What is "vegetronic"? A world where vegetables (and fruits, too) are at the center of delicious meals-where crisp broccoli is the star of a dinner party and where the flavors and textures of bright, just-picked ingredients are a source of inspiration.
As much for carnivores as it is for vegetarians, Vegetronic is a playful and provocative examination of the potential of fresh produce. In this debut cookbook, Michelin-starred chef Alexis Gauthier introduces favorite ingredients from his kitchen-from fragrant rose petals to artichokes, from ripe tomatoes to overripe strawberries-and explains how to highlight their flavors in visually arresting, vegetable-intensive (but not always vegetarian) preparations.
As arresting in their presentation as they are boldly flavored, these dishes can be as simple as peeling an orange or dicing a cucumber. Gauthier offers suggestions for coaxing something delicious from early- or late-in-season ingredients, like unyieldingly hard peaches or end-of-season fava beans and peas. Gauthier shows you how to harness eggplant's velvety texture for a sweet-and-sour bruschetta, or how to make a pan-fried head of broccoli dressed with whole-grain mustard into a worthy main course. Even when a dish gets an extra bump from bacon, chicken broth, or lamb jus, Gauthier's emphasis is always on the essential flavor of the vegetable or fruit that centers the dish as a whole.
These 120 diverse recipes focus on the potential of fresh fruits and vegetables-a salad of warm asparagus ribbons set over ricotta gnocchi and crunchy bacon; a scattering of crisp apples over shockingly pink beets; a chilled fava bean soup topped with a silky poached egg; a pumpkin risotto made even creamier with a dash of mascarpone. So whether you're a committed vegetarian or just an enthusiastic omnivore, Vegetronic will make you rethink the way you shop, cook, and eat all year long.
