The NYC Kitchen Cookbook: 150 Recipes Inspired by the Specialty Food Shops, Spice Stores, and Markets of New York City

A word of advice for the taste buds of those who read The NYC Kitchen Cookbook by Tracey Ceurvels: “Abandon all drabness ye who enter here!” In support of this statement, I offer Roasted Red Pepper Spread with its savory blend of three different chilies, garlic, and olive oil; Beet and Feta Salad with Coriander-Orange Vinaigrette, our Thanksgiving Day salad course; Smoked Oyster Chowder set off with smoked salt, bacon, thyme, and chipotle peppers; Polenta with Fontina and Wild Mushrooms simmered in butter, oil, and dry wine; Korean Short Ribs; Garlic-Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin; Agrodolce Chicken, an Italian sweet and sour dish; and many others. The book is divided into sections, there are full color pictures for most of the recipes and a short explanation containing tips on how to make the recipe and where to acquire the ingredients from NYC’s bustling spice and specialty markets. There are a few recipe ingredients that might take a trip to a specialty market if you don’t live in NYC, but I have not found any I could not easily find, even in St. Louis. The author’s love of cooking and tasting wonderful flavors permeates her recipes. These dishes are not boring, and they are very doable, digestible, and exciting. I have very much enjoyed creating meals from this book.