Product Description

In 1989, Todd English and his wife Olivia opened the original Olives; since then the restaurant has moved to larger quarters, and Todd and his bold, inventive Mediterranean-inspired cooking have earned an international reputation. Voted one of the Top Ten Restaurants by Esquire magazine and the Best New Restaurant by Boston magazine, it has also been voted Favorite Restaurant in the Zagat Guide to Boston and Vicinity. In The Olives Table, the artistry of one of America's top chefs is on display, with more than 160 dazzling recipes from Olives and from Todd's home kitchen, illustrated with beautiful photographs by Carl Tremblay.

Todd's robust, intensely flavored food begs to be savored and shared with others. And since the complexity of English's cooking comes from the layering of tastes and textures -- not exotic equipment or techniques -- by following the careful, step-by-step instructions, even the timid cook can recreate the dishes that the patrons of English's hugely popular Boston restaurant enjoy at the Olives table.

Pull out the stops and begin a meal with Todd's signature Olives Tart, baked in a crisp crust and rich with olives and creamy goat cheese, pair Gingered Slow-Braised Lamb Shanks with Apple-Fennel Mashed Potatoes for your main course, and finish with Falling Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce. Or for a lighter repast, try Pan-Fried Cornmeal-and-Cumin-Rubbed Cornish Game Hens served with Arugula Salad with Tomato and Cucumber Juice; finish with Mango-Raspberry Granita. Plan a simple but deeply satisfying supper of Roasted Clams with Chicken, Tomatoes, Artichokes, and Bacon served with roasted new potatoes and end with Gingersnap Risotto Pudding. Whatever meal you decide to create from these recipes, you won't be disappointed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #298105 in Books
• Published on: 1997-03-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

From Amazon.com
Todd English is articulate about how he cooks. His food is uniquely Mediterranean, muscular and sophisticated; he describes it as "refined rustic." His purpose in The Olives Table is to show home cooks how to make simple Mediterranean ingredients "more interesting, more elaborate, more fun." These ingredients include lobster and foie gras, as well as fresh figs, artichokes, and other seasonal foods. Many dishes are elaborate show stoppers, as in Asparagus Risotto with Ragu of Crazy Mushrooms, Porcini Cream, and White Truffles, or time-consuming: Free-Form Tuscan-Style Rabbit Lasagne that you would more likely want to travel to Cambridge to enjoy. But also look for tempting, simpler dishes you can easily make, provided you have access to impeccable, fresh ingredients like tuna and local, vine-ripened tomatoes. A few highlights are Baked Potato Salad, Ginger Mustard Chicken, and My Mama's Zucchini (a kind of stew). Look, too, for Chocolate Risotto.

From Library Journal
English, chef/owner of Olives, a well-known Boston restaurant, likes Mediterranean-inspired food with strong flavor combinations, what he characterizes as "refined rustic." It's a good description of dishes such as Chilled Black Olive Spaghetti Salad and Gorgonzola-Stuffed Figs with Balsamic Glaze. Other more refined, less rustic dishes feature foie gras, truffles, and other such indulgences. The recipes themselves, however, are generally straightforward and refreshingly approachable for a chef's cookbook. Rockenwagner grew up in a restaurant family in Germany, trained in French restaurants in Europe and the United States, and has been increasingly influenced by Asian cuisine since he opened Rockenwagner in Los Angeles ten years ago. He defines his style of cooking as a combination of old European and Pacific Rim cuisines. His eclectic menu is just as likely to feature Salmon Tempura with Daikon Salad as Roasted Quail with Pomegranate Reduction. Rockenwagner is a talented chef, and the recipes are clearly written, but many are rather involved; fans may prefer to read the book and then sample the food at the restaurant. Both these books are recommended for their respective area libraries and others where restaurant cookbooks are popular.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Marco R. Della CavaUSA TodayOne of the nation's best restaurants.

Sheila Lukinsauthor of Sheila Lukins' All Around the World Cookbook, coauthor of the Silver Palate cookbooksJust between us chickens, there's nothing more alluring that I can think of right now than immersing myself in the culinary delights of Todd English. From the first moment I walked into Olives and nibbled on the namesake, an explosion of flavor led the way. I've longed to follow every chance I've had.

Paula Wolfertauthor of The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean and Couscous and Other Good Food from MoroccoA stunning presentation of the big, bold flavors that make Todd English one of my favorite chefs. The recipes are clear, authoritative, and delicious.

Jasper Whiteauthor of Jasper White's Cooking from New England and Lobster at HomeTodd and Sally have made Olives' food come alive in this collection of bold flavors and lusty food combinations. Todd puts his mark on every recipe, never missing the chance to intensify the flavor or texture of a dish. Reading these recipes made me unbearably hungry...deep-fried stuffed olives, Parmesan pudding, butternut squash tortelli, rabbit agrodolce, marinated lamb with olive bruschetta...This book will make you want to rush to a market and back home again to start cooking.

Lydia Shirechef-owner of Biba and PignoliThis book is Todd. Who else would describe their love of cooking as "lust"?...Just try the foie gras flan to believe it or char the skin of a fig while the gorgonzola oozes.

1996 Zagat Guide to Boston and VicinityFood that will take your breath away.

Barbara Kafkaauthor of Roasting: A Simple ArtTodd English is a wonderful cook based in a strong tradition of peasant flavors, often Italian; he is inventive and so is the food in this book.

John Willoughby and Chris Schlesingercoauthors of The Thrill of the Grill and License to GrillTodd English has achieved a feat that eludes many top-level chefs: He has transformed the robust, gutsy food of his restaurant into recipes for the home cook. Todd's vision of his food is right here in these pages.

Customer Reviews

Simple and Creative Recipes
Todd English has put together a masterful book that is at once imaginative and yet full of simply executed dishes. The new and different salad creations are the perfect start to the meat and vegetable entrees. He combines elegance and practicality flawlessly. I especially love his strong opinions about what to use and what not to use in his recipes. (He has a particular prejudice against cello spinach!) He also gives lots of helpful cooking hints along the way. This is a must-have for any cook who enjoys intimate dining.

An Excellent Restaurant Cookbook
Many restauranteurs publish cookbooks featuring recipes from their restaurants. I have a fair number of these books.

This is the *only* such book that I return to, repeatedly. I've made the goat cheese and sausage stuffed olives, the Falling Chocolate Cake (many times and is as excellent as another reviewer said), the Fennel Salad, the Tuna Tartare, and probably a good number of other recipes. The outcomes are consistently good.

I've also eaten at Olives a fair number of times, so I'm confident that I'm capturing the essence of Todd's cooking.

This is a high-quality hardcover book with high-quality paper, meaning that it should survive in the kitchen for a good long time. The recipes are well-laid-out on the pages and easy to refer to while you're cooking (a stark contrast from my "old" Joy of Cooking - which I love but does have a shortcoming in this area).

I've never been there, but . . .
This is one of my very favorite cookbooks, and I have a lot of them. I have never been to a Todd English restaurant, so I can't comment on how it compares with his restaurant cooking, but my home versions have been fabulous. The directions are clear, and for some reason I find these recipes easy to modify to fit a shorter timeframe or to substitute ingredients when necessary. My favorite? Basque Stew with Tuna (which I usually make with chicken instead).