Michael's Genuine Food: Down-to-Earth Cooking for People Who Love to Eat

JAMES BEARD AWARDWINNING CHEF Michael Schwartz put Miamis Design District on the culinary map when he opened his restaurant, Michaels Genuine Food & Drink, in 2007. In a town where food and cocktails are as much a part of the pulse as tans and nightclubs, Michaels Genuine strikes a very different note. Reviving the citys dining scene from an overabundance of Floribbean cuisine, the restaurant quickly won national praise for its superlative yet unpretentious fare, with Frank Bruni of the New York Times naming it one of the countrys top ten best new restaurants. In his first cookbook, Michael Schwartz shares his approachable, sought-after recipes with home cooks everywhere.

Michael focuses on sourcing exceptional ingredients and treating them properlywhich usually means simply. A salad truly becomes a meal, such as BLT Salad with Maple-Cured Bacon, as do pizzas, pastas, soups, and sandwiches. Snacks arent precious bits on toothpicks but hearty, eat-with-your-hands fare that can be mixed and matched, such as Caramelized Onion Dip with Thick-Cut Potato Chips and Crispy Polenta Fries with Spicy Ketchup. Side dishes are adventurous accompaniments that hold up mightily on their own, while the boldly flavored main dishesfrom Grilled Wild Salmon Steak with Fennel Hash and Sweet Onion Sauce to Grilled Leg of Lamb with Salsa Verdecome in two sizes: large and extra large, for serving family-style at the table. From simple desserts that riff on classic childhood favorites and flavors, including Banana Toffee Panini, to Michaels favorite drinks, youll have everything you need for the perfect dinner at home.

With seventy full-color photographs and abundant ingredient tips to help make the most of whats freshest at the market, Michaels Genuine Food is a guide youll return to time and time again for meals that will slip everyone into a state of genuine contentment.