The King Cookbook

The co-owners of Manhattan’s King restaurant debut with a tantalizing if fussy volume of recipes for Italian and French cuisine. The authors offer up several exciting toppings for carta di musica, a Sardinian flatbread­—including broccoli rabe puree, ricotta salata, and olives; torn figs, mint, and fresh ricotta; and creme fraiche, chili, and soft herbs­—but don’t show how to make the bread itself or provide tips for sourcing it. Several dishes take considerable time, such as Tina’s Rabbit Pie, which involves making and refrigerating the crust, braising a rabbit, making a roux, assembling the pie, baking, and cooling for at least three hours. Others require hard-to-find ingredients, including agretti, quince, and quail, but the authors offer few suggestions for substitution. More accessible options include potato watercress soup; a salad of winter leaves with blood orange, olives, and almonds; and sea bass with leeks, anchovy, and vermouth. For dessert, there’s tiramisu and langues de chat alongside Eton Mess and treacle tart, inspired by the authors’ time in London. The instructions are thorough and may require a quick reread before cooking. It all looks delicious, but only the most ambitious home cooks will have the bandwidth to tackle these elaborate meals. Agent: Janis Donnaud, Janis A. Donnaud and Assoc. (Nov.)