http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com collaborative book reviews about all things food and wine Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:58:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/11807_the-sorcerers-apprentices-lisa-abend-2011-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/11807_the-sorcerers-apprentices-lisa-abend-2011-us#comments Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:50:56 +0000 Duncan Markham http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=11807 The Sorcerer's Apprentices is the only reasonably unvarnished account of what it was like to work at el Bulli. Alongside occasional descriptions of the creative process involving Adrià and his key chefs, the book's main focus is on the life of the unpaid apprentices lucky enough to have been selected to spend a season at the restaurant. The book provides interesting insights into the workings of this very special restaurant and the experiences of the people involved, but I found it long and heavy reading. Opinions of this book are likely to vary greatly.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/11807_the-sorcerers-apprentices-lisa-abend-2011-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10410_penguins-great-food-series-4-reviews http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10410_penguins-great-food-series-4-reviews#comments Wed, 15 Jun 2011 08:25:02 +0000 Duncan - admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=10410 Penguin Books has released a set of 20 books of writings by authors who penned their food wisdom anywhere between 400 and 20 years ago. Slim paperbacks with pretty covers, the GREAT FOOD series is a hit with many food lovers. We asked our reviewers to have a look at a number of them and give their thoughts. Part 1 features reviews of books by Alexandre Dumas, Samuel Pepys, Pellegrino Artusi and Alice B. Toklas.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10410_penguins-great-food-series-4-reviews/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10140_reinventing-food-colman-andrews-2010-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10140_reinventing-food-colman-andrews-2010-uk#comments Sun, 01 May 2011 10:59:37 +0000 Duncan Markham http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=10140 Colman Andrews paints a sympathetic and informative picture of Ferran Arià, a chef who, through passion, obsession and creative focus, almost accidentally made the culinary earth move. Reinventing Food is worth reading both for the interested and the unbelievers. Especially for the latter group, frequently sceptical of modernist cuisine because of the media depiction of it being laboratory food lacking soul but oozing "cleverness", Reinventing Food might shed more light on what really is significant and fascinating and (perhaps) delicious about so many aspects of Adrià's contribution to the culinary world.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10140_reinventing-food-colman-andrews-2010-uk/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8361_noma-rene-redzepi-2010-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8361_noma-rene-redzepi-2010-us#comments Fri, 15 Oct 2010 08:11:05 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=8361 Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine by René Redzepi is the culinary equivalent of one of those books you find in a museum gift shop – impressive, beautiful, inspiring… but not likely to get opened much after its first reading. And yet, this book will fill you with hope in our culinary future, inspire you to expect more out of your local restaurants, and re-examine the food on your plate.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8361_noma-rene-redzepi-2010-us/feed 2 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8038_medium-raw-anthony-bourdain-2010-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8038_medium-raw-anthony-bourdain-2010-us#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:05:32 +0000 Daniel Chan http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=8038 In the introductory chapter of his new book, “Medium Raw”, Anthony Bourdain asks “What the fuck am I doing here?” While that statement is made in the context of a dinner with chefs that he admits are countless levels above his own abilities, he also intends as a question about how he has ended up as a fulltime writer and television presenter. While he puts it down to a series of lucky breaks, the other factors he doesn’t mention are a combination of keen observation and very good writing skills. “Medium Raw” is promoted as a sequel to “Kitchen Confidential”, and in one sense it fulfils that with chapters that update us on the lives of the people in that breakthrough book. But the book also offers writing about his own life, the food world as he sees it and, to his credit, saying how some of his views have changed over time. The usual Bourdain elements are there: the gonzo style of writing, his refusal to sugar coat his opinion, and a healthy splash of swearing. But with marriage and parenthood, a gentler and more sentimental Bourdain emerges too.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8038_medium-raw-anthony-bourdain-2010-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7606_new-edition-will-write-for-food http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7606_new-edition-will-write-for-food#comments Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:01:30 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=7606 Noted journalist and food-writing instructor Dianne Jacob has revised her award-winning book to include a chapter covering all the how-to's of food blogging as well as updated resources and new information on working in other popular genres, namely cookbooks and food memoirs.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7606_new-edition-will-write-for-food/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6855_new-release-52-loaves http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6855_new-release-52-loaves#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 12:30:57 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=6855 William Alexander is determined to bake the perfect loaf of bread. He tasted it long ago, in a restaurant, and has been trying to reproduce it ever since. Without success. But now he’s going to try again—every week for one year—until he gets it right.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6855_new-release-52-loaves/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5494_new-release-the-gastronomica-reader http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5494_new-release-the-gastronomica-reader#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:34:50 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5494 Described by Saveur as "At the top of our bedside reading pile since its inception in 2001," the award-winning Gastronomica is a feast of exceptional writing on food. The Gastronomica Reader offers a sumptuous sampling from the journal's pages.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5494_new-release-the-gastronomica-reader/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5232_momofuku-david-chang-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5232_momofuku-david-chang-2009-us#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 06:49:47 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5232 David Chang, owner of the famed New York restaurants Momofuku Noodle Bar, Ssäm Bar and Ko, chronicles his journey from noodle-eater to noodle-maker and guides us through more than 50 of his most popular recipes that showcase the fusion of modern technique and classic Asian comfort food. Throughout the book he gives us a peek into the creative process and the story behind each dish, citing his influences, failures, and inspirations. The recipes can be daunting and the flavors sometimes need tweaking, but ambitious home cooks should have little problem replicating or improving on the dishes, though the weak instructions and badly converted measurements might lead them astray. While there has been plenty of media focus on Chang's "bad-boy" image, he still comes across as approachable and self-deprecating at best, and at worst annoying and trying too hard, but never offensive. Fans of modern Asian cuisine and the Momofuku empire will find the book both entertaining and fascinating. [Editor's note: Don't miss our book giveaway too!]]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5232_momofuku-david-chang-2009-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4609_year-end-countdown-food-writing-food-guides-and-famous-names http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4609_year-end-countdown-food-writing-food-guides-and-famous-names#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:47:23 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=4609 In the last installment of our feature on year-end releases, we're taking a look at cookbooks from famous chefs and restaurants, as well as the un-cookbooks: books with essays on food, food issues, and guidebooks on specific subjects. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4609_year-end-countdown-food-writing-food-guides-and-famous-names/feed 0