Customer Reviews

Bay Wolf Restaurant Cookbook

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I have several criteria when looking for a book on food - and guess what? This one has it all and then some! First, it is an excellent, user friendly cookbook. No sticky-fingered turning of pages - all recipes are complete on facing pages. And it lies flat to preserve the spine. The photos are beautiful and mouth watering. Then ... the fun part. The writer, Adele Novelli Crady, has created great sidebars and editorials about the food, eating, and enjoyment of life in general. These alone make the book worth reading! A great book - make sure to also buy one for a best friend - like the great food, it is best shared.

I am not an advanced cook, and found most, if not all, of the recipes to be manageable. And the best part is that there are numerous pictures which will help you visualize the dish (important for plating). I compared this with my chez panisse book and found that I consulted the Bay Wolf recipe book again and again. I love Alice Waters and Chez Panisse but her book is just too hard to use (not enough photographs, recipes run over onto the next page, directions not clear or allow for multiple interpretations - very scary for a novice cook). I got the Bay Wolf recipe book from my Mother in Law and I love it! It is a great find and I highly recommend it. All the ingredients can be found at your local supermarket, so even though the end product may look exotic, the recipes are not too difficult. This book is very meat-driven (pork, fish, poultry), so I wouldn't get this for the vegetarian. Over all, though, well done! One of my favorite cookbooks to date.

The book is informative as well as easy reading and, even at age 82, I am interested in trying the recipes because they look and sound so good and emphasize fresh ingredients such as the fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, quince, figs, beets and fava beans) that we grow in our own Bay Area backyard.

The Bay Wolf Restaurant Cookbook reads less like an ordinary cookbook and more like a well-written letter from a dear friend. The reader is, in essence, invited into the charming and interesting world of Michael Wild and The Bay Wolf. The photography is stunning, recipes inspired, and the cover art by Rupert Garcia is brilliant.

It is clear why the restaurant has such devoted clientele, employees, and merchants whose satisfaction is unmistakable. After reading The Bay Wolf Restaurant Cookbook I was inspired to hop the metro nearest my little Parisian apartment, buy a bottle of Californian wine from the local Wine Bar, and make a Duck Cassoulet. . .in the middle of August.

Bravo to Michael Wild, Lauren Lyle, G. Earl Darny and Adele Novelli Crady!

At last, the Bay Wolf Cookbook reflects Oakland's rich culture and diversity! Having lived in Oakland for almost a quarter of a century, I was pleased to discover the Bay Wolf Restaurant as part of the local scene. Now I am, once again, excited by the prospect of being able to try at home some of Bay Wolf's finest cuisine. The cookbook is well laid out, with writing that resembles the philosophy of the restaurant, e.g., simply and beautifully done, "with substance." I find myself bringing my copy to friends' homes and meetings, to share the treasure I have so luckily discovered.

The new Bay Wolf Restaurant Cookbook is beautifully conceived and designed, splendidly written and a pleasure to hold and read. It's by far the best new cookery book of the year ( and I've seen most of them). Buy it, read it, enjoy it.

This handsome, well-illustrated book is organized around seasonal menus and features over 100 of Michael Wild's recipes from Bay Wolf Restaurant. The book is a masterpiece of text and layout, allowing the reader-cook to lay the book flat while following the recipes, each of which is printed entirely on a single page. The photography is appetite whetting. My favorite part was the short, charming, italicized prose rapture which introduces each recipe. It is astounding that such a lush production can sell for such a small price.

Surprising though it may be for one living in Ireland, I have known of the Bay Wolf Restaurant for many years - though friends in the Berkeley / Oakland Area. I must confess, however, to never having partaken of its cuisine. I acquired the book through said friends who undoubtedly are trying to tempt me, knowing my passion for good food.

The book has a flavour all its own, metaphorically speaking. It tells the tale of the restaurant in a very personal manner that paints a picture not only of recipes, but the art and philosophy of cooking as seen through the eyes of those seeking to express it. The flavour is what? Friendly, inviting, tempting, tantalising and definitely Californian with the marketplace at its fingertips. Where else would a colege lecturer seek to express his inner creativity through cooking? Not that it mightn't be done, but such things are expected in California. The inspiration for recipes and foods might have had its grounding in Europe, but it was in California that the creative expression emerged.

As history appeals to me, I enjoyed the background of the restaurant and its owners which allowed me to imagine the atmosphere. I also like the seasonal aspect which helps in discovering what is available throughout the year. Much in Ireland is now imported, but the concept of expermentation appeals to me and makes me want to be more creative with Irish produce.

Having my own herb garden where I also grow some vegetables, I am slightly envious of the variety available in the marketplaces in California. In Ireland the only place one can consistently get duck is at the local Chinese takeaway. That does not mean to say that ingredients are not available in Ireland - it just takes rather longer to locate a source.

To deal with the somewhat complex recipes - or at least the availability of ingredients, I have organised a Bay Wolf dinner party whereby each dinner guest will select a recipe to cook and bring and thereby reduce the burden of searching for ingredients required. As I am doing the duck, I am fortunate to be only a block away from the local takeaway.

The photography and graphics were tastefully done (that pun just slipped out) and allowed a smile - almost a sign of satisfaction. The menus were an added touch, though being from Ireland, I noted those with Irish connotations. I puzzled over the one for 18th March 1984 - presumably in honour of St. Patrick's Day - though with James Joyce tones. For some reason I do not associate the two. In Ireland Jocean scholars have chosen 16th June, Bloomsday, to honour their guru. I am sure Michael Wild will understand why.

I would like to say "well done" to the group that produced it. My only real complaint is that the format is too large and awkward for comfortable bedtime reading.

This book is so sumptuously photographed that it is inspiring to cook from, to look at, and to read. The writing is clear and beautiful, and the recipes have very thoughtfully been kept to a single page making it not only a gorgeous book, but one that can actually be cooked from. It is a delight from start to finish, and it is the sort of book that not only would make a beautiful gift, but also an essential part of the kitchen.

I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated this cookbook. It's a great cookbook for weekend chef's like myself who enjoy good food and entertaining good friends. I appreciated the way the author gave background on the locale and seasons the dishes were inspired from. I now know how to make paella :)