The King Cookbook - by Annie Shi & Clare de Boer & Jess Shadbolt Hardcover

About the Book

"A stunning collection of simple and elegant seasonal recipes from the beloved New York restaurant"--

Book Synopsis

"Reading the book, just like visiting the restaurant, feels like being looked after" --Nigella Lawson, food writer and restaurant critic

A stunning collection of simple and elegant seasonal recipes from the beloved New York restaurant

At King, each day begins with a large sheet of parchment paper that will bear the markings of a new menu. The framework never changes but the offerings, cocktails and dishes inspired by Southern France and Italy, refresh and rekindle. Now, mirroring a meal at its intimate New York restaurant, The King Cookbook shares over 120 of its best-loved recipes, culled from years of daily-changing menus.

Just as owners Clare de Boer, Jess Shadbolt, and Annie Shi welcome guests to King, this collection starts with fizzy cocktails and nibbles like panisse, their signature fried ribbons of chickpea batter. Plays on cartas di musica, the Sicilian flatbread, give way to starters, soups, and salads, which in turn prepare appetites for pastas, mains, and contorni, vegetable sides. Throughout, whimsically illustrated step-by-step sequences detail how to recreate King's cult-favorite fresh pasta; the butchering of a rabbit; the perfect searing of a steak. Dessert highlights hits like King's flourless chocolate cake and classic Eton Mess, followed by variations of rich ice cream custards and bright sorbets. To finish, four seasonal, celebratory menus tie everything together, summing up the King purpose: to feast simply and lavishly.

At turns spare, whimsical, and surprising, The King Cookbook embraces simple, elevated cooking, celebrating the nuance and art of home cooking with familiar, irresistible recipes.

Review Quotes

"King is a place of enchantment: the food unfussy but pitch perfect, drawing on the cuisines of France and Italy [. . .] Its remit is expansive, offering a proper cook's primer and a comprehensive selection of recipes [. . .] Reading the book, just like visiting the restaurant, feels like being looked after" --Nigella Lawson, food writer and restaurant critic

About the Author

Clare de Boer is a five-time James Beard-nominated chef and a writer. She's the owner of Stissing House and co-owner of King, but is most often found in her home kitchen cooking for her husband and four sons. Clare writes about food for the New York Times and Vogue and has a bimonthly recipe newsletter, The Best Bit. She lives between Brooklyn and upstate New York.

Jess Shadbolt shared her first stove with her mother, Lys. In 2008 she joined The River Café in London as the assistant to chefs Rose Gray and Ruthie Rogers, and after a stint at Ballymaloe Cookery school in Ireland, returned to the restaurant as a chef. In 2016 she moved to New York City. She is the co-owner and Chef of King--now her home away from home. When she is out of the kitchen, she can be found cooking for her friends and family either in Fort Greene, Brooklyn or on Aldeburgh Beach on the Suffolk Coast in the UK.

Annie Shi is co-owner of the acclaimed restaurants King and Jupiter and owner of Lei in New York. Annie leads the beverage programs, translating the kitchens' seasonal and ingredient-driven philosophies into exceptional wine and cocktail offerings. She was selected as a Forbes 30 Under 30 and has written for and been featured in publications including the New York Times, Food & Wine, and New York Magazine. Prior to King, Annie started her career in finance and is a graduate of Yale University. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.