Bravo ! : Recipes, Legends and Lore, A Cookbook Celebrating 120 Years of the University Musical Society, Ann Arbor (Hardcover)

~ Mary M. Matthews (Editor), Peter Matthews (Photographer), Kenneth C. Fisher (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Eclectic, exciting, and fascinating, the recipes in BRAVO! capture the true essence of food prepared by friends and enjoyed with friends in the spirit of sharing. -- Jacques Pepin

If music be the food of love, play on...and on, but let it be 'flat' free! BRAVO! illustrates perfectly that a natural affinity exists between the performing arts and culinary arts. Wonderful stories, great recipes, historic photographs...this book is a feast for all the senses. -- Graham Kerr

One of the most elegant locally produced cookbooks we've encountered, this one benefits the UMS in Ann Arbor. Though not all the recipes are original, many of them were submitted by such stellar artists as Jessye Norman (Quick Tea Cake), Isaac Stern (Hearty Borscht), Cecilia Bartoli (Cicche, a gnocchi-like dumpling) and Skitch Henderson (Spit-Roasted Pork Loin). Not incidental are the archival photographs, performance lists, anecdotes from throughout the society's 120-year life and nuggets of food history. -- HOUR Detroit Magazine, December 1999

Product Description

This musically inspired cookbook contains over 200 timely new recipes--from renowned international performers, acclaimed chefs, and accomplished regional cooks--collected to honor the University Musical Society in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The recipes are both elegant and practical, with a wide range of styles, ingredients, and flavors, providing lively choices for both family meals and festive occasions. Bravo! will entice not only gourmets, but also armchair cooks and music lovers. Contributing performers for the University Musical Society roster--Cecilia Bartoli, James Galway, Isaac Stern, Frederica von Stade, and many others--share their favorite recipes and dining experiences, as well as memories of performances and audiences. With its glimpses into 120 years of musical presentations, and its reminiscences from both sides of the footlights, this engaging book will be equally at home in your kitchen, on your coffee table, or at your bedside. Proceeds from Bravo! will help support the university Musical Society's nationally-acclaimed performances, and its innovative outreach and education programs.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 223 pages
• Publisher: Favorite Recipes Press; 1st edition (September 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967078709
• ISBN-13: 978-0967078700
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,273,721 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo! Recipes, Legends and Lore, May 29, 2000

By	Owen King (Tallahassee, FL) - See all my reviews

First, what this is not: It is not a cookbook; if you don't already know how to cook, don't even come to this party. Nor is it just a collection of good recipes such as those published by the Junior League in so many cities. What it is, instead, is a masterful job of combining almost 500 first class recipes with a fascinating history of 120 years of visits to Ann Arbor by the greats of American music. As noted by the president of the society, "There is a natural affinity between the performing arts and the culinary arts." Indeed, most of dishes in the book exemplify cooking raised to the level of art. These are not quickie recipes-- they require dedication to fine cuisine and they demand painstaking effort and patience. The range is broad, from Cordon Bleu and Classic Italian to the newer influences from the American Southwest and Southeast Asia. For the menu centerpieces, there is an abundance of hearty meat dishes plus plenty of seafood and chicken for the red meat avoiders. Bravo! creates inspiration, not only to cook but to entertain in order to share the treats. One time when I was browsing Bravo, I imagined a party menu with every dish coming from a different part of the world-- it's that kind of an eclectic collection. Another time I imagined an all-star menu: appetizer, Zubin Mehta's chicken fritters; soup, Evgeny Kissin's mushroom soup or Leontyne Price's gumbo; salad, Itzhak Perlman's bean sprout salad; fish, David Shifrin's baked salmon with a dill sauce; entree, Skitch Henderson's spit-roasted pork loin; sides, Bill T. Jones' sage flavored pasta, Marilyn Horne's thyme flavored onions and Ida Kavafian's Armenian eggplant with yogurt, and for dessert, Richard Staltzman' s Linzertorte. In addition to the musical history, each chapter opening has a section called, "What was cooking?" These columns contain tidbits of what was new in American at various times during the years chronicled. Anecdotes sprinkled throughout are remembrances by society members. Two of my favorites are about Pavarotti and Perlman. "Luciano Pavarotti's 1974 recital in Ann Arbor was only the second of his career. At lunch [with the society's artistic administrator] he ordered two steak dinners and devoured both as she made notes on changes in his program for the evening. Looking up from her notes, she caught him stealing ice cream from her dessert plate. Playing to his undeniable charm, she extracted repayment by asking him to sing a favorite aria. He sang it right there, sotto voce." "Someone in the audience sneezed loudly just as Itzhak Perlman was about to play the very first note of his solo recital. 'Without missing a beat,' [the box office manager] recalls, 'Mr. Perlman responded "Gesundheit!" Once order was restored, he went on to give a magnificent performance.'" And, just as fine food is perfected by great presentation, Bravo! is presented magnificently. It's a coffee table book that's beautifully designed, elegantly bound and graced with breathtaking cover and chapter heading photos by Robert Foran. It's tenure on the coffee table could be limited, though-- it's destined to become somewhat worn and spotted during its trips to the kitchen.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo for Bravo!, January 12, 2000

By	Treetown reader (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews

Truly a unique and delightful cookbook. It not only contains delicious recipes from major musical artists and other notable cooks, but also other unique items of interest. Spanning the 130 year history of the University Musical Society, this book contains copies of programs of some of the special concerts - including the first concert - as well as popular foods of the era. However, the parts I enjoyed the most were the anecdotes on the concerts and the famous artists themselves when they performed for the University Musical Society. This is a book not only for cooks and food lovers, but for those who love music and history as well. It is a beautifully designed and presented book - good enough to cook from, but beautiful enough to leave on your coffee table!