Best Chef's Cookbook?

[mm84321]

I'm looking into purchasing a cookbook containing advanced recipes and techniques. I was looking into Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin, and Chanterelle caught my eye, but wanted to get some opinions first. Anyone have a favorite?

 

[indesertum]

i dont believe in a best chef's cookbook i do like thomas keller's ad hoc and pepin's complete techniques. i also very much enjoyed tom colicchio's think like a chef. if i had to recommend something i would recommend tom colicchio's book. i kinda also want to buy karen page's flavor bible and james peterson's sauces

 

[itsstillmatt]

Joel Robuchon/Patricia Wells "Simply French." I'm not exactly sure what "advanced techniques" are, but this book has the very best collection of recipes I've seen in Engrish.

 

[indesertum]

how bad is the engrish?

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Joel Robuchon/Patricia Wells "Simply French." I'm not exactly sure what "advanced techniques" are, but this book has the very best collection of recipes I've seen in Engrish.

I give that a plus one.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by indesertum

how bad is the engrish?
The writing is fine, great. I just meant that if you open the question up to other languages, there is more competition.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by iammatt

The writing is fine, great. I just meant that if you open the question up to other languages, there is more competition.

I don't know dude... Rachel Ray's book is in English and that ***** can COOK.

YUM-O!!!!

 

[mm84321]

I might enjoy Rachel Ray if I only had to read what she had to say, instead of listen to her attempt to speak.

Will seek out "Simply French". Thanks.

 

[BC2012]

Depending on your level of comfort in the kitchen, Ina Garten's books are generally quite good. http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Conte...4453366&sr=8-2 This one has a bunch of easy, solid recipes for the medium-level cook. It's not Thomas Keller but it is a book full of recipes you'll be able to make and generally wow guests with.

 

[svd]

Originally Posted by indesertum

james peterson's sauces

Definitely wotrth picking up. Sauces are the way in but it really goes a lot deeper. Once you get the ingredients a lot of Japanese cooking is remarkably simple.

 

[impolyt_one]

I like the Momofuku book not so much for the recipes, which are kinda no-brainer to me, but for the story - David Chang has a small moment of modesty in the foreword where he talks about how he got into cooking, it's a bit rough around the edges but it's pretty amazing that he's gotten so far in so little time. He talks rough and has this heated passion for everything, with moments where he backs off a bit and admits where he's just winging it, or something.

 

[NAMOR]

The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by SField

I give that a plus one.
A little O/T, but most people don't realize the level of simplicity in great cooking, or the difficulties in being simple. A lot of these books, I think, add complexity so they look cheffy, while the best books, say the Grand Livre Ducasse series, are made of incredibly simple parts, even if each recipe has a ton of components. That isn't to say that some stuff isn't just complex. For example, I look at Heston Blumenthal's book and think "oh, that's cool, but I can't imagine doing that unless I was really looking to trouble myself." Not something I would bother doing more than once a year.

 

[impolyt_one]

I just got that book today, actually.

I wanted some reading for this cold month ahead of me and I've been meaning to buy these books forever, I read them everytime I go so I figured it was time to cop:

 

[upnorth]

Originally Posted by NAMOR

The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller

+1