After years of cooking in his restaurants, SCOTT CONANT now turns his attention to the bold, flavorful dishes he makes for friends and family at home. A celebration of honest Italian cooking, Bold Italian brings together more than 125 recipes from Italy's varied and various regions, updated and interpreted for the American kitchen.

With a focus on purity of flavor and a respect for the finest ingredients, Conant presents such mop-your-plate dishes as Salt-Baked Shrimp with Olive Oil and Thyme; Grilled Eggplant, Marinated Tomato, and Arugula Salad; Tagliatelle with Peas and Prosciutto; Pan-Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Green Olives; and desserts like Nutella Panino with Ice Cream and Espresso.

Enhanced with twenty full-color photographs, Bold Italian is a treat for the eye as well as the taste buds. Beginning cooks will appreciate the simplicity of the recipes, while veteran cooks will savor delicious variations on traditional favorites as well as new discoveries. Bold Italian reflects Conant's refreshed, artisanal approach to Italian cooking.

"In his second cookbook (after New Italian Cooking) Conant, chef and part owner of two respected New York City restaurants, shares recipes he enjoys making at home, all of which 'celebrate, translate and update dishes from various regions of Italy.' The author starts with small plates like Seared Scallops with Leeks, Potato, and Sausage and traditional Mozzarella in Carozza updated with Cherry Tomato Sauce. Each appetizer accomplishes Conant's goal, which is, he explains, 'to wake up the palate, excite the senses... and create anticipation for the meal to come.' Light salads like Roasted Beets with Robiola Cheese are included as well as simple, elegant soups such as Cranberry Bean Soup with Rosemary and Pancetta. He entices with pasta and gnocchi recipes such as Pappardelle with Duck Ragu and Black Olives, and Chicken-filled Gnocchi with Lentil Sauce. Such main dishes as Black Cod with Caramelized Fennel and Concentrated Tomatoes; Whole Roast Chicken with Pumpkin, Mushrooms, and Ginger; Pork Loin with Butternut Squash; and Rib Eye with Kale are accessible, and, indeed, offer bold new spins on traditional dishes." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

“Bold Italian is my kind of Sunday cooking for friends and family. Scott always has an interesting twist in his inspired Italian cuisine.”

— Daniel Boulud, chef and restaurateur

“When I get a craving for elegant, simply delicious Italian fare, I head to one of Scott Conant’s outstanding New York restaurants. Now I can satisfy that same urge in my own kitchen with a meal lifted out of the pages of this smart, creative book.”

— Bobby Flay, host of the Food Network’s Boy Meets Grill, chef, and restaurateur

“I like Scott Conant’s contemporary approach to Italian cuisine. The ingredient-driven recipes are bold, innovative, simple to follow, and very Italian!

— Tony May, owner, San Domenico NY

“Scott Conant’s thoroughly original new cookbook is full of recipes for food that you’ll want to cook over and over. It’s simply good food. He teaches you the essential techniques for making great Italian food and expertly translates them for the home cook.”

— Eric Ripert, executive chef and co-owner, Le Bernardin

“Scott Conant's new book is filled with the kind of recipes everyone loves to cook at home—simple, flavorful, and quintessentially Italian. It’s the food that has made Scott one of America’s favorite chefs.”

— Marcus Samuelson, chef and owner of Aquavit

A celebration of honest Italian cooking, this collection brings together more than 125 recipes from Italys various regions, updated and interpreted for the American kitchen. Enhanced with 20 full-color photographs, Conants book is a treat for the eyes as well as the taste buds.

SCOTT CONANT has been cooking for over twenty years; he created two of the top ten Italian restaurants in New York City with L’Impero and Alto, according to Zagat. L’Impero received three stars from the New York Times and won the James Beard Award for the Best New Restaurant in America in 2003. He has garnered international attention for his focused, refined approach to modern Italian cuisine. In 2004, he was named one of the ten best new chefs in the country by Food and Wine magazine. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he has appeared in numerous publications and on television shows ranging from the Today Show to Top Chef. He regularly appears on the Home Shopping Network with his own line of cookware, home kitchen appliances, and food products. Conant, who also wrote New Italian Cooking with Joanne Smart, lives in New York City with his wife, Meltem.

JOANNE MCALLISTER SMART is the coauthor of the award–winning Bistro Cooking at Home and the editor of Cooking New American. She collaborated on New Italian Cooking. Smart is a regular contributor to Fine Cooking magazine. She lives in Connecticut.