Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition [Hardcover]

Barbara Lynch (Author), Deborah Jones (Photographer), Joanne Smart (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Product Description
Although Barbara Lynch was born and raised in South Boston, not Tuscany, many critics believe her food rivals the best of Italy. It has been praised by Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and Gourmet, and many more.

Lynch's cuisine is all the more remarkable because it is self-taught. In a story straight out of Good Will Hunting, she grew up in the turbulent projects of "Southie", where petty crime was the only viable way to make a living. But in a home ec class in high school, she discovered her passion. Through a mix of hunger for knowledge, hard work, and raw smarts, she gradually created her own distinctive style of cooking, mining Italian and French classics for ideas and seasoning them with imagination.

The 150 recipes in Stir combine sophistication with practicality. Appetizers like baked tomatoes and cheese and crisp, buttery brioche pizzas. Dozens of the artful pastas Lynch is famous for, such as little lasagnas with chicken meatballs, and potato gnocchi with peas and mushrooms. Lobster rolls with aoli. Chicken wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with melting Italian cheese. Creamy vanilla bread pudding with caramel sauce. Accompanied by Lynch's forthright opinions and stunning four-color photographs, these dishes will create a stir on home tables.

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Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from Barbara Lynch

Dear Amazon Reader,

Growing up in public housing in a tough neighborhood in Boston, I couldn't afford culinary school. Cookbooks like Waverly Root's The Food of Italy not only taught me about new ingredients and techniques but were an escape. (They also helped me bluff my way through my first cooking job.) Now I get to do what I love best: making people happy by feeding them really delicious food.

In Stir, I share my passion and my hard-earned knowledge. And of course, I give you my recipes, which the regulars in my restaurants have been clamoring for over the years. Some are almost embarrassingly easy, like Gorgonzola Fondue, Baked Cheese and Tomatoes, and Slow-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Thyme. Others are a little more involved but oh-so-worth-it, like Chicken and Vegetable Soup with Caraway Gnocchi. There's plenty of weekday cooking, including Green Bean and Seared Shrimp Salad with Spicy Curry Sauce, which I eat all the time, and Lemony Breaded Chicken Cutlets, which my daughter Marchesa loves.

Then there are my pastas, which are my very favorite things, such as Chicken Meatball Lasagnettes (a favorite of Julia Child's) and sauces that pair well with both fresh and dried pasta, such as my signature Bolognese (I share my secret ingredient).

All of my recipes are written with the home cook in mind and so are full of the details that make a difference. I hope Stir will inspire you.

Enjoy!

Barbara Lynch

(Photo © Justin Ide)

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Recipe Excerpts from Stir

Roasted Fennel and Green Beans

Butcher Shop Bolognese

Creamy Vanilla Bread Pudding

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. James Beard Award-winning Lynch, chef-owner of Boston's famed No. 9 Park and several other notable restaurants, delivers her much-anticipated first cookbook. An unlikely cook raised in the projects of South Boston, where she subsisted solely on processed foods, Lynch was introduced to cooking by her high school home economics teacher and was smitten. Since then, she's mastered her art, and the results are evident in this gorgeous, mouth-watering book, which includes her restaurants' signature dishes, such as prune-stuffed gnocchi with foie gras sauce and Butcher Shop Bolognese. She offers an ample selection of starters including quick chicken liver pâté, gorgonzola fondue, and brioche pizza dough. She also includes hearty and satisfying soups and salads, a substantial section on pasta, side dishes and desserts. Lynch's fish offerings are plentiful, including pan-fried cod with chorizo and clam ragout, and scallop and pureed celery root gratinée. Poultry dishes range from lemony breaded chicken cutlets to spice-rubbed roast goose. Lynch provides helpful tips throughout on everything from celery leaves to segmenting citrus. Lynch will delight fans who have been waiting patiently for this delectable collection.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; None edition (November 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618576819
• ISBN-13: 978-0618576814
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Cooking by Ingredient > Pasta

More About the Author

Barbara Lynch is the James Beard Award-winning chef-owner of Barbara Lynch Gruppo, which includes seven restaurants and food businesses in Boston: No. Nine Park, B & G Oyster, The Butcher Shop, Sportello, Plum, Drink, and Stir.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stir, a welcome addition to my collection, November 27, 2009

By 

George G. Gall "beantown teacher" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition (Hardcover)

I am lucky enough to live two blocks from Barbara Lynch's B&G Oyster, Butcher Shop and her test/demonstration kitchen Stir. I often pop into the Butcher Shop for some of their amazing house made sausages or a pint of their fantastic bolognese sauce, so when I heard that Barbara was writing a cookbook I was excited. Honestly, I was excited but concerned that this might be another restaurant chef sharing overly complicated recipes that don't fit into my busy lifestyle. Opening this beautifully photographed cookbook, I was instantly pleased to see that this was a cookbook for all home cooks.

Filled with mouthwatering recipes that are easy to follow, "Stir" turns intimidating foods, such as homemade gnocchi, into approachable, show stopping meals that can be made by just about anyone. One of the most fantastic aspects of this well written book, are the notes Chef Lynch shares regarding preparing the dishes ahead of time. Let's face it, when hosting a dinner party, there is nothing worse than having to slave in the kitchen while the guest are enjoying the cocktails and appetizers that have been prepared. Lynch offers tips on which recipes can be made ahead of time, and how to reheat the dishes so they may be perfectly served.

With wit and a no-nonsense "Southie" undertone, this cook book is destined to be a classic for cooks at any level. The Italian, meets French meets Boston cuisine offers everything from comfort foods to Barbara Lynch's signature Prune Stuffed Gnocchi with foie gras (btw... don't knock it until you've tried it!)

I'm thrilled to have added this cookbook to my collection and look forward to making even more recipes from it. Oh, and I might not need to stop by the Butcher Shop as often, since I now have the recipe for the Bolognese!

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Barbara Lynch's accessible and collector's style cookbook!, October 14, 2009

By 

Elena K (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition (Hardcover)

We live in Boston and frequent BL's restaurants- this brilliant cookbook includes some of her fabulous accessible recipes that she serves so we can try them at home i.e. bolognese sauce (to die for), poulet en pain, roasted winter squash with maple syrup and sage cream (perfect for Thanksgiving). Besides loving the layout and gorgeous photos, the tidbits and infectious tone from Barbara herself make this both gourmand and down-to-earth reading. I can't wait to curl up in front of a fire and peruse... the most difficult choice will be which recipe to try first!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An impressive and fun cookbook, November 11, 2009

By 

Michael A. Duvernois (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition (Hardcover)

The Gorgonzola Fundue was the first thing I made out of the cookbook, though Barbara Lynch's legendary bolognese is coming up soon. The photography in the book is especially good and is what initially caught my eye in the bookstore. But the recipes are well setup for the home kitchen. So many great restaurant cooks and their cookbooks have a difficult transition to the smaller quantities, the lower heats, and the impracticality of whole day cooking in the home kitchen. Aside from the photos and the recipes, the story of cooking as an escape from the projects and poverty via self-taught cooking is an inspiration. Quite a book!