The Fearless Chef: Innovative Recipes from the Edge of American Cuisine

Rating:
Summary: Daring & delicious
Review: I am so glad to get a taste of New England here in my home state of Texas. The recipes are exciting and different, and the encouragement Joe and Andy offer provide the much needed push to get creative in the kitchen. From the fried pork chops with maple/red pepper sauce to the nectarine and lamb kabobs, I'm thrilled w/ the spice of life this book provides.


Rating:
Summary: great new resource
Review: I recently got my copy of The Fearless Chef and am systematically working my way through the recipes. I'm still in appetizers (well, I'm in appetizers and in drinks, because I'm working my way through from both the front and the back of the book). Husbands makes the ordinary new again. Like devilled eggs? You'll flip for the these fearless ones--they're nothing like my grandmother used to make. The chopped salads bring salad flavor quotients to an entirely new level--these things are amazing. So far the nosh and salad dishes are riffs on something familiar but with new flavor combinations and juxtapositions. The tastes and textures are bold and subtle--there's always more going on than you'd expect. So far the recipes have been very accessible and the ingredients available; they're heavy on fresh herbs and freshly toasted whole spices. The writing style is humorous and easy to read and filled with useful background information on ingredients and techniques (who knew that the secret to really good southern style biscuits is a flour called Lily White (or is it While Lily?)? It's one of those cookbooks that's not only good to cook from, but is fun to read because the voice comes through so brightly (you get the clear sense that Husbands and Yonan have had interesting lives and have been focused on food for a long time). The one drawback that I've found so far is that the typeface and positioning for the names of recipes is a little hard to get used to. But then soon enough my pages will be so splatted with the fruits of these recipes that it won't really matter. A great cookbook all around.

Rating:
Summary: These recipes will amaze your guests!
Review: I've been a patron of Andy's restaurants for close to a decade. Now that I have a few of his secrets, I can share them with guests who don't live in the area. The recipes in this book are fantastic! The smells, textures and creativity within the pages will have your mouth watering the moment you open the book. Be fearless and explore Andy's world of cuisine!

Rating:
Summary: An impressive anthology of avant garde recipes
Review: In The Fearless Chef: Innovative Recipes From The Edge Of American Cuisine, award winning professional chef Andy Husbands and "The Boston Globe" travel editor Joe Yonan effectively collaborate to compile an impressive anthology of avant garde recipes showcasing dishes that would please even the most discerning gourmet. From Tomato-Ginger Chutney; Pork Soup with Yellow Pepper Curry and Pecans; Sweet Potato Rice Cake; and Blackened Salmon with Lemon-Scallion Butter; to Twelve-Spice Turkey Breast with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce; Zinfandel-Braised Beef Brisket; Sesame Flatbread; and Jamaican Rum-Baked Bananas, The Fearless Chef will prove to be one of the more exciting and "kitchen cook friendly" additions to any culinary cookbook collection.


Rating:
Summary: An absolute favorite
Review: One of my favorite books of the year. Andy Husbands has created a book that brings the flavor and personality of his great Boston and Providence restaurants to print and makes them very accessible to the home cook. From the Chicarrones (which I personally wrap in lettuce leaves rather than tortillas to save on carbs and add crunch) to the Lamb Tagine which has flavors I haven't tasted since I last visited Africa, every recipe explodes with flavor yet incorporates easy to find ingredients and simple techniques. And to top it all off, the book is filled with personal stories that kept me up reading all night. I love this book and countless friends will be getting it as a holiday gift this year.

Rating:
Summary: Bold and delicious!
Review: This book is a gorgeous and delicious collection of wild flavors! I'm excited to add it to my cookbook collection. I want to go visit the chef's restaurants and see for myself how funky and yummy his food really is. In the meantime, I'd like to get started learning how to make those cocktails!

Rating:
Summary: A Cookbook with an Attitude
Review: We have been patrons of Andy's restaurants for years and have been anxiously awaiting this masterpiece. Andy and Joe have written a cookbbook that is not only fun to read, but easy to use. It offers new twists on old favorites as well as bold and flavorful originals. Some favorites to date include his wacky interpretation of Deviled Eggs (Delpha'd Eggs), his wicked spicy Kung Pao Shrimp with Cashews and Mangoes (a real crowd pleaser), Chicken Chicharrones with Limed Sour Cream, and Barbecued Shrimp with Hominy.

Fear not this is no ordinary cookbook. Andy continues to deliver the same adventurous American cuisine that has made his restaurants so popular. It is sure to please not only the cook, but also any family and friends who are lucky enough to be invited over when it is being used.