VOLT Ink Book Review - Voltaggio Brothers

The Voltaggio brothers trade their knives for pens

Their cooking styles may be radically different, but where locally raised brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio overlap is in their shared reverence for unique, pristine ingredients.

So the duo–each at work on new restaurant projects–have joined forces to pen a collaborative cookbook, VOLT ink. ($40), that showcases their favorite genres of ingredients.

These chapters stray far from the standard food-pyramid designations, trending more toward forgotten food families like nightshade, lily and mustard.

The earthy flavors of purslane, beet and Swiss chard cluster in the goosefoot chapter, featuring dishes like a beet "winter garden," and quinoa with flowers, radishes and hearts of palm.

The trees and shrubs of the laurel family–cinnamon, avocado and sassafras–inspire venison with root-beer molasses and butternut bark, cinnamon coffee cake with bay-leaf ice cream, and salt-crusted snapper with cinnamon-infused eggplant.

Grains inspire rye-based cavatelli and a thick, buttery batch of bacon-topped bread knots (click here for the recipe).

Each recipe features edgy graphics that share the chefs' personal thoughts on ingredients and flavors.

VOLT ink.: another star turn.