CHI Spacca - by Nancy Silverton & Ryan Denicola & Carolynn Carreno (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Recipes from the meat-centric menu at Chi Spacca, Nancy Silverton's Los Angeles steakhouse"--

Book Synopsis

From the James Beard Award-winning star of Netflix's Chef's Table A whole new approach to American cooking, one that blends the cutting edge culinary ethos of Los Angeles, the timeless flavors of Italy, and the pleasures of grilling with fire. Featuring 100+ recipes from Chi Spacca, her acclaimed Los Angeles restaurant.

In her tenth cookbook, Nancy Silverton ("Queen of L.A.'s restaurant scene" --Los Angeles Times), shares the secrets of cooking like an Italian butcher with recipes for meats, fish, and vegetables that capture the spirit of Italy. Drawing on her years living and cooking in Umbria, Italy, and from the menu of her revered steakhouse, Chi Spacca (hailed as a "meat speakeasy" by Food & Wine), Silverton, and Chi Spacca's executive chef Ryan DeNicola, present their take on such mouth-watering dishes as Beef Cheek and Bone Marrow Pie; Coffee-Rubbed Tri-Tip; Fried Whole Branzino with Pickled Peppers and Charred Scallions; and Moroccan Braised Lamb Shanks. And vegetable dishes are given just as much attention, from fire-kissed Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Garlic Crème Fraîche; Charred Sugar Snap Peas with Yogurt, Guanciale, and Lemon Zest; Little Gems with Herb Breadcrumbs, Bacon Vinaigrette, and Grated Egg; Roasted Beets with Chicories, Yogurt, and Lemon Zest. Also included are Silverton's own spins on steakhouse classics such as Caesar salad, creamed corn, and mashed potatoes, as well as desserts, including, of course, her beloved butterscotch budino.

Review Quotes

"For home cooks, restaurant cookbooks usually serve as half archive, half inspiration, but Los Angeles chef Nancy Silverton writes ambitious recipes a home cook looking to grow (or flex) actually wants to try. The Chi Spacca cookbook, written by Silverton, Ryan DeNicola, and Carolynn Carreño, will fuel fantasies of massive slabs of meat seasoned with fennel pollen on the grill, served with salads of thinly shaved vegetables and a butterscotch budino for dessert. . . . What's really wonderful about the book . . . is the way it mixes serious ambition with practical advice and tons of context. Silverton explains the inspiration and authorship of every dish, and in those headnotes reveals the extent to which Chi Spacca, for all its Tuscan butchery pedigree, is a deeply Californian restaurant. . . . And the recipes always consider the cook." --Meghan McCarron, Eater

"The argument of Chi Spacca . . . is strong--and sensible: It's not about how much or how little meat you eat--but the quality of that meat." --Paul Kita, Men's Health

"This hallowed restaurant is a temple of meat in Los Angeles. . . . For anyone who's been wary of cooking meat on the grill, or cooking, this is essential reading. . . . The recipe for the restaurant's most requested menu item, focaccia di Recco, is a game-changer, especially if you're tired with futzing with a sourdough starter and want to step it up to dough stretching. Silverton writes, '... you may have no idea what focaccia di Recco is. Also called focaccia col formaggio (focaccia with cheese), this is nothing like any other focaccia you've ever tasted.' Truth." --Brekke Fletcher, CNN.com

About the Author

NANCY SILVERTON is the co-owner of Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, Chi Spacca, and Mozza2Go, in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. She is the founder of the La Brea Bakery and the only chef ever to be awarded both the Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Pastry Chef awards from the James Beard Foundation. She lives in Los Angeles. RYAN DeNICOLA is the Executive Chef at Chi Spacca in Los Angeles. CAROLYNN CARREÑO is a James Beard Award-winning journalist, the author of Bowls of Plenty, and the coauthor of many other cookbooks.