Bestia: Italian Recipes Created in the Heart of L.A.
By Ori Menashe, Genevieve Gergis, and Lesley Suter
Ten Speed Press, 2018
Publisher Description
This debut cookbook from L.A.’s phenomenally popular Bestia restaurant features rustic Italian food that is driven by intense flavors, including house-made charcuterie, pizza and pasta from scratch, and innovative desserts inspired by home-baked classics.
Since opening in downtown Los Angeles in 2012, Bestia has captivated diners with its bold, satisfying, and flavor-forward food served in a festive, communal atmosphere. Now, in this accessible and immersive debut cookbook, all of the incredible dishes that have made Bestia one of the most talked-about restaurants in the country are on full display. Rooted in the flavors and techniques of Italian regional cooking, these recipes include inventive hits like fennel-crusted pork chops; meatballs with ricotta, tomato, greens, and preserved lemon; and agnolotti made with cacao pasta dough. Irresistible desserts such as apple cider donuts and a chocolate budino tart, from co-owner and pastry chef Genevieve Gergis, end the concert of flavors on a high note. With chapters on making bread, pasta, and charcuterie; sections on stocks and sauces; and new ideas for getting the most from your cooking by layering flavors, Bestia delivers a distinctively innovative approach to Italian-inspired cooking.
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Recipes
Pantry
- Pickled Shallots
- Pickled Fresno Chiles
- Quick Pickled Cucumbers
- Pickled Fennel
- Pickled Baby Carrots
- Pickled Smoked Shiitake Mushrooms
- Pickled Sunchokes
- Preserved Lemon
- Preserved Orange
- Pineapple Mostarda
- Strawberry Mostarda
- Fermented Blackberry Jam
- Candied Blood-Orange Peel
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Cinnamon Vinaigrette
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Turmeric Vinaigrette
- Walnut Vinaigrette
- Fish Sauce Vinaigrette
- Vegetable Stock
- Mushroom Stock
- Lobster Stock
- Vegetable Soffritto
- Fennel Soffritto
- Basic Polenta
- Basic Lentils
- Creamy Ricotta
- Tomato Sauce
- Pesto
- Salsa Verde
- Paprika Salsa Verde
- Mint and Fennel Salsa Verde
- Base Aioli
- Squid Ink Aioli
- Paprika Aioli
- Tonnato Sauce
- Black Butter
- Smoked Dried Anchovies
- Anchovy Paste
- Egg Yolk Bottarga
- Smoked Egg Yolk Bottarga
- Squid Ink Bottarga
- Fried Lentils
- Parsley Bread Crumbs
Cocktails
- Chef’s Old Fashioned
- White Negroni
- Perazzi
- 5th & Adams
- Bestia Cola
- Happy Talk
Charcuterie
- Norcina Sausage
- Lambrusco-Black Pepper Salami
- Fennel Pollen Salami
- ’Nduja
- White ’Nduja
- Mortadella
- Coppa
- Bresaola
- Prosciutto
Salads
- Genevieve’s Little Gem Salad
- Cucumber, Plum, and Gorgonzola Salad
- Coraline and Citrus Salad with Mascarpone Yogurt, Radish, and Celery
- Chopped Salad with Brussels Sprouts, Fennel Pollen Salami, Fried Lentils, and Fresh Oregano
- Arugula and Opal Basil Salad
- Arugula, Radish, and Tarragon Salad
- Tomato and Burrata with Smoked Bottarga, Finger Lime, Toasted Buckwheat, and Marjoram
- Farro Salad with Pomegranate and Walnuts
- Farro Salad with Sunchokes and Snap Peas
- Farro Salad with Cauliflower and Avocado Cream
- Calamari a la Plancha with Chicory, Watercress, Oyster Mushrooms, Pine Nuts, and Chile Oil
Starters & Sides
- Lobster Crostini
- Scallop Crudo with Citrus and Dried Olives
- Lamb Belly Confit with Lime Yogurt and Grapefruit, Mint, and Pea Tendril Salad
- Veal Tartare Crostini
- Chicken Liver Pâté with Date Vinegar, Tarragon, and Preserved Lemon
- Chopped Chicken Livers with Aged Balsamic, Rosemary, Chiles, and Garlic
- Steamed Pork Belly with Herbed and Spiced Broth, Pickled Cucumbers, and Mint and Fennel Salsa Verde
- Pan-Roasted Chicken Gizzards with Beets and Endive
- Grilled Octopus with Black Braised Garbanzo Beans and Paprika Salsa Verde
- Meatballs with Creamy Ricotta, Tomato Sauce, and Braised Greens with Preserved Lemon
- Steamed Mussels and Clams with ’Nduja, Preserved Citrus, Fennel Pollen, and Grilled Bread
- Sunchoke Soup with Pickled Fresno Chiles and Oregano
- Saffron Corn with Dried Shrimp
- Housemade Ricotta with Basil, Dried Zucchini, Lemon Zest, and Grilled Bread
- Charred Shishito Peppers with Squid Ink Aioli
- Grilled Endive with Black Butter, Apple Balsamic Vinegar, Pear, and Fresh Thyme
- Blistered Snap Peas with Mint
- Roasted Cauliflower with Paprika Aioli and Soft Herbs
Bread & Pizza
- Country Bread
- Biga-Based Dough for Pizza Ovens
- Biga-and-Yeast-Based Dough for Home Ovens
- Pizza Sauce
- Margherita Pizza
- ’Nduja Pizza
- Gorgonzola Pizza
- Burrata Pizza
- Salsa Verde
Pasta
- Strozzapreeti with Tomato and Ricotta
- Squid Ink Chitarra with Cuttlefish
- Stinging Nettle Pappardelle with Mushrooms and Fried Eggs
- Tortellini di Mortadella
- Carrot Quadretti with Rabbit Ragu and Fresh Peas
- Cavatelli alla Norcina
- Spinach Gnochetti with Roasted Marrowbones
- Spaghetti Rustichella with Sea Urchin
- Agnolotti alla Vaccinara with Cacao Pasta, Braised Oxtail, Grana Padano, Pine Nuts, and Currants
- Tagliatelle al Sugo di Maiale with Pork Ragu, Speck, Cabbage, and Caraway Seeds
- Pici with Lamb Ragu
Main Dishes
- Grilled Stuffed Quail with Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Grilled Whole Branzino with Herb Confetti
- Porcini and Wild Fennel-Rubbed Coppa Steak
- Slow-Roasted Lamb Neck with Salsa Verde and Arugula, Fennel, and Black Sesame Salad
- Whole Roasted Duck with Citrus and Dill
- Grilled Pork Porterhouse
- Grilled Fennel-Crusted Pork Chop
- Grilled Rib-Eye with Apple Balsamic-Black Butter Sauce
- Slow-Roasted Suckling Pig
Desserts
- Lemon-Poppy Seed Olive Oil Cake
- Crostata Dough
- Frangipane
- Rhubarb-Raspberry Crostata
- Apple and Currant Crostata with Warm Crème Anglaise
- Ricotta-Pear Tart
- Chestnut Zeppole
- Butterscotch-Coconut Tart
- Maple-Ricotta Fritters
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Chocolate Budino Tart
- Mascarpone Rice Pudding with Persimmon Caramel, Hachiya Persimmons, and Orange Blossom Pistachios
- Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta with Wildflower Honey Soup
- Zabaglione al Moscato with Blood Orange Sorbet, Pine Nut Meringue, and Candied Orange Peel
- Roasted Banana Malt and Muscovado Peanut Ice Cream Bars with Dark Roasted Peanut Cream and Caramelized Bananas
- Frozen Strawberry Torte
- Rainbow Sherbet
- Lemon Verbena Sherbet
- Blueberry Mascarpone Ice Cream
- Coffee Ice Cream
- Sour Cream Ice Cream with Huckleberry Jam
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Butter-Topped Banana Bread
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