Bottega - Michael Chiarellos new cookbook review & a giveaway

The minute I picked up Michael Chiarellos new cookbook, I drooled over each and every recipe & picture in that book from page 1 to the end.

It is spectacular, his best work. His older 'At Home' is a very informative cookbook on easy entertaining (which he based his Emmy award winning Food Network show on) but 'Bottega' is a book with recipes on actual dishes from his restaurant of the same name and is pure restaurant genius which can be made at home. Each recipe has a wine pairing suggestion, which makes it a no-brainer.


Although he uses traditional Italian ingredients (I am sure he has them shipped over) in his restaurant, he does offer substitutions for items that can be found at your nearest Italian deli or salumeria and if you are lucky, in your local market.


Simple but top quality has always been the Italian way. 5 Ingredient Fix was invented in Italy.


If you want to impress your family and guests at this years Christmas Party or Dinner, this cookbook is for you.


Starting tomorrow you can have a chance to win a signed copy of this wonderful cookbook. Keep it yourself or give it as a Christmas gift.
Details will be in tomorrows post (Tuesday).


Now a sneak peek recipe from the book......

Tagliatelle with Bread Crumbs, Mint and Tomato Carpaccio
* 1 pound your fresh Tagliatelle or fresh Linguine
* 6 large ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced or pint of grape tomatoes, halved
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* Sea salt
* Freshly, ground pepper

Garlic Bread Crumbs:
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic
* 1 1/4 cups dried bread crumbs

Finishing:
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus 3-4 leaves, finely shredded
* 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino-Romano

Make a pound of your favorite homemade pasta dough and run it through the small spaghetti cutter or buy a fresh linguine-style egg pasta.

Lay the tomato slices on a large serving platter or pasta bowl, overlapping them. Drizzle a good quality EVOO over the slices and season with sea salt & pepper. Set aside.

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add butter. When it foams, add the garlic and saute until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and stir until well mixed. Remove and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta.
In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, bread crumbs and chopped mint. Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water or more if needed. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the platter on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with shredded mint and pecorino. Serve, making sure each person gets tomato slices with their pasta.