Foodist: Cookbook Reviews

Hudson River Valley Cookbook

By Waldy Malouf with Molly Finn

It is difficult to open Waldy Malouf's Hudson River Valley Cookbook and stay out of the kitchen. Each page has the aroma of wonderful flavors raised up out of fresh, seasonal ingredients of exceptional quality. There's something of a warning there for any cook or reader, a caveat emptor: Learn to shop for the best ingredients. Know what foods are in season. It comes as a mandate.

Malouf, in one sense, has it easy. The Hudson River Valley is a cornucopia of food products and well-defined seasons. Farmer's markets, whether out in the country or in downtown Manhattan, thrive. The goods, in other words, are there but for the shopping and the willingness to spend a little extra than one might in a supermarket. There's a difference, and it's the difference between a perfectly ripened peach and the usual peach-colored softball shipped in from who knows where.

When Malouf writes a recipe for Chopped Fresh Green Beans with Cured Duck, and if you have already gone to the trouble of curing duck in the way he describes, then you most certainly want to find the best green beans you can. Here's a hint: You won't find green beans like that in the middle of winter. Or how about Endive, Apple, and Roasted Walnut Salad with Blue Cheese? Here's a recipe that shouts out autumn. There are game recipes galore, and they are more viable today for the average cook than ever before. Farm-raised game is plentiful. Or how about Potato Salad with Horseradish and Red Onion?

Malouf is a master at pulling magnificent flavors out of simple ingredients. His is a gentle approach to cooking, one where the cook all but disappears and the dish gets all the attention. This is a very American cookbook.
Schuyler Ingle ...