Overview

One flight up, in a narrow, bustling bistro overlooking the chaos of one of New York’s busiest downtown streets, Ignacio Mattos serves some of the best food on the planet to throngs of loyals and locals, visiting celebrities (including presidents), out-of-town pilgrims, and everyone else curious for a taste of Estela. And what exactly are they tasting? Nothing too fancy, nothing molecular or precious or hyperseasonal, but food that hits you right there. Food that is bold, bright, layered, playful, and surprising. Food that bursts to life in your mouth. And thanks to Estela, it’s food that you can easily make at home. Estela teaches us how to think like Ignacio Mattos – how to look at something as ordinary as a button mushroom and make it extraordinary (shaved thin over dumplings) or as familiar as burrata and transform it (with a pool of juiced herby greens and charred bread). Revealed here are the sources of so many of Estela’s surprising pops of flavour – the vinegars, citruses, and pickling broths. The aesthetic and practical reasons for presenting foods in neat circles. And the two Fs that are pillars of Ignacio’s approach to conceiving dishes: “Focus,” meaning only one or two main ingredients and a small supporting cast, and “F**kup Proof,” his technique of composing a dish so that every bite is a piece of the whole, carrying its electric marriage of flavours and textures. Estela presents the complete roster of the restaurant’s great dishes and a new relaxed, creative approach to cooking.

Full Product Details

9781579656706

Table of Contents

Reviews

The restaurant's famed innovative yet simple cuisine, including bright and savory fruit salads and other vegetable-forward dishes, along with comforting mains. --Epicurious Ignacio Mattos cooks with an uncompromising palate, a keen artist's eye, and a playful, loving heart. Filled with secrets big and small, Estela will teach you how to understand and harness flavor like one of the world's most talented chefs. --Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat Ignacio takes you on different roads--from comforting to surprising to simple to gutsy, many times all at once. I love this book. --Francis Mallmann, chef and author of Mallmann on Fire Ignacio follows his own path, cooking with joy and confidence, approaching food from all perspectives, making bold statements yet remaining humble. Estela is serving some of the purest, most beautiful food in New York City. --Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse and founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project A visionary sort of simplicity. Estela is the elegant expression of a seeker on a striking path; a story of elemental, intuitive, and nourishing cooking. --Chad Robertson, co-owner of Tartine Manufactory and author of Tartine Bread Ignacio Mattos is a generous chef: He has given us three wonderful restaurants, inspired countless people, and now, with this beautiful book full of inspired recipes, shared his passion and knowledge of cooking with us all. --Ruth Rogers, chef/owner of the River Caf The flavors are supernatural, otherworldly, yet somehow very down to earth--you want to devour them immediately. Ignacio cooks from his soul. --David Tanis, chef, author, and New York Times columnist

Ignacio Mattos's wildly delicious food will have you shaking your head in gleeful disbelief. --from the foreword by Gabrielle Hamilton, author and chef/owner of Prune in New York City Ignacio Mattos cooks with an uncompromising palate, a keen artist's eye, and a playful, loving heart. Filled with secrets big and small, Estela will teach you how to understand and harness flavor like one of the world's most talented chefs. --Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat Ignacio takes you on different roads--from comforting to surprising to simple to gutsy, many times all at once. I love this book. --Francis Mallmann, chef and author of Mallmann on Fire Ignacio follows his own path, cooking with joy and confidence, approaching food from all perspectives, making bold statements yet remaining humble. Estela is serving some of the purist, most beautiful food in New York City. --Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse and founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project A visionary sort of simplicity. Estela is the elegant expression of a seeker on a striking path; a story of elemental, intuitive, and nourishing cooking. --Chad Robertson, co-owner of Tartine Manufactory and author of Tartine Bread Ignacio Mattos is a generous chef: He has given us three wonderful restaurants, inspired countless people, and now, with this beautiful book full of inspired recipes, shared his passion and knowledge of cooking with us all. --Ruth Rogers, chef/owner of the River Caf� The flavors are supernatural, otherworldly, yet somehow very down to earth--you want to devour them immediately. Ignacio cooks from his soul. --David Tanis, chef, author, and New York Times columnist

Author Information

Ignacio Mattos grew up in Uruguay, where his first mentor was his grandmother. He gained proficiency in professional kitchens at an early age, working in Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and far-flung places with Francis Mallmann, and then built on those skills at Zuni Café and Chez Panisse. Moving east, he was chef at Il Buco for five years before striking out on his own. In addition to Estela, he and his business partner, Thomas Carter, own Café Altro Paradiso and run the Flora Bar and Flora Coffee at the Met Breuer in New York City. Find him on Instagram @estelanyc and @ignaciomattos.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available