The French Laundry Cookbook
by Thomas Keller
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Book Reviews of The French Laundry Cookbook
Book Review: Amazing - but not for the tyros.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is truly one of the best cookbooks I've ever come across - it's a delight purely as a reading book, with page upon page of Keller waxing philosophical on haute cuisine, interspersed with lush photography of dishes that blur the line between food and art. It's also an exhaustively complete cookbook; all the recipies are complete and ready to be followed. However, it is definitely not for the inexperienced amateur, or even the skilled home cook; some creations, like the Poached Moulard Duck Foie Gras au Torchon with Pickled Cherries, would be a challenge to even a professional.
While it is perhaps a too complicated and "trendy" to be one of the essential foundations of a cooking library (for example The Joy of Cooking, The Art of French Cooking, or the GC), The French Laundry Cookbook is nonetheless a wonderful addition to any serious foodies repertoire - it's a great read by itself, and it reveals the true sense of being "in touch" with the food that one must aspire to in order to create truly magnificent works of art on a plate.
Book Review: Not Your Average Recipe Book
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all I would like to say that Thomas Keller is a culinary master and this book is amazing for foodies. This is not for people who are looking for quick and easy recipes(see Rachael Ray). However everything in both French Laundry and Bouchon(Keller's other book) is amazing. The ingredients are simple but the cooking technique required is advanced. It doesn't mean that your dishes won't turn out, but they may not turn out as well as they should.
The best thing about these cook books are the beautiful pictures and the extra text written by Keller on various areas in the culinary world. He explains the importance of staple ingredients as well as the importance of kitchen instuments and technique.
If you are looking to impress people and/or take your culinary ability to the next level both French Laundry and Bouchon are must buys. However, if you're just getting into to cooking and need a great all around book, I would definitely recommend The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America.
Book Review: Overpriced culty book
Summary: 3 Stars
I've been to the restaurant and it's sheer California Napa food ala a French twist. This is rather common throughout Northern California so I guess that's why the reviewers from Wash and etc think this is terrific. It's pretty normal here. The food of course it exquisitely prepared and done; that's to be expected. Most restaurants throughout NoCal are on the same level some better for the total experience than others.The book though is rather culty and elitist and really rather shallow. It's probably a great seller to its fans though Puck's books are better on that scale. The photos are poor, really haute novelle cuisine: one raviloi, one this or that and unfortunately not great quality. Lots of them though so look thru the pix and see if you would want to eat this first. Preparation of course is a nightmare and the book doesn't really help you much on that score; you iether can cook like that or can't. (Gee thanks ;-)
I'd recommend Peterson's book on French cooking instead; more rounded without the flash in the pan.
Book Review: Stunning and surprisingly attainable.
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, I could complain about the elitist No Californian who mocked all us from "Wash" for hailing Keller but that would be boorish and unsportsmanlike. As a Californian transplant to Washington State I will say this, Northwesterners know their food.
As far as Keller, he knows food and French Laundry isn't a California-typical thing, it's a French Laundry thing.
I received this book as a gift, I have known of Keller's work and of him as a chef for some time.
The recipes and techniques in the book are actually very attainable, it isn't for your basic meat and potatoes quick meal, but if you want to take the time, and shop at higher end markets and get to know your purveyors you will be surprised how easy it is to pull these meals off.
Given you aren't the Executive Chef of a world reknown restaurant, but to the layman that you serve these recipes to, you may as well be.
Cooking is paying attention, loving the craft and having the ingredients on hand. This book makes it one step closer for you.
Book Review: A very disappointing book
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought into the hype preceeding the release of this book, and was chomping on the bit to buy it as soon as it became available, but once I started reading the book, I realized it didn't meet my expectations. The recipes in the book are for dishes that I find unappetizing, and the emphasis of the recipes seems to be on the esoteric quality, scarceness, and uniqueness of the ingredients and the process by which they are manipulated, rather than on producing a dish that one would actually want to eat. I am interested in learning about cooking at a higher level of complexity, which is why I bought the book, but I felt that the food was tortured and teased into offerings that bear no relationship to or consideration of the diner's pleasure. Reading through the book, it felt like an homage to the chef, a way for him to toot his horn, rather than to offer a window into the world of fine dining. I found the book pretentious, disappointing, and obtuse. Sorry I bought it and sorry I didn't like it.