Peter Clenott

“Inspired by Centeno’s five restaurants . . . Asian, Middle-Eastern, and Latin American influences meld harmoniously in this polished chef cookbook.” —Library Journal Visually stunning and conceptually fresh, this is the cookbook of the season from Josef Centeno, the chef credited with capturing the myriad tastes of Los Angeles on the plate. Recipes span from simple to show stopping, exploring sauces, soups, mains, salads, and desserts, too. More than 130 vivid photographs convey the beauty and excitement of Chef Centeno’s extraordinary cooking. Josef Centeno is the chef and owner of Bäco Mercat, Bar Amá, Orsa & Winston, Ledlow, and P.Y.T. In Bäco, he draws on his multicultural heritage, formal training in top-notch restaurants such as Manresa and Daniel, a lifelong obsession with cookbooks, and his insatiable curiosity. Centeno’s cooking layers textures and explores how spices and sauces can be used to transform the most basic vegetables! “Josef’s ability to weave a swath of traditions into forceful and deeply satisfying dishes has made him a pioneer in the resurgence of L.A. dining. Detailed and lyrical—a little Turkish and a tad Tejano—Bäco is the perfect manual for just how he does it.” —Patric Kuh, food critic, Los Angeles Magazine “The 130 bold, nontraditional recipes here, based on Centeno’s Texas upbringing, are organized by flavors and textures . . . Centeno’s exciting debut cookbook offers an impressive portrait of a chef who believes ‘taste is tantamount’ and that options are unlimited.” —Publishers Weekly “[A] collection of recipes that demonstrates exactly why he is one of the most influential chefs of the New Los Angeles Cuisine.” —Jeremy Fox, Rustic Canyon