Ad Hoc at Home
by Thomas Keller
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Book Reviews of Ad Hoc at Home
Book Review: Accessible but not dumbed-down recipes from one of the worlds greatest chefs.
Summary: 5 Stars
The model for Ad Hoc the restaurant is that there is no menu: you show up, and they serve you whatever is "for dinner." That in mind, the items they make must be broadly appealing, flexible in presentation, and really REALLY good, because you're still forking over hundreds of dollars for this lack of choice.
The recipe book is excellent. Great, classic dishes with inviting ingredients, well prepared. As someone who owns--and has cooked from--Keller's French Laundry cookbook, I can tell you that this book is a different animal indeed. It could not be more different.
A great one to have on the shelf. I expect to cook quite a lot from this book over the next year.
Book Review: Delicious, accessible food
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book just because of Mr. Keller's reputation. I have two of his other books (The French Laundry Cookbook and Bouchon, which while full of delicious recipes, are hard to use on a regular night. My husband and I have enjoyed several recipes, notably the buttermilk fried chicken, which has become a regular at our house. Tonight we are having the pork ribs. The best thing about this book is that the meals can be made any night with relatively easy to find ingredients. They make our evenings special. Also, for non-uber foodies, like my mother and many of my friends, the food is not too far a reach for their palates. Excellent.Book Review: Famous Chef Shares Understandable Methods & Recipes
Summary: 4 Stars
I read through parts of The French Laundry Cookbook & leafed through the rest and thought "There's no way I'm going to cook from this book." There ARE those who love trying to reproduce difficult, time consuming recipes--I'm not one of them. Thomas Keller has finally produced a book the rest of us can cook from. It's not jam packed w/recipes, but those that are there are accompanied by understandable directions & tips on buying & prep that, after 40 years of cooking, I didn't know. These are interspersed w/interesting narratives that add to the book's interest. I'll refer to this book often.Book Review: Not necessarily for every day, but a source of inspiration.
Summary: 4 Stars
Okay, so most of us don't have acres of counter space and the kitchen room for some of Keller's multi-step food preparations. However, if you already know how to cook, this book will make you look at ingredients in new fresh ways. While you may not attempt making some of his 17-step "intermediate ingredients" or have 8 bowls and 4 quarts of ice to shock different greens separately for a constructed dish, you may feel inspired to make some melted onions or add duck fat from the butcher to dishes that you hadn't thought of before. This is also a great coffee-table book for any foodie.Book Review: Approachable and yummy
Summary: 5 Stars
It is nice to see a more approachable side to Thomas Keller's cooking and a bit of his personality. This book is instructive and walks you through some of the basics (ie, breaking down a chicken) in tandem with some great recipes. It also includes some helpful short cuts from this master chef. I'm really enjoying the book - it's sitting on my coffee table because it's so beautiful but I'm also finding it incredibly useful. A tomato and asparagus stew was delicious and paired perfectly with halibut one night and roasted chicken the next. This is a cookbook to keep for a lifetime.