Taranta

Taranta: A Boston chef’s journey to sustainability is a cookbook that expands the reader’s world. Chef Jose Duarte, a native of Peru, restaurant owner, innovator in restaurant environmental practices, and a champion of human rights for workers in restaurants and in food production, believes that the connections one makes through food and cooking can change the world for the better. The home cook will find easy-to-follow recipes for Peruvian specialties such as Pollo Brasa, Lobster Causa and Classic Pisco Sour and learn why these foods are so beloved in the chef’s homeland. Sustainability is paramount in chapters about paiche, the ancient river fish being revived in Peru, and the benefits of quinoa. Ways to promote health permeate recipes and lore about beans, Peruvian elixirs and the ancient customs of Southern Italian families who forage for wild greens. Modern twists use slightly tangy Peruvian fruit lucuma to give tiramisu a South American beat and combine Peruvian ingredients with Italian techniques for deliciously new fare. Super-fast methods to make ceviche guide home cooks to rival restaurant fare while illuminating its history.

Alison Arnett is a journalist and food critic. She was the assistant managing editor for Boston Sunday Globe, supervising Sunday feature sections and magazines. Jose Duarte is a chef, a restaurateur, a teacher, an advocate of Peru and its many delicious foods and fascinating culture. But he is also a visionary about what food, health and the environment mean for our future and those of our children. As well as owning the former Taranta, a very popular restaurant in Boston’s North End that combined Peruvian ingredients with Italian techniques but closed in 2020, he owns Tambo 22, a nuevo cuisine Peruvian restaurant in Chelsea, MA.