Via Carota: A Celebration of Seasonal Cooking from the Beloved Greenwich Village Restaurant

How is it that a book, and the restaurant which it represents, can make tradition and simplicity seem so compellingly distinctive? This book from the renowned Greenwich Village restaurant achieves that magic.

From the introduction in which one chef describes beginning to court the other with perfectly ripe strawberries from the Union Square Greenmarket, it's clear that Via Carota is a book about finding the best in ingredients and letting them speak for themselves. You can find recipes which contain more than ten ingredients, but you have to search the book for them.

Via Carota is arranged seasonally, with a few diversions into more timeless categories such as apertivi or pantry staples. The seasonal sections are further divided to highlight main ingredients, particularly produce.  The recipes are written in a conversational tone that trusts you have been in the kitchen before and encourages you to trust your instincts: "Roast until the juices have mostly reduced, about 2½ to 3 hours. Add a splash of water to the pot if it seems dry."

The above instructions come from a recipe for braised lamb shoulder with lemon zest. Along the other pleasures you will find in Via Carota are:

• cannellini beans with sage, tomato, and sausage
• butternut squash marinated with onions and currants
• smoked ricotta tortelli with red onions
• green cabbage and toasted farro with speck
• savory chard tart
• grilled pork ribs with black plums
• strawberry-rhubarb spritz
• roasted peaches in Amaretto

Entrancing and approachable.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.