Boka: The Cookbook

From the Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant comes a handsome book emphasizing highly seasonal and beautifully plated food.

The restaurant’s chef, Lee Wolen, worked at places as varied as Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons under Raymond Blanc, elBulli under Ferran Adria, and at Eleven Madison Park in NYC. His recipes may not always flaunt groundbreaking techniques, but Wolen composes intricate and thoughtful dishes which sometimes take unfamiliar approaches.

For instance:

• Turnips braised in a caramel infused with aromatics, apple, and tamari; 
• Dry-aged beef tartare
• Braised short ribs which are grilled before serving
• Brined, rolled pork neck, cooked for 18 hours sous vide

This is a book in which a chef speaks directly to other restaurant professionals. Dishes are composed of multiple components, some of which depend on other components which must be separately prepared. It’s very much a professional cookbook, confidently and assuredly presenting what happens at the restaurant.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.