Judy Rodgers enthusiastic and supported prose (not to mention the fabulous and workable recipes) make this a must-have book for anyone interested in serious seasonal cooking.
More Than Your Average Cookbook
Zuni Cafe has been a San Francisco institution since it opened in 1979. Chef Judy Rodgers took over the kitchen in 1987 and started poking at the now ever-changing menu until it became the seasonally-driven Mediterranean-influenced, thing-all-its-own it is today. The Zuni Cafe Cookbook goes beyond most restaurant cookbooks and shows readers not just how to make the dishes Zuni makes, but how to cook.
The full title (The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco's Beloved Restaurant) gives a clue about its contents: this is not for the faint of heart. Quick tips and fast meals are not this cookbook's goal, although both are found within it. Rodgers seeks to teach people a bit about honoring food, enjoying the kitchen, and using both to connect with other people.
Ultra-Seasonal Recipes
The restaurant's extremely seasonal approach to cooking makes this a great resource for anyone looking to eat locally. Produce and other perishables are combined with ingredients available at the same time of year. The dishes match the seasons in more than ingredients; they match them in spirit as well. Spring dishes are light and hopeful but warm, summer creations cool off and lighten up, fall brings rich fare, and with winter come hearty meats and roots.
It's Like Having a Professional Chef in the Kitchen With You
Whatever season it is, readers can indulge in Zuni's famous Roast Chicken With Bread Salad (the greens tossed in change with the seasons at the restaurant, as they should when you make it) or Ricotta Gnocchi and know they are in good hands. Rodgers gives extensive explanation of ingredients and techniques that convey her expertise in ways perfectly understandable and encouraging to any cook.
