Staff Pick
Bäco is like a playground for your kitchen. Chef and author Josef Centeno of Los Angeles restaurant Bäco Mercat has an amazing way with flavor combinations. The first chapter, "Spicy Salty Pickled Preserved," has my mind reeling with pleasure from the surprising food combos. Cherries with horseradish? Honey with fennel? His unusual seasonings remind me of Yotam Ottolenghi’s similar skill in mixing ethnic flavors. Do expect to make trips to your local spice shop and/or Asian market, but this is all part of the fun and joy of cooking from Bäco. Recommended By Tracey T., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
130 recipes that redefine the way we think about flavor. Visually stunning and conceptually fresh, this is the cookbook of the season from Josef Centeno, the chef credited with capturing the myriad tastes of Los Angeles on the plate. Recipes span from simple to show stopping, exploring sauces, soups, mains, salads, and desserts, too. More than 130 vivid photographs convey the beauty and excitement of Chef Centeno's extraordinary cooking.
Josef Centeno is the chef and owner of Baco Mercat, Bar Ama, Orsa & Winston, Ledlow, and P.Y.T. In Baco, he draws on his multicultural heritage, formal training in top-notch restaurants such as Manresa and Daniel, a lifelong obsession with cookbooks, and his insatiable curiosity. Centeno's cooking layers textures and explores how spices and sauces can be used to transform the most basic vegetables.