Product Description

Union Square Cafe serves some of the most imaginative, interesting, and tasty food in America. The restaurant and its owners, Danny Meyer and chef Michael Romano, have been lauded for their outstanding food and superb service by "Gourmet, Food & Wine," the "New York Times," and the James Beard Foundation. Now its devoted fans from down the block and across the globe can savor the restaurant's marvelous dishes, trademark hospitality, and warm decor at home. Offered are recipes for 160 of Union Square Cafe's classic dishes, from appetizers, soups, and sandwiches to main courses, vegetables, and desserts. Hot Garlic Potato Chips, Porcini Gnocchi with Prosciutto and Parmigiano Cream, Grilled Marinated Fillet Mignon of Tuna, Herb-Roasted Chicken, Eggplant Mashed Potatoes, and Baked Banana Tart with Caramel and Macadamia Nuts are some of the all-time favorites included in this long-awaited collection. Union Square's recipes are easily mastered by home cooks. They call for ingredients that are widely available (mail-order sources are listed for those few that are not), employ familiar techniques, and take a reasonable amount of time to complete. Amateurs and pros alike will find the dishes here as accessible as they are irresistible. Beyond just providing recipes, "The Union Square Cafe Cookbook" inspires confidence in home cooks by sharing Michael Romano's tips for success. Readers learn that soaking baby onions in warm water makes them easier to peel (in the recipe for Sweet Peas with Escarole, Onions, and Mint); that the Corn and Tomatillo Salsa served with Polenta-Crusted Sea Bass also goes well with barbecued chicken or pork; that leftover Sauteed Spinach with Garlicmakes a great sandwich filling; and that yesterday's sourdough bread should be kept for such soups and salads as Ribollita and Sourdough Panzanella. Danny Meyer's wine suggestions, inspired by the restaurant's remarkable cellar, accompany almost every recipe. "The Union Square Cafe Cookbook" does the rare job of capturing the bustling energy and ebullient enthusiasm of the restaurant itself and the spirited personalities--those of Danny and Michael--that drive it. Folks will still go out of their way to eat at Union Square Cafe, but this cookbook--filled with the restaurant's vitality, warm artwork, and tempting recipes--ensures that its pleasures are as close as your bookshelf.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #295049 in Books
• Published on: 1994-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Review
The perennially popular Union Square Cafe's trademark is its use of the freshest ingredients and high style combined with warm hospitality, and this book relies on the same principles. Owner Meyer and chef Romano successfully translate recipes from restaurant to home scale, although the use of mise-en-place - listing ingredients in the form in which they will be used - is off-putting (i.e., readers may find themselves in the supermarket trying to puzzle out how many peppers equal "1 cup sliced bell pepper"). Still, all of those recipes tested, from creamless mushroom soup to sweet and spicy bar nuts, were tasty and inventive. Meyer and Romano have generously included most of their signature dishes, including fabulous fried calamari with an unusual graham cracker crumb crust and their most popular dessert, baked banana tart. There are some simple dishes here, but more are multitiered, full-day projects, like the lasagne layered with goat cheese and vegetables that are baked separately beforehand; detailed instructions are broken down into manageable steps. Introductory information is sensible and helpful, and the advice for pairing wines with food has to be some of the least pretentious - yet still educational - oenological writing ever. When Meyer admits that opening night was less than spectacular, he clinches the title of humblest restaurateur around. Destined to become a foodie bible, and with good reason. (Kirkus Reviews)

Customer Reviews

Superb flavors, excellent results --- good variety
While nothing can match dining at the restaurant, the recipes feature some of the best of USC's repetoire and, they are easy to follow (or even improvise from!). These are items you will fix for guests or yourself and also on holidays

Extraordinary recipes! A must for cookbook lovers.
The Union Square Cafe Cookbook