"I picked this cookbook up for two reasons: the eye-catching, bright pink lettering and Dale Talde's disgruntled expression. I opened it because it declared itself to be "proudly inauthentic," and I wanted to know what Talde meant by that. I read it from cover to cover because it's full of hilarity, honesty, and, more to the point, delicious looking and sounding recipes—and so should you. Don't skip the introduction and short pieces peppered throughout the book; they are what gives it some of its best flavors. Talde cooks his life in this book and at his restaurant, so you should read what he writes about it. Be honest about who you are and the food you want, then take it up a notch, says Talde. This book made me want to get on a bus to New York City and eat at Talde/get into my kitchen and put on an apron. Refreshingly unpretentious, its goal is simple: to have a good time making food that tastes good."
Publisher Grand Central Life & Style
Publication Date 2015-09-15
Section Cooking / All Staff Suggestions / Nonfiction Suggestions / Nina J.
Format Hardcover
ISBN 9781455585267
The eagerly awaited cookbook from Dale Talde, Top Chef favorite and owner of the acclaimed Brooklyn restaurant Talde. Born in Chicago to Filipino parents, Dale Talde grew up both steeped in his family's culinary heritage and infatuated with American fast food--burgers, chicken nuggets, and Hot Pockets. Today, his dual identity is etched on the menu at Talde, his always-packed Brooklyn restaurant. There he reimagines iconic Asian dishes, imbuing them with Americana while doubling down on the culinary fireworks that made them so popular in the first place. His riff on pad thai features bacon and oysters. He gives juicy pork dumplings the salty, springy exterior of soft pretzels. His food isn't Asian fusion; it's Asian-American. Now, in his first cookbook, Dale shares the recipes that have made him famous, all told in his inimitable voice. Some chefs cook food meant to transport you to Northern Thailand or Sichuan province, to Vietnam or Tokyo. Dale's food is meant to remind you that you're home.
