Downtown Italian

At first browse, great recipes and amazing food photography-lives up to my current thinking that regional cookbooks are more interesting and provocative than the literary fiction that is currently gaining publication!

Beautiful Photography, and irresistible recipes, this is the only cookbook you'll need for Italian cooking. Every recipe in this book peaked my interest and I look forward to making each and everyone of them. Definite 5 star cookbook, highly recommended.

Very hip, very cool, very urbane and very personable and accessible. This is a very enjoyable book that manages to be hip, happy and friendly simultaneously. Very commendable!

The three authors do a fine job in translating classic Italian cooking into a very modern and palatable cuisine. All three of the authors have had some experience with Italian food, either living in Italy or working in classical Italian restaurants in the US. These are not novices - they have the experience to masterfully transform classic dishes into modern and tasty recipes.. They also write in a friendly and accessible manner. No condescension here!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more cookbooks by the three authors. Very successful effort!

Downtown Italian gives us the background on the writer’s adventures as restaurateurs in New York City. In the fall of 2007 they opened the restaurant dell’anima. They tried to capture the flavor of a favorite restaurant in Florence, Italy.
This cookbook not only captures the flavors of Italy but it captures what the owners bring to the Italian table. If you’ve never been to Italy or to New York City to their restaurant you’ll feel like you were sitting there, enjoying a good glass of wine and some fantastic food. I love Italian food but my cooking of such is minor to the recipes found herein. The recipes are broken down so that amateur cooks would be able to master the dishes. The book starts off with an introduction of the writers/chefs then moves on with beneficial notes on wines. The book then takes us to course after course of recipes. I wish we enjoyed meals as the Italians do; relaxing, family gatherings that not only fill the stomach but the soul.
Downtown Italian is a well put together book with so many new recipes to try and Old World Italian recipes that have been revamped. This is a yummy cookbook for the Italian chef in you. I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.

Three of the most inventive young restaurateurs in New York's vibrant East and West Villages has come together among the picturesque brownstones of New York’s West Village to present to you 100 contemporary Italian-inspired cocktails, antipasti, pastas, main courses and desserts—made approachable for the home cook…with an inventive twist on the classic Italian Kitchen that you will absolutely fall in love with.
The restaurateurs share their cuisine and cocktail recipes that have inspired loyalty among customers of dell'anima, L'Artusi, L'Apicio and Anfora—including Charred Octopus with Chicories, Impromptu Tiramisu, and a sparking Roasted Orange Negroni Sbagliato.
This book is ultimately the king of food and cocktail porn…definitely bringing the ultimate fantasy to life. The photography in this book is absolutely…Amazing! From the inspiring stories…to the helpful hints and tips…to the easy to follow recipes…I had a hard time figuring out if I should curl up in bed with this book or place it on my kitchen shelf.
Of course…a cookbook review is not a review without some kitchen testing.
The recipes of choice… “Branzino Al Cartoccio” and the name of the dish translate to fish cooked in a paper bag.
The results…ecstasy for all the five senses…an absolutely wonderful love affair for my palate…delicious!
I highly recommend this cookbook and if you are lucky enough to be in the New York area why not join these three restaurateurs for an evening of demonstrations and tastings from their new cookbook “Downtown Italian".
Date: Tue, Nov 11, 2014, 7 pm Location: Lexington Avenue at 92nd St Venue: Warburg Lounge Price: from $35.00

This review appears in the December issue of Pulse magazine.

Buon appetite: Make your own Italian Feast with Downtown Italian

By Kimberly Dunbar

A bottle of a red, a bottle of white, and 100 Italian recipes you can make right in your own kitchen. All you need is the recently released book, Downtown Italian: Recipes Inspired by Italy,

Created in New York’s West Village (Andrews McMeel Publishing). The book is compiled by three chefs, friends, and New York City restaurateurs, each bringing their own expertise to the table (pun intended). Joe Campanale (beverage director), Gabriel Thompson (executive chef), and Katherine Thompson (pastry chef) share their favorite authentic Italian recipes with a New York twist.

Downtown Italian is not your typical Italian cookbook. From start to finish—or apertivi to digestivi and all the courses in between—the chefs, and debut authors, provide creative recipes for all palettes, including vegetarian. The book is broken down into courses, including drinks for pre- and post-dinner, making it easy to find recipes for a specific mealtime. Chef Gabriel Thompson puts his own stamp on many of the quintessential Italian recipes. Linguini and clams with chorizo and chili? Not exactly your traditional Italian style dish—it’s usually made with bacon—however Chef Thompson likes to serve it with Spanish chorizo (not Mexican, be careful when shopping!) which gives a smokiness to the briny clams. Beverage expert Joe Campanale suggests pairing it with a German-style ale—not very Italian, but works well with the spiciness of the chilies.

Speaking of Joe, he provides wine (or beer) suggestions that accompany every recipe. As previously mentioned Campanale has his own chapter of unique drinks—including offerings like the Dirty Spicy Martini (add in a hot pepper with the olives) and the Blueberry Bourbon Smash
(a drink that originated at an event hosted by his friend Rachel Ray). The Basil Mojito, which he considers a drink synonymous with New York summers, is “Italianized” with the addition of basil.

If you’ve saved room for dessert, Katherine Thompson has you covered. Like her husband Gabe, she also adds her own twist to recipes. For example, her Impromptu Tiramisu, made with chocolate wafers (she recommends store-bought ladyfingers and wafers!), looks much different than what you’d order at an Italian café.

The best part of the book—other than its classic look which looks great on any bookshelf—is that most of the recipes are accessible. Personally, I tend to shy away from complicated recipes with too many steps or ingredients, but most of these seem very manageable. Most times cooking can be a stressful mess, but the authors make it seem like it can be an enjoyable experience.

Whether you’re a culinary enthusiast or a lover of Italian food and drink, just reading this recipe book transports you to scenes from one their Italian restaurants. All you need is that bottle of red (or white).

Downtown Italian is available on Amazon and other book retailers.

Beautiful book with many great recipes and gorgeous photos!

Loved this yummy book!