I really enjoy being a part of the Abrams Dinner Party and being exposed to cookbooks and other types of books related to food that I might never have picked up while wandering the shelves at the bookstore. This book was written by the owner and chef of Savoy in New York that he owned for 25+ years. It is no longer there and while I never ate at this restaurant (because I live in Texas and don’t visit New York), I had heard of it and only good things.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but Peter showcases various ingredients and calls them “profiles in taste and inquiries into how the plants and animals we cherish eating can deepen our appreciation for the marvel of creation.” Each chapter will broaden your thoughts about the ingredients and how they could impact your life.

There are many chapters interspersed with life growing up for the author and his experiences from life and running Savoy. There are recipes spaced out in the book and several of them sound quite intriguing including a drink called The Red and Black which is a souped-up margarita. It sounds delicious!

This is a book that will be savored over time and imagining life as a restaurateur and shopping the local farmer’s markets for fresh ingredients for that day’s fare. The home chef could do the same if they have a market available to them on a daily basis. Most of the ones I see are weekly or monthly, but there is something about enjoying ingredients that are sourced locally vs another country.

I have to share the drink recipe with you, let me know if you try it out!

The Red and Black

1 oz Black Pepper Simple Syrup plus a little extra for the rim of the glass

Spice Rim Mix

5 strawberries

2 oz blanco or light resposado tequila

1 oz fresh lime juice

Prepare the simple syrup and spice rim mix a day ahead if possible

Dip the rim of a rocks glass in a shallow puddle of simple syrup, shake off excess syrup, and then dip the rim into the spice blend so the spice adheres over the entire rim. Set aside upright while you prepare the drink.

Carefully remove stems from the strawberries, preserving as much of the flesh as possible. Using a spoon or wooden muddler, roughly mash the strawberries in a cocktail shaker. You do not want to make a puree out of the strawberries. pour the tequila, lime juice, and syrup into the shaker. Add ice, shake, and pour into the spice rimmed rocks glass. Enjoy!

Black Pepper Simple Syrup

2 cups hot water

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup freshly crushed black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool and then store in a Mason jar in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Strain through a fine mesh sieve before using. Keeps for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Spice Rim Mix

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly crushed black pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a small bowl and toss to combine. Keeps well unrefrigerated in a sealed container for at least 2 weeks.

Synopsis

A culinary pioneer blends memoir with a joyful inquiry into the ingredients he uses and their origins

What goes into the making of a chef, a restau­rant, a dish? And if good ingredients make a differ­ence on the plate, what makes them good in the first place? In his highly anticipated first book, influential chef Peter Hoffman offers thoughtful and delectable answers to these questions. “A locavore before the word existed” (New York Times), Hoffman tells the story of his upbringing, professional education, and evolution as a chef and restaurant owner through its components—everything from the importance of your relationship with your refrigerator repairman and an account of how a burger killed his restaurant, to his belief in peppers as a perfect food, one that is adaptable to a wide range of cultural tastes and geographic conditions and reminds us to be glad we are alive.

Along with these personal stories from a life in restaurants, Hoffman braids in passionately curious explorations into the cultural, historical, and botani­cal backstories of the foods we eat. Beginning with a spring maple sap run and ending with the late-season, frost-defying vegetables, he follows the progress of the seasons and their reflections in his greenmarket favorites, moving ingredient to ingredient through the bounty of the natural world. Hoffman meets with farmers and vendors and unravels the magic of what we eat, deepening every cook’s appreciation for what’s on their kitchen counter. What’s Good a layered, insightful, and utterly enjoyable meal.