The Freds at Barneys New York Cookbook, Reviewed

If you have ever had the experience of shopping at Barneys New York’s flagship store on Madison Avenue, no doubt you have also had the pleasure of dining at its restaurant, Freds at Barneys New York, named after founder Barney Pressman’s son Fred. It is a deliciously singular experience, and one you will not soon forget. If you have been so fortunate, then you are going to love The Freds at Barneys New York Cookbook, full of recipes from this wonderful establishment, allowing you to bring a piece of New York chic right into your home.

In addition to all of the delicious recipes you are invited backstage, into the kitchen of the restaurant where you learn about the history of this iconic place. The book also features an archive of Freds menus, and chapters are grouped by meal instead of food type, as they are in most cookbooks.

The recipes are simple and doable, easy enough for home cooks. Even those containing a seemingly daunting list of ingredients can still be easily prepared with a bit of patience and care. There are so many recipes that you are going to want to try in this book, I can’t begin to list them all, but I will list a few, including Freds Pesto, that is as ridiculously easy to make, as it is rewarding in taste. Freds Bistro Dressing is incredibly delicious, and works on a wide variety of salads, in addition to those offered at Freds. The Palm Beach Shrimp Salad is like a vacation in a bowl. The Jewish Boy from Queens with Russian dressing — a large onion roll with roasted turkey, coleslaw lettuce, tomato, and their signature Russian dressing topping it off makes this a must.

Then novice cook will appreciate this book as much as the seasoned one will. There are simple instructions on how to make every day items including how to clarify butter, make homemade croutons, how to properly steam potatoes, and blanch vegetables. Recipes for stock, bouillon, and demi glaze are also contained within the covers of this book. Freds signature salads are some you are certainly going to want to try, because no salad is more delicious than those served at Freds.

As if all of this isn’t enough there are wonderful soup recipes in this book including one for New Jersey Summer Heirloom Tomato Soup. If you’ve ever had a Jersey tomato, you know that they are the best tomatoes on the planet, and this soup pays homage to them. The Spring Mushroom Soup is equally tasty; the Lentil and Vegetable, satisfyingly hearty. Each recipe in the book is preceded with an interesting story about the recipe, and reminisces on time spent at the restaurant.

Rounding things out is a delicious section on desserts. No matter what your interest, there is something to please here, from the lighter offering of Summer Strawberry Shortcake, to Chocolate Biscotti and Coconut Macaroons, to (you knew it had to be here) New York cheesecake.

This is a book that should be in every kitchen. Buy one!

This post contains affiliate links.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.