Café Pongo

A diverse collection of delicious recipes from Café Pongo, the beloved restaurant of New York's Hudson Valley, provides a vast array of culinary delights, from Toasted Coconut Hot Cakes with Carmalized Pineapple to Crusted Rare Tuna Over Greens with Ginger Horseradish Vinaigrette.

Seven-year-old Café Pongo has made Tivoli, New York, a culinary destination. Located in the fertile Hudson Valley, the restaurant offers American fare with an international twist: food enjoyed equally by a loyal local clientele and visitors from all parts. The Café Pongo Cookbook, the work of Valerie Nehez, the restaurant's founder, captures the food and flavor of the restaurant (named after her beloved dog) in over 200 approachable recipes and many diverting anecdotes. Readers seeking formulas for countrified fare that also packs a flavor punch should welcome the book.