Best of
Gastronomy
2008
Macarons
Pierre Hermé - 2008
He is the best, and has even been described as a couturier of pastry. This is a man at the top of his art and there is no question his macarons are in a league of its own. Macarons are the aristocrats of pastry; these brightly colored, mini meringues, daintily sandwiched together with gooey fillings, have become a holy grail for cookery fanatics and there are even food blogs dedicated to them. Now for the first time, all the macaron recipes from this most celebrated French patissier are published in English. The French language edition has been one of the most sought after cookbooks of recent years. And just like Pierre Herme s famous macarons, it would be difficult for any macaron book to surpass this one. There are 200 pages of recipes and beautiful food photography, and because making macarons is mostly about technique, rather than just a standard recipe, readers will appreciate the 32-step-by-step photo-illustrated instructions for making shells and fillings. All the classics are here like dark chocolate, praline, coffee, and pistachio, but others feature the more unusual macarons that Herme is justly famous for: Isfahan is one, with lychee, rose and raspberry, Arabesque with apricot and pistachio, Satine with passion fruit, orange and cream cheese, Mandarin and pink pepper, black truffles, balsamic vinegar as well as a bright-green macaron filled with fresh mint. Anyone interested in making macarons will find Pierre Herme s the best book in print.REVIEWS All my high hopes and expectations for this book have been exceeded. This book, this one, is the macaron bible that we have all waited for filled with imagination, creativity and wonder. Cooking by the Book.com"
The Complete Robuchon
Joël Robuchon - 2008
He holds more Michelin stars than any other chef. Now this great master gives us his supremely authoritative renditions of virtually the entire French culinary repertoire, adapted for the home cook and the contemporary palate.Here are more than 800 precise, easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipes, including Robuchon’s updated versions of great classics—Pot-au-Feu, Sole Meunière, Cherry Custard Tart—as well as dozens of less well-known but equally scrumptious salads, roasts, gratins, and stews. Here, too, are a surprising variety of regional specialties (star turns like Aristide Couteaux’s variation on Hare Royale) and such essential favorites as scrambled eggs. Emphasizing quality ingredients and the brilliant but simple marriage of candid flavors—the genius for which he is rightly celebrated—Robuchon encourages the beginner with jargon-free, impeccable instructions in technique, while offering the practiced cook exciting paths for experimentation.The Complete Robuchon is a book to be consulted again and again, a magnificent resource no kitchen should be without.
The Professional Barista's Handbook
Scott Rao - 2008
After reading all of those books, however, I felt as if I hadn't learned much about how to make great coffee. My coffee library was chock-full of colorful descriptions of brewing styles, growing regions, and recipes, with a few almost-unreadable scientific books mixed in. I would have traded in all of those books for one serious, practical book with relevant instruction about making great coffee in a café. After being in the coffee business for 15 years, I decided someone needed to write that book, so I wrote The Professional Barista’s Handbook."
Frozen Desserts
Francisco J. Migoya - 2008
Introductory chapters include the history and evolution of frozen desserts; ingredients including dairy products, sugars, stabilizers, emulsifiers, fruits, and flavors; and equipment including churning machines, production equipment, and storage and serving containers. Also included are essentials on storage, sanitation, and production and serving techniques. Recipe chapters cover Dairy-Based Frozen Desserts, which include ice cream, gelato, and sherbet; Non-Dairy Desserts, which include sorbet and granites; and Aerated Still-Frozen Desserts, which include parfaits, semi-freddos, and frozen mousses and souffles. Each recipe chapter covers both classic and modern small-batch production techniques, basic formulas, and both basic and advanced base recipes. The final chapter, Finished Items, makes use of these base recipes and shows readers how to produce, plate, garnish, and serve small desserts, plated desserts, frozen cakes, and even frozen accompaniments to savory courses. Recipes are illustrated throughout by full-color beauty photographs. An instructor's manual and companion website are also available for classroom use.
On the Line
Eric Ripert - 2008
How does a 4-star restaurant stay on top for more than two decades? In On the Line, chef Eric Ripert takes readers behind the scenes at Le Bernardin, one of just three New York City restaurants to earn three Michelin stars. Any fan of gourmet dining who ever stole a peek behind a restaurant kitchen's swinging doors will love this unique insider's account, with its interviews, inventory checklists, and fly-on-the-wall dialogue that bring the business of haute cuisine to life. From the sudden death of Le Bernardin's founding chef, Gilbert Le Coze, to Ripert's stressful but triumphant takeover of the kitchen at age 29, the story has plenty of drama. But as Chef Ripert and writer Christine Muhlke reveal, every day is an adventure in a perfectionistic restaurant kitchen. Foodies will love reading about the inner workings of a top restaurant, from how a kitchen is organized to the real cost of the food and the fierce discipline and organization it takes to achieve culinary perfection on the plate almost 150,000 times a year. Meanwhile, Le Bernardin's modern French cuisine, with its emphasis on seafood, comes to life in sophisticated recipes, including Striped Bass with Sweet Corn Puree, Grilled Shishito Peppers, Shaved Smoked Bonito, and Mole Sauce, and Pan-Roasted Cod with Chorizo, Snow Peas, Piquillo Peppers, and Soy-Lime Butter Sauce.
Hungry for Paris: The Ultimate Guide to the City's 102 Best Restaurants
Alexander Lobrano - 2008
. . . If you’re passionate about eating well during your next trip to Paris, you couldn’t ask for a better travel companion than Alexander Lobrano’s charming, friendly, and authoritative Hungry for Paris, the first new comprehensive guide in many years to the city’s restaurant scene. Lobrano, Gourmet magazine’s European correspondent, has written for almost every major food and travel magazine since he became an American in Paris in 1986. Here he shares his personal selection of the city’s 102 best restaurants, each of which is portrayed in savvy, fun, lively descriptions that are not only indispensable for finding a superb meal but a pleasure to read. Lobrano reveals the hottest young chefs, the coziest bistros, the best buys–including those haute cuisine restaurants that are really worth the money–and the secret places Parisians love most, together with information on the most delicious dishes, ambience, clientele, and history of each restaurant. A series of delightful essays cover various aspects of dining in Paris, including “Table for One” (how to eat alone), “The Four Seasons” (the best of seasonal eating in Paris), and “Eating the Unspeakable” (learning to eat what you don’t think you like). All restaurants are keyed to helpful maps, and the book is seasoned with beautiful photographs by Life magazine photographer Bob Peterson that will only help whet your appetite for tasting Paris.
A Taste of My Life
Raymond Blanc - 2008
His cooking has been described as 'an extraordinary process of creativity, passion, subtlety, indeed genius'. His life and career to date have been utterly dedicated to the search for culinary perfection.Raymond is entirely self-taught and over the years has been developing and refining his philosophy of food and eating. Such is his reputation that his restaurant near Oxford, Le Manoir, was awarded two Michelin stars even before it opened in 1984. He has taught many of Britain's most successful chefs, including Marco Pierre White and Heston Blumenthal. He has maintained extraordinary levels of excellence at Le Manoir for over two decades and it remains one of our premier destination restaurants.Now, for the first time Raymond is going to share the fruits of all that hard work and experimentation, and reveal the secrets of his gastronomy. Woven around stories from his years at the sharp end of the food business are his thoughts about where food is going and a passionate appeal for sustainable cuisine. Essential reading for anyone with an interest in food and cooking, this is the definitive book by a culinary genius.
Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook
Mark Robinson - 2008
As a matter of fact, a recent article in The New York Times claimed that the izakaya is "starting to shove the sushi bar off its pedestal." While Japan has many guidebooks and cookbooks, this is the first publication in English to delve into every aspect of a unique and vital cornerstone of Japanese food culture.A venue for socializing and an increasingly innovative culinary influence, the izakaya serves mouth-watering and inexpensive small-plate cooking, along with free-flowing drinks. Readers of this essential book will be guided through the different styles of establishments and recipes that make izakaya such relaxing and appealing destinations. At the same time, they will learn to cook many delicious standards and specialties, and discover how to "design" a meal as the evening progresses.Eight Tokyo pubs are introduced, ranging from those that serve the traditional Japanese "comfort foods" such as yakitori (barbequed chicken), to those offering highly innovative creations. Some of them have long histories; some are more recent players on the scene. All are quite familiar to the author, who has chosen them for the variety they represent: from the most venerated downtown pub to the new-style standing bar with French-influenced menu. Mark Robinson includes knowledgeable text on the social and cultural etiquette of visiting izakaya, so the book can used as a guide to entering the potentially daunting world of the pub. Besides the 60 detailed recipes, he also offers descriptions of Japanese ingredients and spices, a guide to the wide varieties of sake and other alcoholic drinks that are served, "how-to" advice on menu ordering, and much more.For the home chef, the hungry gourmet, the food professional, this is more than a cookbook. It is a unique peek at an important and exciting dining and cultural phenomenon.
America's Kitchens
Nancy Carlisle - 2008
The book traces technological developments such as the introduction of the cast-iron cookstove, the efficiency of the Hoosier cabinet, and the impact of the frozen food industry to suggest how these innovations have transformed kitchen work and changed women's lives.Innovatively designed and lavishly illustrated with historic drawings, photographs, and a fascinating array of ephemera from Historic New England's diverse collections, America's Kitchens describes what it was like to live with and work in kitchens that had none of the conveniences we take for granted. At the same time, the book analyzes the profound place of the kitchen in our own lives today.
Gastropolis: Food and New York City
Annie Hauck-Lawson - 2008
Beginning with the origins of cuisine combinations, such as Mt. Olympus bagels and Puerto Rican lasagna, the book describes the nature of food and drink before the arrival of Europeans in 1624 and offers a history of early farming practices. Essays trace the function of place and memory in Asian cuisine, the rise of Jewish food icons, the evolution of food enterprises in Harlem, the relationship between restaurant dining and identity, and the role of peddlers and markets in guiding the ingredients of our meals. They share spice-scented recollections of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and colorful vignettes of the avant-garde chefs, entrepreneurs, and patrons who continue to influence the way New Yorkers eat.Touching on everything from religion, nutrition, and agriculture to economics, politics, and psychology, Gastropolis tells a story of immigration, amalgamation, and assimilation. This rich interplay between tradition and change, individual and society, and identity and community could happen only in New York.
Renewing America's Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent's Most Endangered Foods
Gary Paul Nabhan - 2008
It offers us rich natural and cultural histories as well as recipes and folk traditions associated with one hundred of the rarest food plants and animals in North America. In doing so, it reminds us that what we choose to eat can either conserve or deplete the cornucopia of our continent. In addition, it offers a eulogy to a once-common game food that has gone extinct--the passenger pigeon--to underscore how rapidly a food species can be depleted if its habitat is destroyed and harvesting pressures are ignored. Rather than dwelling on the tragic losses, it highlights the success stories of food recovery, habitat restoration, and market revitalization which chefs, farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and foresters have recently achieved. Through such food parables, editor Nabhan and his colleagues build a persuasive argument for eater-based conservation. Implementing that call to action, the Renewing America's Food Tradition collaborative involves some of the country's most inspiring and effective non-profit organizations in targeting hundreds of rare and neglected foods unique to North America for such restoration and recovery. They have been compiled into the first-ever comprehensive list of the wild and domesticated food varieties that are threatened or endangered in North America, including heirloom seeds, fruits, and nuts; heritage breeds of livestock and poultry; fish and game; and wild-foraged plants. In addition, this book offers atool-kit to engage those who wish to personally support and participate in such recoveries, and a list of food festivals held across the continent to honor and enjoy some of the country's most iconic foods, from crab cakes to maple syrup and file gumbo. Organized by food nations named for the ecological and cultural keystone foods of each region--Salmon Nation, Bison Nation, Chile Pepper Nation, Cornbread Nation, among others--this book offers you an altogether fresh perspective on the culinary traditions of North America. After savoring this book, you will never look at the geography of food--or the necessity of conserving the biocultural foundation of culinary diversity--the same way again.
