Bianco: Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like―Delicious Italian Recipes from Chris Bianco's Kitchen

I am fortunate enough to live in Phoenix and have the opportunity to occasionally dine at the various Bianco restaurants. They are Italy in the desert. One thing people outside of Arizona and Phoenix don't seem to appreciate about the state is the number of fantastic organic farms and heirloom growers in the area, and all of the Bianco restaurants make gorgeous use of these ingredients. In this book, Chris Bianco was refreshingly straightforward and, in my opinion, generous with the recipes. If you tasted his food, you'd appreciate the exquisite simplicity and elegance with which his recipes are built. When he says that it's all about the quality of the ingredients, you'd believe him without question. I would almost go so far as to call him brave for publishing these simple recipes and the myriad ways he draws attention to the vital importance of details and quality. I was so confused by the negative reviews of this book until I read them. People don't seem to understand or appreciate how much our wheat and flour has changed. One perk of being a local is the ground-raised organic / heirloom wheat flour in a variety of grades available to us in the valley. You should source your wheat flour local to where you are with the specifications Chris Bianco outlines in his book. Yes. It makes that big of a difference. The details may not be flashy or exciting, but the difference between great art and just art is in the execution and the details. He gives you the details. There have been so many times I've purchased cookbooks from favorite chefs or restaurants and have been really disappointed when they put exotic-without-cause or complicated recipes in the book that are frankly too cumbersome for a home cook to make on a regular basis. Chris Bianco did the absolute opposite. He seemingly handed over the keys to his Italian-in-the-desert-kingdom. I'm pleasantly surprised and beyond grateful. If what you're seeking are the recipes for how he makes his simple yet exquisite recipes, they're all there and then some.

I think Chris seems like a pretty good guy and this book helps solidify my view of that. I enjoy learning about his approach towards food in general and life. The recipes are great and it’s made me better in the kitchen. I went to one of his restaurants in Arizona and had pizza there. His staff ran out of dough, but they actually made dough for us and made us a pizza anyway. That genuine desire to make people happy starts at the top of the organization and is present in everyone we encountered. This book is worth getting.

We use this cool book for our pizza. It’s a great recipe. The pizzas are perfect.

I had never heard of Chris Bianco until I read Peter Reinhart's American Pie, My Search for the Perfect Pizza. Peter waxed poetic about Pizza Rosa (pistachio pizza ) and called Bianco's pizzaria one of the best in America. So when I saw Chris Bianco had written a cookbook, I had to have it. Yes, there are only a few pizza recipes in the book however he spends some time on small plates which is unusual and the desserts are not overly sweet. He weaves in pictures and stories from his parents and grandparents which I found similar to my own heritage and can so appreciate that the knowledge hand down is valuable and precious. I see some of the reviewers don't like his pizza dough. I myself am a devote of Peter Reinhart's Neopolitan crust recipe and have not tried Chris's dough. But how many people would make a pizza with pistachios and a little red onion - it is delicious. For those without a pizza oven, Chris covers alternatives and encourages experimentation with all his recipes. Lastly, he has a recipe in here for a flat crepe/pancake made out of chickpea flour and sage leaves. I made it in my pizza oven and loved it.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I'm very glad that Chris finally wrote it - I've been waiting for this book for many years. On the other, like many here, I'm disappointed by the pizza dough recipe. This really doesn't look like what he uses in the pizzeria. He offers only a single, straight dough recipe with a 3-5 hour rise. I tried this and found the crust a bit bland. I didn't expect the holy grail of dough recipes, but the recipe is very basic. You can find better pizza doughs in books such as The Pizza Bible and Tartine. However, there is a LOT of gold in this book. First off, Chris meticulously explains his pizza sauce - great! He goes over his 6 signature pizzas with detailed instructions - awesome. His salad dressings are excellent - I have tried the balsamic and red wine vinegar ones so far. His meatball recipe is killer! So my recommendation is - buy this book if you'd like to learn Chris' philosophy, his favorite recipes and his favorite pizza toppings. Know that the dough recipe in the book isn't that great and expect to alter it or swap it out for another. His flavor combinations will still be very enjoyable and can add to your repertoire.

This book has been on my wishlist for so long, unavailable in Australia until Amazon made it available. Chris Bianco is a genius with Italian food and I'm looking forward to trying to recreate every single recipe.

Excelente livro de receitas!

Excellent book very hard to find delighted

Best book for beginners trying to learn the art of pizza cooking, works on Indian ingredients, also an inspirational book and creative one.

Excelente libro