Welcome to Michael's: Great Food, Great People, Great Party! [Hardcover]

Michael McCarty (Author), Liz Smith (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2007

Michael McCarty has played a major role in defining a uniquely modern American attitude to cooking, dining, and entertaining since 1979, when he opened his first acclaimed Michael"s restaurant in Santa Monica, California. McCarty"s approach, now enjoyed on both coasts with the opening of Michael's New York in 1989, has always been refreshingly simple: start with the best ingredients, cook them in simple ways that highlight their natural qualities, pair them with great wines, and serve them in a relaxed yet stylish setting. The result, in Michael's own words, should be a "great party," which this book makes possible for any home cook. Adding to the lively spirit of Welcome to Michael's are the voices of dozens of luminaries from the worlds of entertainment, the arts, the media, business, politics, and cooking who share their own insightful, sometimes irreverent opinions about the Michael's experience. The result is a book to be savored on many levels: as a guide to cooking for yourself, your family, and your friends and to entertaining with style; as a primer on the rewarding relationship between food and wine; and as an experience that comes as close as words and pictures possibly can to enjoying a meal at one of Michael's restaurants, surrounded by the luminous personalities who dine there.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chef/owner McCarty (Michael's Cookbook) has served celebrities, media executives and foodies at his self-named Santa Monica and New York City restaurants for more than 25 years. In this attractive, chatty volume, he proudly presents a distinctly bicoastal collection of 85 of his favorite dishes. Employing quality ingredients, McCarty uses relies on simple preparation and last-minute garnishing with fresh herbs. Classic examples of California cuisine include a simple goat cheese and beet salad artfully dressed in a white wine-Dijon vinaigrette and a dash of fresh chives, and dungeness crab served with a Meyer lemon butter. His east coast roots shine through in dishes like Baked Clams Casino and Soft Shell Steamers, as well as a trio of dishes featuring ramps sautéed with peas and morels, fiddlehead ferns and spring onions, and a assorted spring vegetables. Enthusiastic and patient, McCarty frequently takes time to extrapolate on topics such as charcuterie, lobster and mushrooms; his passage on choosing and opening oysters will prove a Godsend for frustrated fans of the bivalves. Liberally peppered accolades from famous friends and customers, on the other hand, prove little more than distracting. Those looking for a handy and accessible guide to creating elegant seasonal dishes will find a lot to like. Full-color photos throughout.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Michael is irrepressible. He's always on. He's just this unfailing source of good cheer." -- Corby Kummer, Senior Editor, The Atlantic Monthly

"Michael shows you that entertaining at home is about not being conventional, not being stuck with clichés, boxes, do's and don'ts." -- Rémi Krug, President, Krug Champagne

"Michael's got a giant, happy personality, and I think it shows in his food." -- Donnie Madia, Co-owner, Blackbird, Chicago

"Michael's message to people is: Hey, you're welcome here. Come in and let's have a good time." -- Helen Gurley Brown, Author and Legendary Editor in Chief, Cosmopolitan

"With Michael, everything is always an adventure. You always feel that Michael is having as much fun as you are." -- D. Crosby Ross, Former Executive Director, American Institute of Wine & Food

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031611815X
• ISBN-13: 978-0316118156
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 1.2 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #825,281 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eat, drink and be merry, October 16, 2007

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Welcome to Michael's: Great Food, Great People, Great Party! (Hardcover)

I don't like to cook. At least in the past I didn't like to cook. But as I've gotten older and haven't had to cook for children anymore and with the advent of Top Chef, the television program that I love, I'm actually becoming curious about learning. So far all I do is study cookbooks and occasionally take a heartfelt stab at trying a recipe or two. It's a start.

Welcome to Michael's is an interesting cookbook because it's not just filled with scrumptious recipes, Michael also talks about the ingredients-the actual food that makes a dish great, rather than so-so. I found I had a new understanding about ingredients, their smell, freshness, color, crispness and the like. It makes a difference.

Michael's instructions were easy-to-follow and the photographs were not only beautiful, but contribute to helping the preparer `do it right.' Not all of the ingredients were those generally found in a kitchen (at least mine) but the end result (taste and appearance) make that extra trip to the market worthwhile.

My favorite recipes are: Jumbo Asparagus with a Seven-Minute Egg and Black Truffles. Oh, the black truffles! The Deep-Fried Soft-Shell Crabs with Ponzu Sauce and Asian Slaw (I didn't make but my mouth is watering) is a must make. The Grilled Copper River Sockeye Salmon with Fava Bean, White Corn, and Wild Mushroom Succotash is going to become my signature dish, I just know it. Now the Roast Chicken with Herb Butter is mouth-watering good. Everyone at the table loved it. A dessert to die for is the Flourless Chocolate Cake and the Cinnamon Rolls will be my downfall. Tomorrow morning I'm treating myself to Michael's Eggs Benedict, and I know I will be in heaven. Bring on that Hollandaise Sauce!

Welcome to Michael's just might help me with an attitude adjustment about cooking. I've already tried several of the recipes and have marked more for further attention.

Armchair Interviews says: Welcome to Michael's is a cookbook for everyone!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is amazing!, October 20, 2011

By 

v.online - See all my reviews

This review is from: Welcome to Michael's: Great Food, Great People, Great Party! (Hardcover)

The best thing about this book is that it opens your mind and gets you out of rut. I am a depressingly constant amateur and yet still found many of these recipes as simple as they were unique. The grilled marinated quail was a huge hit for a nice family dinner. And it seemed as though I had spent a day cooking and a lifetime in culinary school by the results. It took less than an hour to make the quail with side dishes. There aren't any time estimates with the recipes so you either have to be good at estimating or have all day. Recipes come with "tips" and recommendations on accompaniments, a lifesaver for the newly culinary. I now know how to open raw oysters! Some of the ingredients are a little hard to find: pan seared squab with huckleberries, onion confit and wild rice. I'm not going to lie- I didn't know what squab is nor where to find huckleberries. But it sounds delicious right? That being said, most of the recipes are "down to earth elegance". I highly recommend this book if you are like me and want to be a unique cook for an appreciative family, but don't have the time to go to chief school. Or google 'squab'.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good bread, good meat, good God! Let's EAT!, January 17, 2008

By 

Kelsey A. Schnell (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to Michael's: Great Food, Great People, Great Party! (Hardcover)

Michael's book oozes with his tenacity for food. What makes each menu item taste even better are the accompanying anecdotes describing the nature and origin of the dish.

I purchased it for my mother for Christmas, and she has called or e-mailed me frequently to share a Michael insight or memory, as she has followed his career with enthusiasm and even attended a workshop of his at Michigan State University.

While this book is not your standard measurements and prepartions cook book, what you get out of it is more than dinner. You get inspiration, and the smiling face of Michael McCarty.

Cheers,

Kelsey