http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com collaborative book reviews about all things food and wine Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:32:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7302_tender-volume-1-nigel-slater-2009-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7302_tender-volume-1-nigel-slater-2009-uk#comments Sun, 06 Jun 2010 05:16:17 +0000 Alison http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=7302 Nigel Slater tells the story of his vegetable patch and provides over 400 recipe ideas for using the vegetables he grows. Already well known for seven previous recipe books, his much admired autobiography Toast and his regular columns in The Observer, Slater's enthusiasm will no doubt tempt some readers to start a vegetable garden of their own, although this is predominantly a book about cooking. As in his previous books, Slater's recipes are straightforward and unfussy and his approach to using fresh produce should appeal to many home cooks. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7302_tender-volume-1-nigel-slater-2009-uk/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7048_ready-for-dessert-david-lebovitz-2010-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7048_ready-for-dessert-david-lebovitz-2010-us#comments Sat, 15 May 2010 07:16:19 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=7048 I come from the school of thought that says rock bands shouldn’t release their Greatest Hits album until their career is complete. Likewise, chefs should restrain themselves from re-releasing their favorite recipes until their career enters a culminating phase. That said, David Lebovitz’s Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes will be excused since some of his previous books are no longer in print, and his greatest hits truly are classics worth reprinting.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7048_ready-for-dessert-david-lebovitz-2010-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6701_ad-hoc-at-home-thomas-keller-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6701_ad-hoc-at-home-thomas-keller-2009-us#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:23:37 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=6701 Ad Hoc at Home is the latest cookbook from award-winning chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry and Per Se, featuring casual family-style dishes. Compared to his previous works, the book is charmingly earnest and the recipes approachable, consisting of mostly American dishes with a touch of French influence, and plenty of helpful hints from Keller. However, Keller's meticulous nature still comes through, elevating the dishes in terms of flavor and presentation, but at the same time making them time-intensive and at times expensive and unfamiliar. Even with its lavish production, the book still has relatively few illustrations.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6701_ad-hoc-at-home-thomas-keller-2009-us/feed 3 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6625_cuisine-du-temps-jacques-reymond-2010-au http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6625_cuisine-du-temps-jacques-reymond-2010-au#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:23:54 +0000 Daniel Chan http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=6625 Jacques Reymond and his restaurant are institutions in Melbourne, Australia. Over the years, the French-born chef has gradually introduced Asian elements into his cuisine. In some respects, he is the other side of the coin to Sydney’s Tetsuya Wakuda, who gradually fused French methods into his Japanese cuisine. Cuisine du Temps is a book reflecting on Reymond’s career in the kitchen. Many recipes that people will recognise from his restaurant appear in this book, as do dishes that he learned during his time working in South America and the South Pacific. The recipes and photography speak for Reymond, but there’s a part of me that would have liked to read about the man himself and what motivates him.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6625_cuisine-du-temps-jacques-reymond-2010-au/feed 1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5716_new-american-table-marcus-samuelsson-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5716_new-american-table-marcus-samuelsson-2009-us#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:58:09 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5716 Marcus Samuelsson’s New American Table is perfect for the aspiring foodie with its vast array of cuisines. Although you’ll find nothing ground-breaking or especially innovative, adventurous cooks will enjoy the challenge of cooking across the globe and, ultimately, a modern definition of American Cuisine will appear right on their own dinner table.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5716_new-american-table-marcus-samuelsson-2009-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5335_artisan-breads-at-home-peter-reinhart-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5335_artisan-breads-at-home-peter-reinhart-2009-us#comments Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:27:58 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5335 Peter Reinhart has produced another knockout bread book… but do we need it? Whereas the advanced baker may find this material redundant, those who are still rising to the occasion will find the consolidation of up-to-the-minute techniques in Artisan Breads Every Day easy to digest and incorporate. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5335_artisan-breads-at-home-peter-reinhart-2009-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6197_apples-sara-paston-williams-2009-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6197_apples-sara-paston-williams-2009-uk#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:59:13 +0000 Duncan Markham http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=6197 The National Trust's (UK) book on apples is probably everything a good British gardener would need to develop an orchard of delicious lesser-known apple varieties. One of a series of useful little books, this volume covers some history of the apple, culinary and cultural, the supposed health benefits, origins of various cultivars old and new, and horticultural tips for growing trees in various settings. This is a valuable and charming book for British readers and for curious fruit growers and apple lovers in other places.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6197_apples-sara-paston-williams-2009-uk/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5794_paco-torreblanca-2-paco-torreblanca-2006-es http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5794_paco-torreblanca-2-paco-torreblanca-2006-es#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:54:01 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5794 What if Mozart or Einstein handed you their notebook and said, “Here, go have fun.” Such a gift would be overwhelming in generosity as well as challenge. When Paco Torreblanca offers this gift in Paco Torreblanca 2, he adds, “Now let’s see what we can do together.” A serious, no-nonsense book for people who take pastry seriously, Paco Torreblanca 2 focuses on integrating natural ingredients into microcosmic eye candy.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5794_paco-torreblanca-2-paco-torreblanca-2006-es/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5869_the-dumpling-wai-hon-chu-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5869_the-dumpling-wai-hon-chu-2009-us#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:34:06 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5869 The Dumpling: A Seasonal Guide is one of the first books to collect dumpling recipes from around the world into a single volume. There is an excellent variety of dumpling types and flavors, the recipes are clear and there are plenty of tips for beginners. Unfortunately, a forced definition of the word dumpling as a category limits the book unnecessarily and may disappoint people who are looking for a dish they recognize as a dumpling but has been excluded.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5869_the-dumpling-wai-hon-chu-2009-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5169_three-star-chef-gordon-ramsay-2007-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5169_three-star-chef-gordon-ramsay-2007-uk#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:16:34 +0000 Daniel Chan http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5169 Once upon a time, the marking point of a chef’s success was the awarding of a Michelin star or equivalent. The professional recognition and a dining room full of satisfied diners was all that was needed to make your mark on the culinary landscape. But chefs and restaurants have now evolved to a stage where global brand recognition has become a part of the game. Cookbooks featuring the flagship restaurant are a part of that marketing strategy. Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road is the flagship of Ramsay’s empire, and “Three Star Chef” is his homage to it. As you’d expect, it is a beautiful book that will draw attention whether you keep it in the kitchen or on the coffee table. The photography is of a high quality and the dishes presented are remarkable in terms of the skills behind them and their presentation. Given the time, skill, and ingredients, this is food that would impress at a dinner party. Ramsay’s words display his customary bluntness when discussing restaurant life in the first half of the book, but change to a more encouraging tone in the recipe section. Does this book, like the restaurant, stand alongside corresponding works by the likes of Thomas Keller, Heston Blumenthal, and Michel Bras? While the Ramsay book matches these others in terms of recipe content and production values, it falls short in that you never truly get a sense of what drives him, his food, and his restaurant. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5169_three-star-chef-gordon-ramsay-2007-uk/feed 0