The Good Stuff Cookbook - Softcover

Mendelsohn, Micheline; Mendelsohn, Spike

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0470527927 ISBN 13: 9780470527924

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010

Synopsis

Former Top Chef contestant and owner of the Good Stuff Eatery in Washington, D.C., presents recipes for classic fare and fan favorites including burgers, shakes, desserts and Good Stuff Sauce and Curry Mayo. Original.
Title: The Good Stuff Cookbook
Author: Mendelsohn, Spike/ Mendelsohn, Micheline (CON)/ Shymanski, Joe (PHT)
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Publication Date: 2010/05/24
Number of Pages: 256
Binding Type: PAPERBACK
Library of Congress: 2009026521

About this title

Review

"In this solar system of culinary stars, there is a newborn one that shines very bright. Chef Spike Mendelsohn has a pulse on the American heartbeat for delicious, soul-satisfying comfort foods from his crowd-pleasing restaurant on Capitol Hill that has pleased Presidents and celebs. Enjoy the Good Stuff recipes and see why folks are coming back for more."
—Chef Art Smith, TLC's Comfort Food

"With The Good Stuff Cookbook, Spike Mendelsohn applies his limitless imagination to classic American comfort food."
—Tom Colicchio, chef/owner of Craft restaurants and Colicchio & Sons

"I am a self-proclaimed queen of burgers, and it looks like Spike is on his way to becoming the king. I am obsessed with all things between the bun and have really enjoyed eating my way through the Good Stuff. Spike knows how to bring the fun to bun."
—Rachael Ray

One of the most popular contestants ever on the hit television show Top Chef, Chef Spike Mendelsohn is one of the hottest celebrity chefs on the scene. His new restaurant in Washington, D.C., Good Stuff Eatery, has been a resounding success and even claims First Lady Michelle Obama as a fan. In The Good Stuff Cookbook, he serves up fast, fun, and fresh recipes for classic fare like burgers, sides, shakes, and desserts, as well as menu suggestions for all types of events, from big parties to casual family dinners.

You'll find old favorites with a twist: unique and tasty sauces and mayonnaises like Good Stuff Sauce and Curry Mayonnaise; fan-favorite sides like Baked Sweet Potato Fries and Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus; the famous Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake, malts, and floats; and, of course, Chef Spike's crowd-pleasing burgers made with beef, turkey, chicken, pork, and even lamb.

• The book features 120 fresh and delicious recipes and 140 full-color photos
• Mendelsohn is one of the hottest up-and-coming chefs on the food scene with two new restaurants, a new web-based show on Food2.com called "By The Book, Off The Hook," and a number of other projects in the works
• This is the perfect all-American cookbook for anyone who loves great casual comfort food like burgers, fries, and shakes, but wants to shake things up with a gourmet touch

Just in time for Independence Day barbecues and summertime cookouts, The Good Stuff Cookbook offers a fresh and inventive take on classic American food.

Recipe Excerpts from The Good Stuff Cookbook

Farmhouse Bacon Cheeseburger

Milky Way Malt

Spike's Village Fries

Spike Mendelsohn and Rachael Ray: Author One-on-One

In an amazon-exclusive interview, Spike Mendelsohn and Rachael Ray have a casual kitchen chat about music and inspirations.

Spike Mendelsohn: I’m a huge fan of cranking up the music when I’m in the kitchen. It gives me a great vibe, rhythm and beat while I’m chopping, basting and putting together a meal. I listen to everything from The Beatles to Vampire Weekend, reggae, hip-hop and some rock. It really depends what kind of food I’m making and the mood I’m in. What kind of music do you listen to when cooking?

Rachael Ray: We listen to a wide range of music when we are making dinner. We love the Foo Fighters, U2, The Hold Steady and the Kings of Leon. Recently, we have been listening to this new band out of Baltimore called J Roddy Walston and The Business.

Spike Mendelsohn: And while you’re cooking... if you could invite anyone to dinner, living or dead, who would it be?

Rachael Ray: Living or dead? Living I would have to say I’d love to meet Dave Ghrol from the Foo Fighters. Dead would have to be my grandfather.

Spike Mendelsohn: My grandfather was a huge influence growing up as well. I’d love to have the opportunity to just sit with him and crack some jokes and then grill him about what I’m doing in the business and what I can do better. He ran so many restaurants during his time and that knowledge, his candid attitude and amazing sense of humor is something I really miss.

My restaurant, Good Stuff Eatery, was named after a saying he used so many times. When he loved something he’d do that hockey goal fist pump up and down in the air and say “GOOOOOOD STUUUUFFF.” So we named our restaurant after that, and burgers were what we decided to feature since my best food memory is with him in his backyard, in the Laurentian Mountains, grilling some burgers. He used to wrap them in wax paper so the juices stay in and the buns got steamed a bit. It was the best meal, the best memory, and that’s how we serve the burgers at my restaurant.

Rachel Ray: My best food memory, again deals with my grandfather. When I was growing up, I ate like a 60-year-old Italian man because my grandfather would make me my lunch. Sardine sandwiches and roasted vegetables—no one would sit near me in the lunchroom since my food didn't look or smell like theirs. But I loved it.

From the Inside Flap

This, ladies and gentlemen, is more than a simple cookbook. It is a rallying cry. It is a whoop, a holler, a hail, and a salaam. In The Good Stuff Cookbook, former Top Chef star Chef Spike Mendelsohn takes all-American comfort food and spices it up. Based on menu items from his wildly popular new restaurant, Good Stuff Eatery, these 120 mouthwatering recipes offer a fast, fun, and completely fresh approach to classics.

"Good times and good friends" is the motto when you're making these signature recipes that are perfect for groups of any size. For a starter, you can bring the wedge back with a twist and try a fresh Fennel, Orange, and Pomegranate Wedge salad. Everyone will love these crowd-pleasing recipes for beef, turkey, chicken, pork, and lamb burgers, especially when topped with Chef Spike's one-of-a-kind Good Stuff Sauce or spicy Curry Mayonnaise. Try the amazing hand-cut fries or shake things up with Baked Sweet Potato Fries or Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus. Don't forget to finish up with a handspun milkshake, malt, or classic float and everyone will leave your table with a smile.

You'll also find a section of hip and simple party dishes that includes luscious treats like decadent Cinnamon Twisted Donuts and cold, refreshing Margarita Slushies. With lists of vital pantry items and must-have kitchen tools, you'll have everything you need to eat simple, fresh, and great food, whether you're hosting a big crowd or just cooking for one.

Chef Spike believes in American comfort food made from the very best farm-fresh ingredients. The Good Stuff Cookbook shows you how to add that gourmet touch to the traditional burger-and-fries combo to create good food and good times. This is an aspirational, inspirational cookbook for enjoying the good stuff in life—handmade burgers, hand-cut fries, and handspun ice cream you'll crave again and again.

Start spreading the goodness . . .

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0470527927
• ISBN 13: 9780470527924
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256