When you think of the top American restaurants, one name that comes to mind is Gotham Bar and Grill, the quintessential New York City restaurant led by executive chef and co-owner Alfred Portale. Gotham has been one of our most cherished culinary institutions for two decades, earning four consecutive New York Times three-star reviews and residing among the Zagat Survey's top five New York City restaurants for more than ten years.

Portale's defining modern American cooking, impeccable service, and soaring space have earned Gotham the prestigious honor of being named "Most Outstanding Restaurant" in the nation by the James Beard Foundation. But what does Portale cook when he's not working? In his latest book, "Alfred Portale Simple Pleasures," the acclaimed chef invites you to taste the sublime and surprisingly easy-to-prepare, restaurant-quality dishes he serves to friends and family at home.

The 125 recipes in the book include home versions of Gotham classics as well as new recipes straight from Portale's home kitchen. These dishes are simple enough for any home cook, yet spectacular enough to impress anyone who tastes them. At the center of the book are elemental main courses such as Roast Cod with a New England Chowder Sauce, Filet Mignon with Madeira Sauce, and Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Button Mushrooms and Sage.

Portale offers pairing suggestions for building a menu, variations for adapting recipes according to season and personal taste, and flavor-building instructions on how to accent a dish with extravagant extras such as caviar or everyday additions such as flavored oils. In other words, home cooks will learn how to add a Gotham-inspired twist to their own favorite recipes.

The supermarket-friendly dishes featured in the book include modern classics such as Spicy Shrimp Salad with Mango, Avocado, and Lime Vinaigrette; Pumpkin and Caramelized Onion Soup with Gruyère and Sage; and Sautéed Spinach with Garlic, Ginger, and Sesame Oil. Portale helps readers transform everything from ordinary weekday lunches to Saturday night dinner parties into anything but ordinary.

No meal is complete without dessert, and Portale delivers sweet and sophisticated send-offs, including Lime Meringue Tarts, a simple Summer Plum Pudding, and an elegant Chocolate-Grand Marnier Cake. "Alfred Portale Simple Pleasures" is a testament to the idea that nothing could be simpler or more pleasurable than Portale's homestyle, restaurant-quality dishes.

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