in creating a larger picture and has set down his philosophy about the wholesome creation and enjoyment of food; that is, going back to our roots, using foods that are grown locally and organically, within their proper season, and respecting our farmers and winemakers. I found it telling that a recipe is named after one of his farmers George.
This book is compassionately written, beautifully illustrated and tastefully arranged. It is by far the best book in my large collection of cookbooks.

From the moment you pick up The Paley's Place Cookbook, you'll feel transported to Oregon, home of French-trained Chef Vitaly Paley and his wife Kimberly. The essays and recipes in their cookbook are full of life and flavor. One of my favorites is a heartwarming essay called "Why French Fries are American" followed by an easy and tasty recipe for american french fries and mustard aioli. Other recipes to try include the "Curried Butternut Squash and Pear Bisque" and the "Roast Beef Culotte Harvest Vegetables and Oxtail Broth." Both dishes received enthusiastic requests for seconds from my family whom all possess discerning palettes.

Beautiful illustrations and straightforward delicious recipes make The Paley's Place Cookbook an important addition to any culinary collection.

This book is great.
It has a wonderful collection of original and classical recipes.
There are many I did not think I could do in my kitchen, but they came out amazingly well. Instructions are easy to follow.
Some of my favorite dishes are Braised Red Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts with Cream and Bacon, Dungeness Crab and Corn Risotto e.t.c.
I also like the list of suppliers of those high quality ingredients with their phones and e-mail addresses.
The stories in the book are interesting and the photos are beautiful and useful for presentations.

Visually, this is a lovely book. When I read it, it makes me want to run to my kitchen to cook. However, the recipes are not that interesting to me. I thought there would be recipes that would be involve delicious ingredients and be unusual. They ARE unusual, but use ingredients that I am not interested in at all, such as buckwheat crepes with turnips, pork sausage with cinnamon, guinea fowl (where in the world do you get a guinea fowl?) with fennel root, roast rabbit, braised elk shoulder, veal and lamb sweetbreads, lamb necks, beef culotte, halibut cheeks (had these in Canada and they are awful), and the list goes on.
Please don't misunderstand. I am always on the look-out for a new and innovative recipe, but personally, I don't care for the ingredients that I listed above and some are completely unattainable by me, like the elk or guinea fowl, for example. It is a lovely cook book and I may end up making some of the potato recipes, but it is more likely that this cook book will end up as a nice decorative item on my bookshelf, and nothing more.

This is an excellent cook book for fanciful and delicious recipes that melt in your mouth. The only warning I would provide to purchasing customers is that many of the recipes require rare veggies and mushrooms or seafoods that are easily accessible on the coast, but not inland. If you can internet order or substitute other meats, then you will love this book.

Hearing about the wonderful Paleys Place Bistro in Portland made me want to pack my bags and take a trip across the country just to try their food. With this cookbook, I can not only try the amazing food Vitaly Paley serves at his restaurant, I can make it myself!

As an avid baker, I was very happy to see an extensive section on cakes, cookies, and even ice cream! The recipes are easy to read, and Vitaly adds his own personal touch to many recipes in the book with personal stories from his past. I have already tried out his Thumbprint Cookies recipe and am excited to try the Pecan carrot cake with Plumped cherries for Thanksgiving.

This cookbook will not only give me a chance to greatly improve my baking skills, it will help me develop my cooking skills with excitingly complex dishes and variations on Russian dishes that I grew up with.

Paley's Place Cookbook is a delight to the eye, and the recipes are a delight to the palate. I have shelves of cookbooks at home, so I am jaded, I must admit. I bought this book because I had had a fabulous meal at Paley's Place restaurant in Portland, Oregon, and was curious about what was underneath it all. I didn't expect to find recipes that I could actually follow successfully! And for the cook just starting out, the books draws you in with its information about the region, the products, and, therefore, the life in the Northwest. This is a great book to give as a gift, to learn from as a cook, and to take pleasure in as a reader.