Marc Forgione: Recipes and Stories from the Acclaimed Chef and Restaurant

In his first cookbook, chef/owner Forgione (a winner of Next Iron Chef) shares the story of his entry, survival, and ultimate success in the cutthroat world of the restaurant business. He recounts his “baptism by fire” along with plenty of “just cook” philosophy for aspiring chefs. From a family with an impressive culinary legacy (his father is Larry Forgione, whom the Culinary Institute of America called “Godfather of American Cuisine”), Forgione tells how hardheaded experience in the trenches and sheer ambition fueled his success. He wants to get people cooking, and along with the right tools, playful risk-taking and “kitchen ingenuity,” he plans to “make you a better cook” and stretch your “cooking muscle.” Forgione is serious about ingredients; some recipes may appear intimidating, requiring difficult-to-find ingredients such as duck tongues, micro herbs, or employing sous-vide techniques (alternate methods are provided). Signature restaurant dishes like chile lobster; Chicken Under A Brick; and 40-ounce Tomahawk Chop with all the fixings are included as well as over 200 pages of fish and shellfish dishes. Chapters featuring innovative recipes for butcher’s cuts, cocktails, and stocks and sauces bring restaurant fare to home cooks. Sidebars feature inspiring personalities, and images demonstrating how to butcher and filet. Uber-chef Forgione’s “go big or go home” approach offers both a great narrative of a chef’s life and a serious toolkit for a life of cooking well. (Apr.)