Culinary Lessons by the Book

Online recipes are handy. Tasty.com videos are fun to watch. But the best culinary resource is still a dog-eared, flour-dusted cookbook. For old school chefs, an 87-year-old volume like The Joy of Cooking has no digital rival.

To honor these timeless tomes, Kristin and Matthew Gennuso are hosting a monthly Cookbook Series at Chez Pascal, their French-inspired restaurant on Hope Street. For $38, a visitor can enjoy some classic cuisine, taken straight from the pages of a famous cookbook. The first series took place throughout May, and diners were treated to three courses from the 1982 classic The Silver Palate Cookbook.

“One of the great influences of The Silver Palate Cookbook was it was crafted to demonstrate how one can entertain at home, with great food, and a warm, comfortable, welcoming atmosphere for guests,” says Kristin. “Throughout the book, there are noteworthy quotes as well, such as, ‘To invite a person into your house is to take charge of their happiness for as long as they are under your roof.’”

The series is still in its experimental stages, but the Gennusos plan to continue until the end of summer and possibly beyond, depending on interest. Visitors on Tuesday through Thursday nights can pick from the regular Chez Pascal menu, or they can try the series’ special tasting menu. The exact courses change from week to week.

“Matt kind of figures it out as he goes along,” says Kristin. “He has quite a collection [of cookbooks] at home, and as the months progress he sort of picks through them and lands on one that he will be working with.” 960 Hope Street