America—Farm to Table

Starred review from October 6, 2014
The beautifully produced work at times has the feel of being two different books sewn together. And that’s not a bad thing. On one hand, celebrity master chef Batali comes through again with an inspired collection of appetizers, soups, main dishes, sandwiches, and desserts. Most of his more than 100 recipes, unsurprisingly, have an Italian spin. Standouts include a potato and salami cheesecake, black risotto with oysters and fennel, minestrone Genovese, and Batali’s grandmother’s fettuccine with sparerib sauce. Complementing Batali’s pieces are the sections written by Webster, an editor at the Washington Post and self-described “culinary adventurer.” He has traveled to 14 cities across the country, interviewing a chef, and that chef’s supplier, in each. The result is a highly entertaining behind-the scenes look at the business of small farming. In Nashville, chef Erik Anderson of the Catbird Seat and chicken farmer Karen Overton colorfully explain the 60-day trip her chicks take from hatchling to entrée, snacking on oyster shells from the restaurant and listening to the radio in their barn (NPR, of course). And in Tampa, Webster meets chef Greg Baker and his pork producer, Rebecca Krassnoski, who coaxes her hogs to their final reward not by wielding an electric prod but by proffering blueberry doughnuts.

October 1, 2014
It's hard to decide which sections of Batali's latest cookbook (his tenth) are more seductive. Is it the profiles of the dozen-plus farmers or the 115 or so recipes themselves? It really doesn't matter. Just realize what a great opportunity to learn and to cook that this book presents. As told skillfully by journalist and self-styled culinary tourist Webster, the stories are compelling reads about, for instance, what it takes to run a successful Maine oyster farm and the tortuous family succession planning at a Michigan farm. Color photographs expand the tales and personalize the interviews. Dishes reflect an integrated philosophy, mixing classic and contemporary and the flavors of different cuisines, not simply Mediterranean. A familiar prosciutto roll-up is refreshed with goat cheese and green beans; the Mexican oyster cocktail takes its cue from the ceviche of Latin America. Comfort foods, such as chicken cacciatore and classic apple tart tatin nestle well with Roman potato doughnuts and fried okra with gumbo mustard. No particular ingredient is sacred; all ingredients are celebrated in the unique farmer-chef-home-cook collaboration.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)