The French Laundry, Per Se (The Thomas Keller Library)

Named a Best Book of 2020 by Publishers Weekly Named a Best Cookbook of 2020 by Amazon and Barnes & Noble Every elegant page projects Kellers high standard of perfect culinary execution. . . . This superb work is as much philosophical treatise as gorgeous cookbook. Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW Bound by a common philosophy linked by live video staffed by a cadre of inventive and skilled chefs the kitchens of Thomas Kellers celebrated restaurantsThe French Laundry in Yountville California and per se in New York Cityare in a relationship unique in the world of fine dining. Ideas bounce back and forth in a dance of creativity knowledge innovation and excellence. Its a relationship thats the very embodiment of collaboration and of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. And all of it is captured in The French Laundry Per Se with meticulously detailed recipes for 70 beloved dishes including Smoked Sturgeon Rillettes on an Everything Bagel The Whole Bird Tomato Consomm Celery Root Pastrami Steak and Potatoes Peaches n Cream. Just reading these recipes is a master class in the state of the art of cooking today. We learn to use a dehydrator to intensify the flavor and texture of fruits and vegetables. To make the crunchiest coating with a cornstarchegg white paste and potato flakes. To limit waste in the kitchen by fermenting vegetable trimmings for sauces with an unexpected depth of flavor. And that essential Keller trait to take a classic and reinvent it: like the French onion soup with a mushroom essence stock and garnish of braised beef cheeks and Comt mousse or a classic crme brle reimagined as a rich creamy ice cream with a crispy sugar tuile to mimic the caramelized coating. Throughout there are 40 recipes for the basics to elevate our home cooking. Some are old standbys like the best versions of beurre mani and bchamel others more unusual including a ramen broth (aka the Super Stock) and a Blue-Ribbon Pickle. And with its notes on technique stories about farmers and purveyors and revelatory essays from Thomas KellerThe Lessons of a Dishwasher Inspiration Versus Influence Patience and PersistenceThe French Laundry Per Se will change how young chefs determined home cooks and dedicated food lovers understand and approach their cooking.