Hudson Valley Mediterranean: The Gigi Good Food Cookbook

A renowned chef and nutritionist has the recipe for delectable meals with a healthy Mediterranean focus, with more than 100 dishes featuring flavorful, seasonal, local food.

New York’s Hudson Valley has become a major center for local foods and agriculture, an East Coast version of the Napa Valley. Laura Pensiero’s Gigi Trattoria in Rhinebeck (named one of Hudson Valley’s best restaurants in Hudson Valley Magazine) bustles every day with customers from near and far feasting on Laura’s delicious interpretations of traditional Italian dishes made with healthy ingredients that highlight the bounty of the farms, gardens, and artisans of the Valley.

A celebration of the food of the Hudson Valley and the people who grow and produce it, Hudson Valley Mediterranean shows how to create delicious meals using seasonal ingredients that have the bonus of being really good for you. Here are more than 100 delectable, easy-to-prepare, and cost-effective recipes made with the best New York ingredients and Mediterranean flair, including:

• Gigi Potato Gnocchi with Northwind Farm Chicken and Pea Ragu
• Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower and Chard
• Fava Bean and Fregola Salad
• Spring Lasagna
• Seared Salmon over Spring Trifolati
• Mr. Mink’s Panzanella Salad with Fresh Herbs
• and Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

A renowned chef and nutritionist has the recipe for delectable meals with a healthy Mediterranean focus, featuring more than 100 recipes for flavorful, seasonal local food

Hailed as the Napa Valley of the East, New York's Hudson Valley has become a major hub for local foods and agriculture—and Laura Pensiero's acclaimed restaurants are at the center of it all. Customers from near and far flock to Gigi Trattoria in Rhinebeck (named one of Hudson Valley's best restaurants in Hudson Valley Magazine) and Gigi Market and Catering in Red Hook to dine on Laura's interpretations of traditional Italian dishes that highlight the bounty of the farms, gardens, and artisans of the Valley.

A celebration of the food of the Hudson Valley and the people who grow and produce it, Hudson Valley Mediterranean shows how to use seasonal ingredients to create delectable, nourishing meals. Here are more than 100 easy-to-prepare and cost-effective recipes made with the best ingredients and a touch of Mediterranean flair, including:

Gigi Potato Gnocchi with Northwind Farm Chicken and Pea Ragu
Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower and Chard
Fava Bean and Fregola Salad
Spring (and Every Other Season) Lasagna
Seared Salmon over Spring Trifolati
Mr. Mink's Panzanella Salad with fresh herbs
Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

This local and seasonal food movement is happening throughout the country, and Pensiero invites everyone to bring these foods into their own kitchens and communities using regional resources—because cooking with fresh food harvested nearby brings pleasure to eating and connects people to their family, friends, and community.

“People long for more flavor, better nutrition, and beauty on their dinner plates. One need look no further—Laura Pensiero delivers at Gigi Trattoria and she delivers in this book. If her recipes are anything like her restaurant’s—and they are—then watch out world! Pensiero makes eating well easy to swallow. And you don’t have to live in the Hudson Valley to reap the benefit of Hudson Valley Mediterranean.” - Amy Goldman, author of The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table and chair of the board of Seed Savers Exchange

“People long for more flavor, better nutrition, and beauty on their dinner plates. Laura Pensiero delivers at Gigi Trattoria and she delivers in this book. And you don’t have to live in the Hudson Valley to reap the benefit of Hudson Valley Mediterranean.” - Amy Goldman, author of The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table and chair of the board of Seed Savers Exchange

Honorable Mention, Publishers Weekly Best Food Books of 2009 - Publishers Weekly

“a collection of about 150 recipes with a distinct voice—one of balanced eating, locally sourced foods and fuss-free, straightforward dishes that showcase seasonal ingredients, like the candy-like sweetness of a rustic onion tart in autumn.” - Albany Times Union