Free (nook/Kindle) Good Stock: Life on Low Simmer [Celebrity Chef Memoir & Cookbook]

[ATDrake]

Good Stock: Life on a Low Simmer — A Memoir, with Recipes by Milwaukee-raised celebrity chef Sanford D'Amato, who's apparently had at least 2 eponymous 5-star restaurants, is Exactly What It Says In The Title, free courtesy of publisher Agate's Midway imprint.

This is really quite nifty, with D'Amato telling the expected anecdotes about his childhood and formative life experiences, which are interestingly time-capsule retro-ish of a bygone age (illustrated by vintage personal photos), etc., and then in each chapter giving recipes for some of the food he associates with them. (NB: a customer review notes that some of the recipes may not be practical to make at home if you're not a dedicated foodie, as they often require specialty ingredients.)

Currently free, probably just until the weekend @ B&N and slated to drop at Amazon (not available to Canadians). Sometimes these also become free directly @ the publisher's webstore (DRM-free PDF available worldwide) for the benefit of international Gentle Readers, usually after a day or two.

And this has been the selected 3rd (non-repeat) free ebook thread of the day.

Because even though I'm a lousy, lazy cook (or maybe because of it), I still love to read about food writing, especially when there's extra history and culture contextual stuff involved, which this particular autobiography + recipes looks to provide in spades.

Enjoy!

Description
Good Stock is the story of Sanford "Sandy" D'Amato's journey from young Italian kid who loved to cook to unknown culinary student with a passion for classical French cuisine to one of the most respected chefs and restaurateurs in the country. Featuring more than 80 recipes and full-color photography throughout, Good Stock weaves together memoir and cookbook in an beautiful and engaging package.

Sanford, the restaurant D'Amato opened in 1989 and sold to his longtime chef de cuisine in December 2012, has been one of the highest-rated restaurants in America over the past 20 years, earning accolades from Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Esquire, Wine Spectator, Zagat Guide, and the James Beard Foundation. D'Amato has cooked for the Dalai Lama and the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, and was one of 12 chefs chosen by Julia Child herself to cook for her 80th birthday celebration. The story of Sanford and Sandy D'Amato is in part the story of America's embrace of fine dining and its acceptance of chefs as master craftsmen.

Over the past quarter century, America has seen a rise in the prominence of "celebrity chefs," to the extent that it's difficult to remember a time when becoming a chef was considered a backup plan more than a craft. That transformation began in the 1970s, right around when Sanford D'Amato was studying at the fabled Culinary Institute of America. This was a time when American cooks were by and large being frozen out by French chefs who didn't believe the Americans had what it took to create great cuisine. D'Amato, through persistence, skill, and the help of his mentor, Chef Peter Von Erp, became the first American cook at Le Veau d'Or and worked under Chef Roland Chenus through the groundbreaking opening of Le Chantilly. Soon the heyday of classic French cuisine began to waned, as rising chefs like D'Amato began leading the spread "New American" dining.

To D'Amato, though, the Midwest always signified home. His culinary inventiveness was inspired in part by his childhood home, located above his grandparents' grocery store on the lower east side of Milwaukee. It was a small apartment constantly filled with the sights of carefully prepared delicacies, the smells of rich foods on the simmer, and the many tastes of generations-old Italian recipes. Drawing on this influence, as well as his rigorous training in classic French technique, D'Amato eventually opened Sanford in the same space his grandparents' grocery store occupied.

In telling his story, D'Amato studs his narrative with 80 of his favorite recipes. The book features both personal photos from his background and career as well as beautiful images of finished recipes.

Readers of Good Stock will come to believe, as D'Amato does, that to create great food, it doesn't matter if you're preparing a grilled hot dog or pan-roasted monkfish-- what matters is that you treat all dishes with equal love, soul, and respect, and try to elevate each dish to its ultimate level of flavor. Good Stock combines Midwestern charm with international appeal as the perfect book for aspiring chefs, culinary students, and foodies everywhere.

[GtrsRGr8]

[QUOTE=ATDrake;3028646]Good Stock: Life on a Low Simmer — A Memoir, with Recipes by Milwaukee-raised celebrity chef Sanford D'Amato . . . .
Currently free, probably just until the weekend @ B&N and Amazon (not available to Canadians). Sometimes these also become free directly @ the publisher's webstore (DRM-free PDF available worldwide) for the benefit of international Gentle Readers, usually after a day or two.
. . . .
[\QUOTE]

Wow, the price has already jumped back up, to $19.25 (Ack!), at Amazon & BN. Just for kicks, I checked Kobo and Google Play, although I was sure the meticulous A.T. Drake had already checked them--it is $19.25 at those sites, too. The publisher's site has only a pdf of promotional materials (a "press kit").

Too bad. I would have liked to have had this cookbook. And I checked and found that this ebook apparently never has been marked down before, so I'm wondering if it will again, at least for a while.

Thanks for all of your (usual) great posts, ATD.

[GtrsRGr8]

Duplicate. Removed.

[ATDrake]

Oops, sorry, forgot I was posting before midnight and to note that it was slated to drop at Amazon (normally I don't do the Monday posts until after, and Amazon usually switches over the official publisher promo freebies around 1 AM Pacific Time).

It is free @ B&N currently, and should go free at Amazon through Friday-ish (the usual Agate freebie-ization period) in another 30 minutes or so.