Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza and Calzone

I can't speak for the pizza and calzone section of this book, but I have made quite a few of the pasta recipes and have been delighted with the results. Perhaps even more than the recipes in the other Chez Panisse books, the pasta recipes are inventive yet simple, showcasing the ingredients and combining a small selection of flavors to produce surprisingly wonderful results. Alice Waters does unexpected things with pasta that, for me, have transformed pasta from a boring "filler meal" (box of spaghetti plus jar of tomato sauce) into a satisfying and even exciting main course. The pasta recipes have something to offer for all tastes and diets. A lot of the recipes here involve fish, but there are plenty that don't. There are vegetarian recipes and recipes with meat. My personal favorites are the spaghetti with meatballs, the fall pasta with spicy Italian sausage, and the winter pasta with greens, sausage, and olives. Meat here tends to play a supporting role--it's like a condiment, adding flavors but not overwhelming the other ingredients. The recipes are presented in a straightforward fashion, with a clear list of ingredients and (what I think are) simple, clear instructions. At times, Waters assumes that you can fend for yourself a bit ("cook about five minutes, until browned" without telling you a temperature setting, for example), so parts of the instructions might be intimidating to new cooks. However, she never leaves you in the dark about anything important. At times, she does use some "advanced" culinary language--like "chiffonade"--but this is rare and these terms are easy to look up on the internet or in other cookbooks. I don't think there's anything in the book that isn't accessible to all levels of cooks. Just be aware that the recipes assume that the reader is not afraid of cooking. This is probably my most-used Chez Panisse book, and I think anyone interested in learning new ways to approach pasta should enjoy it. Highly recommend!

I have been using the cookbook for about 6 or 7 years now. It is by far the most used cookbook on my rather stocked cookbook shelf. There are so many things to love about this book, especially the way it is divided by seasons so you can easily choose a recipe made with ingredients that are in season, which, of course, is what has made Alice Waters a legend. Since I don't have hours to spend in the kitchen, I do not make my own pasta as the recipes suggest. That cuts down significantly on the time involved, and, although I imagine that well-made fresh pasta is a delight, I have found every dish I've tried utterly delicious -- not lacking in flavor, texture, or excitement despite the use of your ordinary dried pasta. I absolutely love the linguini with cherry tomato vinagrette, and during tomato season we eat this almost every week. It's easy and delicious, and you can make most of it ahead of time, just cooking the pasta at the last minute and tossing it all together. The only drawback is that some of the recipes are just way too involved for your average person, but for a cookbook inspired by such a legendary restaurant and chef, there are many recipes that are simple enough for just about anybody to make.

This book, originally published in 1984 was a major influence on the way I cook. It not only gave me the knowledge to try new and fresher ingredients, but it's writing enabled me to visualize that I could really improvise in the kitchen. Every recipie I have made from this book has been fabulous, and the roasted new potatoes with pesto are the absolute bomb. For the recipies, and the creativeness that Alice Waters encourages, no serious cook should be without this book.