The Inn at Little Washington Cookbook: A Consuming Passion

Book Synopsis: 110 sparklingly original recipes from the world-renowned self-taught chef and founder of the three-star Michelin restaurant The Inn at Little Washington Patrick O’Connell, a self-taught chef who read cookbooks to learn how to cook, began his culinary career with a catering business in an old farmhouse, cooking on a wood stove with an electric frying pan purchased for $1.49 at a garage sale. To O’Connell’s surprise, the pan was able for boil, sauté, and deep fry for parties of up to 300 guests, which sharpened his awareness of how much could be done with very little. In 1978, his catering business evolved into a country restaurant and Inn, operating out of a defunct garage in a small Virginia town affectionately referred to as “Little” Washington. Now a multiple James Beard Award–winning and Michelin star restaurant, The Inn at Little Washington was America’s first five-star Inn. In The Little Inn at Washington Cookbook, O’Connell assembles elegant, simple, and straightforward recipes that elevate everyday ingredients. With helpful, detailed instructions, O’Connell teaches you how to make over one hundred dishes, from Fresh Tuna Tartare on Tuna Carpaccio with Wasabi Mayonnaise and Miniature Caramelized Onion Tartlets to Rockfish Roasted with White Wine, Tomatoes, and Black Olives on Toasted Couscous and Steamed Lobster with Grapefruit Butter Sauce. He also includes delicious desserts, such as Rosemary Crème Brulé and Double-Pumpkin Roulade, and savory sides, like Creamy Garlic Polenta and My Grandmother’s Baked Beans. With over three hundred stunning, mouthwatering photographs and thoughtful reflections from O’Connell, The Inn at Little Washington Cookbook is a fresh and glorious resource and a romantic culinary journey through the Virginia countryside.