Bravo ! : Recipes, Legends and Lore, A Cookbook Celebrating 120 Years of the University Musical Society, Ann Arbor

First, what this is not: It is not a cookbook; if you don't already know how to cook, don't even come to this party. Nor is it just a collection of good recipes such as those published by the Junior League in so many cities. What it is, instead, is a masterful job of combining almost 500 first class recipes with a fascinating history of 120 years of visits to Ann Arbor by the greats of American music. As noted by the president of the society, "There is a natural affinity between the performing arts and the culinary arts." Indeed, most of dishes in the book exemplify cooking raised to the level of art. These are not quickie recipes-- they require dedication to fine cuisine and they demand painstaking effort and patience. The range is broad, from Cordon Bleu and Classic Italian to the newer influences from the American Southwest and Southeast Asia. For the menu centerpieces, there is an abundance of hearty meat dishes plus plenty of seafood and chicken for the red meat avoiders. Bravo! creates inspiration, not only to cook but to entertain in order to share the treats. One time when I was browsing Bravo, I imagined a party menu with every dish coming from a different part of the world-- it's that kind of an eclectic collection. Another time I imagined an all-star menu: appetizer, Zubin Mehta's chicken fritters; soup, Evgeny Kissin's mushroom soup or Leontyne Price's gumbo; salad, Itzhak Perlman's bean sprout salad; fish, David Shifrin's baked salmon with a dill sauce; entree, Skitch Henderson's spit-roasted pork loin; sides, Bill T. Jones' sage flavored pasta, Marilyn Horne's thyme flavored onions and Ida Kavafian's Armenian eggplant with yogurt, and for dessert, Richard Staltzman' s Linzertorte. In addition to the musical history, each chapter opening has a section called, "What was cooking?" These columns contain tidbits of what was new in American at various times during the years chronicled. Anecdotes sprinkled throughout are remembrances by society members. Two of my favorites are about Pavarotti and Perlman. "Luciano Pavarotti's 1974 recital in Ann Arbor was only the second of his career. At lunch [with the society's artistic administrator] he ordered two steak dinners and devoured both as she made notes on changes in his program for the evening. Looking up from her notes, she caught him stealing ice cream from her dessert plate. Playing to his undeniable charm, she extracted repayment by asking him to sing a favorite aria. He sang it right there, sotto voce." "Someone in the audience sneezed loudly just as Itzhak Perlman was about to play the very first note of his solo recital. 'Without missing a beat,' [the box office manager] recalls, 'Mr. Perlman responded "Gesundheit!" Once order was restored, he went on to give a magnificent performance.'" And, just as fine food is perfected by great presentation, Bravo! is presented magnificently. It's a coffee table book that's beautifully designed,

Truly a unique and delightful cookbook. It not only contains delicious recipes from major musical artists and other notable cooks, but also other unique items of interest. Spanning the 130 year history of the University Musical Society, this book contains copies of programs of some of the special concerts - including the first concert - as well as popular foods of the era. However, the parts I enjoyed the most were the anecdotes on the concerts and the famous artists themselves when they performed for the University Musical Society. This is a book not only for cooks and food lovers, but for those who love music and history as well. It is a beautifully designed and presented book - good enough to cook from, but beautiful enough to leave on your coffee table!