A Girl and Her Pig

Starred review from April 9, 2012
With an unabashed love of food and quality ingredients, Bloomfield, the British chef behind popular NYC eateries The Spotted Pig (which has a Michelin Star), The Breslin, and The John Dory, rolls up her sleeves and invites readers into the kitchen as she shares recipes for many of her signature dishes in this outstanding collection. Included here are must-haves from The Spotted Pig, such as the Gnudi, Smoked Haddock Chowde,r and her ethereal Chopped Chicken Liver on Toast, as well as Roasted Veal Shanks with White Wine and Shallots and Chicken Adobo, providing would-be chefs with more than enough encouragement to try their hand at her unique takes on comfort food. The majority of the recipes are fairly simple as long as the reader is patient and pays attention to detail, but a few, such as the labor-intensive Beef and Bayley Hazen Pie, roasted lamb heads, and a whole suckling pig may best be left to Bloomfield. Realistic (and gorgeous) photos of the dishes and charming anecdotes scattered throughout suffuse this cookbook with a welcome personal touch, appropriate for the oeuvre of a chef who "like to touch food, to know it." Even if readers have never set foot in one of Bloomfield's establishments, they'll likely be blown away by her creativity, passion, and good taste. Photos.