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Noted for its exquisite seafood dishes, San Francisco's Farallon restaurant is a must-visit dining spot. Written by Mark Franz and Lisa Weiss, The Farallon Cookbook presents the cuisine of chef-owner Franz and pastry chef Emily Luchetti in a format almost as sumptuous as the restaurant itself. Color photos throughout illustrate the oversize book, which offers over 60 of Farallon's showcase dishes. If, like other restaurant cookbooks, the recipes are often laborious to prepare and require unusual ingredients, they are also presented with helpful asides that tell readers how to simplify dishes without compromise, or how to create their own improvisations. Those who enjoy the challenge of reproducing top-drawer cooking, or others wishing to explore the nuances of superior restaurant cuisine, should welcome the book.
Beginning with chapters that feature Farallon's raw specialties, salads, and other warm appetizers, the book then focuses on entrees, also largely seafood based. Among the appetizers, Maine-Diver Scallop Ceviche with Green Peppercorns, Grapefruit, and Chili Vinaigrette; George's Sake-Pickled Salmon with Wasabi Crème Fraîche and Herb Salad; and Black Mussel Bisque with Seafood Quenelles and Chive Oil will tempt any food lover. As for the entrees, Roasted Quail Stuffed with Armanac-Laced Prunes, Foie Gras, Corn Cakes, and Red Currants and Roasted Saddle of Rabbit with Fava Beans, Morels, and Crisp Spanish Ham are two outstanding (and nonseafood) specialties. With dessert recipes for the likes of Double-Chocolate Pudding Cake, tips, and a useful ingredient glossary, the book offers world-class cooking to reproduce or dream over. --Arthur Boehm
From Publishers Weekly
Franz, executive chef and co-owner of famed San Francisco restaurant Farallon, begins his eponymous cookbook with a series of confessions. He eschews recipes. His servers have nervous fits when he's cooking because he rarely sends a dish out of the kitchen looking the same way twice. His single most formative culinary experience occurred in Alaska, where as a wilderness guide in the 1970s he was required to catch his supper. So what kind of cookbook is this? An utterly thrilling one, as original, open-ended and carefully considered as Franz's cooking. With a nod to mentors Richard Olney and Elizabeth David, the book teaches readers how to work with ingredients, demonstrating how a great chef thinks, tastes and creates, and expressing the wild spontaneity that can result from being at the mercy of limited raw materials, free of shopping lists and preconceptions. To this end, each recipe, written and tested by coauthor Weiss, is presented as originally conceived, followed by detailed notes for home cooks on preparation, improvisation and simplification. If readers can't find a wild boar for "Roasted Rack of Wild Boar with Chestnut Spaetzle and Sage Jus," they can turn to the "Improvisation" section at the bottom of the page, which recommends loin of pork as a substitute. Paul Moore's fantastically stylish color photographs provide clear images of nearly every dish. Even if readers never attempted any of Franz's recipes, it would be worth owning for Franz's mini-disquisition on how to precook and reheat risotto. The secret ingredient? Ice. (Nov.)Forecast: This may be a hard sell on the East Coast, to readers unfamiliar with the restaurant or to those unaware of Franz's long association with Richard Olney, Jeremiah Towers and the Chez Panisse crowd, but if it's skillfully marketed, it will do quite well. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Since Farallon opened in San Francisco's theater district in 1997, patrons of this critically acclaimed restaurant from across the country have given its innovative "coastal cuisine" rave reviews. Now, executive chef and co-owner Mark Franz has compiled the recipes that have taken the culinary world by storm. The Farallon Cookbook will take serious home cooks on an undersea voyage, indulging in such ocean delights as Peeky-Toe Crab with Truffled Mashed Potatoes or Rosemary Seared Prawns with Saffron Risotto. Seafood is not Mark's only specialty. He's also famous for his succulent Braised Veal with Lobster Tails and savory Roasted Quail Stuffed with Armagnac Laced Prunes. This handsome volume--as stunning as the restaurant itself--is packed with tips from the chef, techniques to simplify the recipes, and an irresistible selection of desserts from Farallon's celebrated pastry chef Emily Luchetti.
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