COOKING

REVIEWS BY SYBIL PRATT

Patricia Yeo is a wow

Young, smart, savvy, Patricia Yeo is executive chef at AZ, a three-star New York restaurant that sparkles in an already luminous scene. She grew up in Kuala Lumpur, a Southeast Asian city where fusion, food and otherwise, is the norm, then learned to cook in New York and San Francisco. So, a profusion of fusion is this chef's milieu. The food she creates is, in her own words, "not quite Asian and not quite American, occasionally Indian and even slightly Mediterranean." And, having eaten at AZ and now cooked from the recipes in Cooking From A To Z, written with Julia Moskin, and with a foreword by big, bold Bobby Flay, I can assure you that it's all quite wonderful. Patricia's dishes are big-flavored; they follow the basic outlines of American food but have the zingy, bright flavors of Asia whether they're soups, salads, appetizers, main courses or desserts. Luscious Lemongrass Gravelax with Rice Blini takes this Scandinavian classic to the near-side of Nirvana, and the same goes for Smoked Chicken Salad with Hazelnuts, Mango and Parsley Pesto, Thai Bouillabaisse, Pork with Forty Cloves of Garlic, Candied Ginger Shortbread and so many more. Big flavor doesn't mean complex prep instructions—directions are straightforward and easy to follow. Few exotic, hard-to-find ingredients are called for, and the headnotes let you in on origins and how some of the wow of Yeo is created.


French without fuss

"French food is a state of mind," says Laura Calder, an American writer who lives and cooks in Paris. It's about delighting in the kitchen, slowing down, savoring food—it's about making food matter. The food that has come to matter to Ms. Calder is the home-cooked French food she has learned to make in her own Parisian kitchen. It's not surprising, then, that she's titled her new cookbook French Food At Home. Along with over 100 very appealing, very accessible dinner-focused recipes come very appealing Gallic gustatory attitudes. Preprandial treats are kept quite simple, allowing the cook to join the party. The idea here is to take a relaxing breath and tease the appetite, not trounce it. That can be done by heaping tangy Tapenade on toast or making real mayonnaise for the cruditÈs. The same goes for "civilizing" starters that ease the pace into dinner with a small plate of Orange Asparagus or ruby red Beet Stacks with a nugget of chevre. Dinner dishes come in two categories, "fairly fast" and "slightly slower." Perfectly perfumed Flounder in Parsley and basic bistro Tarragon Chicken can be on the table in under an hour. When time is not of the essence, you can settle into the joy of making hearty Anchovy Beef or a lovely Lamb Tagine. Add sides that enhance and a selection of simple sweet endings, and you'll be cooking in fluent French.


All roads lead to Rome

Savannah-born Jo Bettoja came down one of those roads when she was a young Vogue model. She fell in love with a Roman, with Rome and with the fabulous food that Romans cook and care about so intensely. With the zeal and joy of a convert, Signora Bettoja mastered the intricacies of la cucina Romana and then shared her culinary passion with the patrons of Lo Scaldovivende, the renowned Roman cooking school she established in 1976. Now, In A Roman Kitchen: Timeless Recipes from the Eternal City brings us into the kitchen of the Bettojas' 14th century palazzo, right near the Fontana di Trevi, and into the heart of Roman cooking. Some of the 200 recipes included here come from venerated cookbooks, but most come from Roman households, traditional and modern, where classic Roman specialties play starring roles everyday. Among these classics are Fava Beans with Pecorino, different, super-easy and the most Roman of all antipasti; Spaghetti alla Carbonara, considered almost sacred; Pollo alla Romana, a Roman take on stove-top chicken that's unique to the eternal city; and the world-famous Saltimboca alla Romana, Roman-style Artichokes with Mint and Roman Ricotta Pie. Signora Bettoja also takes us on a cook's tour of her beloved city, pointing out where to buy the best mozzarella, the best chocolate and the best antique lace, where to find the finest gelato and granita and where to stop for coffee—addresses provided. It's a Roman holiday all the way.


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