Da Silvano Cookbook: Simple Secrets from New York's Favorite Italian Restaurant [Hardcover]

Silvano Marchetto (Author), Nick Tosches (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2001

From legendary restaurateur Silvano Marchetto-owner and chef of the twenty-six-year-old institution that was one of the first restaurants to bring true Italian cooking to New York.

While a lot of high-powered restaurants serve impressive, complicated food that results in beautiful, but not very practical, cookbooks, Da Silvano's food is known for its elegant simplicity. Infused with owner and chef Silvano Marchetto's engaging personality, Da Silvano Cookbook sparkles with the pleasure that comes from making and eating fresh and delicious food. From the wonderfully simple Garlic Soup to the rich and always satisfying Osso Buco alla Milanese, the 120 recipes make this an indispensable guide to the best Italian cuisine.

Silvano has been feeding and charming celebrities and locals alike at his Manhattan restaurant for twenty-five years, from Gwyneth Paltrow to Yoko Ono, Jack Nicholson to Patti Smith. Whether it's a memory of sage leaves from his childhood in Florence or a mention of Warren Beatty's fondness for truffles, Silvano slips an anecdote into every recipe, the garnish on clear, easy-to-follow directions that combine to make this cookbook as useable as it is delightful.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Restaurant Da Silvano is a small Manhattan treasure. Opened over 25 years ago by Silvano Marcchetto, it was among the first New York dining spots to offer authentic Tuscan cooking. Locals flocked there, followed by celebrities including Jack Nicholson, Paul McCartney, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Overseen by the ebullient Marcchetto, the restaurant's cooking is now available to one and all in Da Silvano Cookbook, which presents over 120 recipes for its savory straightforward fare. This includes dishes like Linguine alla Vognole (linguine with clams), Rapini con Salsiccia (broccoli di rapa with spicy pork sausage), and Pesce Spade alla Veneziana (Venetian-style swordfish). The dishes, many of which are generally known, nonetheless have Marcchetto's special touch that results in superior eating.

The book offers recipes for all the courses of a typical Italian meal, from antipasti to dolci, and includes particularly winning meat and poultry formulas like that for chicken cooked in beer, a house specialty. Vegetables, too, receive their due, with dishes like fennel with Parmesan cheese. Among the sweets, the restaurant's famed panna cotta, a toothsomely firm version, is present, and wine suggestions are offered throughout. Illustrated with color photos, many of the "master" himself, this easy-going but astute collection provides enjoyment equal to a visit to the restaurant itself. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly

Serving customers since 1975, Da Silvano has thrived in a notoriously fickle environment far longer than many illustrious competitors, and Marchetto says he has not written a cookbook until now because he has been too busy. Reflecting the Tuscan cuisine he grew up with in Florence, the chef celebrates Italian tradition and its rewarding simplicity. Here are recipes for Spaghetti Puttanesca, Pasta e Fagioli and the classic Osso Buco alla Milanese. Marchetto also has a deft hand at creating dishes a bit out of the ordinary, including Monkfish and Melon Carpaccio and Veal Scaloppine, Silvano Style, which is cooked with sliced button mushrooms and heavy cream. Other popular recipes from this West Village establishment include Garlic Soup, with peeled cloves from eight heads of the fragrant bulb tamed by simmering two hours in two quarts of chicken broth, CrŠme Caramel lightened with lemon zest and Da Silvano's signature dessert, Panna Cotta, which acquires its firmness from being cooked in the oven, not on the stovetop. Another notable recipe from the menu is Chicken Cooked in Beer, which promises utterly succulent results. Marchetto's food is hearty and decidedly unpretentious, which makes this a welcome entry in a world of chef cookbooks, where many offerings can be a daunting stretch for home cooks. Tosches, a Da Silvano regular, delivers an ever-perfect introduction to this cookbook.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1St Edition edition (November 17, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582341176
• ISBN-13: 978-1582341170
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #611,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!, December 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Da Silvano Cookbook: Simple Secrets from New York's Favorite Italian Restaurant (Hardcover)

Simple and delicious. I only bought this cookbook two weeks ago, and have already used it half a dozen times. Fantastic. Silvano Marchetto is a true master.