In Robert's of Charleston's Kitchen
Chef Robert's Recipes from Robert's of Charleston Restaurant
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Our compulsion to exchange recipes is almost as old as the art of cooking. Some of our most intriguing recipes developed out of a farm wife’s desire to use leftover food or by-products from food preserving. She sought to make these preparations very palatable. Pate, one of France’s common dishes, was created in just this fashion. Because the ingredients these people had to work with were very much the same, the neighboring farm tended to develop a similar recipe. However, as human nature will, these recipes turned out not to be identical. When one farmer tasted and liked something their neighbor had created, recipe exchange began. We are very much the same today. Most of us who enjoy good food and cooking also enjoy recipes and the different ways of preparation. In my cookbook, you will explore the best recipes I have collected from many years of experimentation, as well as others I discovered from my travels. All of these recipes contain our basic foods we have available today. Nothing is enjoyed and appreciated more by family and friends than a wonderful meal prepared by loving hands. Joyous cooking!
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About the Book
Each night at my restaurant, Robert’s of Charleston, my staff and I prepare and present a unique menu. Those of our guests who themselves have some culinary expertise – and indeed any who have ever attempted to prepare a dinner party know that a good menu starts with correct recipes to make the meal both enjoyable and memorable. My training at the Culinary Institute of America taught me to read the written recipe with much discernment. Thus, I have tried to make these recipes as straightforward as possible, leaving nothing to chance for you. A complete step-by-step guide to build signature sauces is how I want you to lean to add that expert touch to every dish. They reflect my collection from over forty years in the numerous establishments I have worked. The sixty sauces are "finger-licking-good." The first section is designed to be an alchemy of goodness, but it does not stop there. The soup recipes range from broth style with egg and cheese to Clam Chowder, Cream of Cauliflower and more, ending with Lobster Bisque. The entrees chapter provides a sampling of the most favored American meats: beef, Cornish hens, lamb, veal, pork, seafood, and others; and, their recipes will be a good cooking foundation for the novice as well as the expert. Recipes in the accompaniments yield full-flavor and are exquisitely aromatic. They are an essential component of the meal. Experience Caponata, ratatouille, or as a stand alone, County-Style Pate’. Desserts range from delicate and delectable, to classically comfortable. Whatever their degree of complexity, desserts demand close attention to detail, whether in removing the pith from an orange peel or in carefully separating eggs for a custard. The ingredients themselves are seldom elaborate unlike my recipes: tortes, tarts, mousses, soufflés, crepes, pies, cakes, sorbets, and trifles. When you have cooked your way through my book you will feel more comfortable in your own kitchen. My recipes draw upon the techniques and flavors of cultures from around the world as the seamlessly integrate European traditionalism with Asian minimalism and American ingenuity and spontaneity. The book provides dishes for home entertaining. Whether you want a quick fix family meal, a backyard barbeque feast, or a five-course dinner . . . shut off the food cooking show, get in your kitchen, open a bottle of wine and cook with me!
About the Author
Robert A. Dickson was born in New Jersey. He began his culinary career directly from high school by entering the Culinary Institute of America at its first location in New Haven, Connecticut in 1963. France beckoned to him where he studied its food with an encouraging letter from Julia Child, author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volumes I and II. She introduced him to her late co-author Simone Beck. Robert assisted Simone with her cooking classes in Paris. These culinary scholars built a solid foundation for his cooking style and technique, but his strongest influence was from his Italian mother who he considered a great cook. Her policy was, "the more garlic and olive oil in recipes the better." She also pressed him to make his food inventive, impressive and delicious. His family and the enjoyment of dining sensitized Robert’s palate to the fine ingredients of good food. In the mid-1970s, Robert took a sabbatical from "chefing" and lived in London, England to study opera singing. His natural voice and repertoire improved and gave him the confidence to combine his two loves – cooking and singing – to feature in his next restaurant. Robert is the founder of Robert’s of Charleston with his wife, Pam. For over twenty-six years, they have pleased diners from everywhere on the globe. Since it opened in 1976, Robert’s is an institution where his music makes fine dining memorable. He cooks and entertains patrons with gourmet food and his operatic baritone voice. In 1978, Robert published his first cookbook, Robert’s of Charleston Dinner For Six, featuring some of the recipes for dishes often served in his restaurant. Two other cookbooks to his credit are A Journal of Fine Cooking and Robert’s of Charleston at Home. Robert’s of Charleston Restaurant has been favorably reviewed in major food magazines, including GOURMET, BON APPETIT, FOOD & WINE, SOUTHERN LIVING, and TRAVEL & LEISURE by Conde Nast. As a result of his dedication to the restaurant industry in South Carolina, Robert Dickson was presented the 1981 "Restaurant of the Year" award. Robert’s is named the "Most Romantic Restaurant" in Charleston by TV Food Network and continues to receive the Four Diamond AAA award.