While Chi Spacca feels very new and different with regards to focus and many of the flavor profiles, from start to finish, this is absolutely a Nancy Silverton book. If you are a fan of her, her food, or her restaurants, this is probably going to be an instant by for you. I really did enjoy a number of recipes here and in particular picked up some great techniques. Got to love the evolution of her bottom of the oven technique.

Now, all of that said, there are a number of recipes here that while fun to read and think about, have a pretty high level of difficulty and access for a lot of home cooks. Because of the pandemic and working from home, I did have the time and inclination to put into some of the mise that could take quite a while for some. Plus there is the searching for ingredient substitutions since I’m in a slightly different climate than California. These are recipes and adaptations from Silverton’s restaurant, so some of that is expected, but if you are looking for a quick Tuesday night meal and you don’t have a prep chef, there is a lot here that may not work for you. Though if you have the the time and effort to put in, there are absolutely dishes here that will wow your dinner table.


Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This time Nancy Silverton has taken on meats, fish and vegetables. After living in Umbria, Italy she learned all kinds of dishes such as Bone Marrow Pie, and Moroccan braised shanks. Vegetables such as charred sugar snap peas and roasted beets with chicories. She also includes her wonderful butterscotch budino. All of Nancy Silverton’s books are wonderful and so is this one of course.

I love reviewing cookbooks, not just for their slick pages and glossy photos but also to be immersed in a chef's story about a dish, and if I'm lucky, to learn a thing or two. Nancy Silverton is a chef's chef. I have seen cool-as-a-cucumber cooking show contenders become completely unglued when they find out she will be judging their dishes. That being said, I didn't know much about her before reading this cookbook. The introductory pages provide her culinary backstory and the recipes included are a collection from her three Los Angeles restaurants: Chi Spacca, Pizzeria Mozza, and Osteria Mozza. She believes that the internet and Instagram has made "fusion food" is a thing of the past and I couldn't agree more. This cookbook is definitely "meat-heavy" but there are lots of other great recipes for breads, vegetables, and desserts included. I reviewed this as an e-ARC but will definitely be purchasing a physical copy.

This book was received as an ARC from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am an absolute fan of Nancy Silverton, her restaurants and her dishes due to her multiple appearances as a guest judge on Top Chef. I could not help but fall in love with the back story of Chi Spacca and how she was inspired by the butchers of Italy including her very good friend Dario Cecchini whom made an appearance on Top Chef by butchering the major cuts of the cow and loved how he always said the word CARNE after he was done. I am so inspired by the recipes featured in this cookbook and can't wait to try them. Hopefully this will be a potential candidate for a future cooking demo.

We will consider adding this title to our TX Cookbook collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I was immediately caught by the inclusion of the garam masala spice mix, preserved lemons, ras el Hanout, and Za'atar -- I'm all for that. Unfortunately for me, the instructions aren't numbered (yep, I need my hand held), but I'm so excited to try some of the unusual pairings/recipes/ingredients that I've not come across before (puntarella, lipstick peppers, pork tonnato, etc) and a few recipes that I think my family would really enjoy. While the design is not my preferred (really, hold my hand), it's easy to follow, the photos are great, and I can't wait to go on the hunt for some of the ingredients I've never tried before. #ChiSpacca #NetGalley

A staple cookbook by a famous chef but in terms of accessibility this book went over my head with the recipes and Ingredients - it’s definitely for a more advanced cook or a Nancy silverton fan.

I get what this book was going for, but it ended up feeling dense and not very accessible for a home cook. Pictures looked delicious, but often left out dishes that I would most like to see pictured.