really like Tom Colicchio, so I was excited to pick up a used copy of this book, It falls in to a long line of books that combine memoirs with recipes, but I really appreciate Tom's views on food and cooking, As an amateur chef myself, I believe cooking is more than just recipes, I love good food, good ingredients, and making cooking an experience, not just an exercise, These are all views that Tom has, as well, and it really comes across in this book, Don't confuse him with a lot of the other celebrity "chefs" that are out there that only have a gimmick and a book of recipes.
This guy is a true chef, My feelings about Tom Colicchio were not warm and fuzzy when I first opened this book, I've seen him only as the kind of jerky head judge on Top Chef, This book has given me a lot of respect for him, and it really is what it says it isa book of technique and ideas to use as a spring board for your own creations.
Highly recommended. I bought this book because it was recommend in a number of articles and blogs that I'd read, I am very interested in other chefs sharing their perspectives on what it means to "think like a chef", I'd never seen Top Chef and I knew very little about Tom Colicchio so I've experienced this book as someone who had not previously heard any of his thoughts.
The author comes across as an affable guy who loves food and his stories of childhood and restaurant experiences were pleasant to read.
Early in the preface of the book, the author says:
"I would struggle to grasp what a recipe was telling me, then put it away and start.
Understanding the whole felt more important than carefully following each step, "
This statement got me excited because I thought that it's likely that he would therefore break down each of his recipes in the book and allow how the reader without struggle to understand the recipe sufficiently to at least eventually put it away and cook independently of it.
"Cooking is a craft that begins with technique, Learning these techniques is a bit like learning a new language, If you've ever learned a foreign language, you know there's a point when you stop translating each word in your head, and can understand first phrases, then sentences, and finally, the entire gist of thing.
Part of the process is understanding the shorthand that is common to speakers of the same language and practically meaningless to everyone else, "
I agree with the first sentence and with the general comparison to language learning, My mistake was thinking that that this book might give the average home cook some insights into how a chef thinks, The author's examples of learning terms "beurre fondue" and ingredients like morels and ramps as part of that language learning reinforces that this book is more suitable if you are looking to move into professional cooking or if you plan to cook more often from fancy restaurant cookbooks.
Learning the author's perspective of this particular level of cooking was actually less interesting to me right now but maybe I can glean some insights nevertheless.
"Roasting, simply put, is cooking with dry heat, traditionally over or in front of an open flame, Most often, the word "roast" implies oven cooking, but I use the word as shorthand for both oven roasting and pan roasting, They are both the exact same technique, but oven roasting, as the name implies, involves transferring the pan to a hot oven to complete the process.
Pan roasting finishes the food in the same pan on top of the stove,
As a rule, I prefer pan roasting, It allows me to effect a transformation on something almost immediately, Roasting in an oven cheats me of the audible, visual, and tactile cues that are such a gratifying step of the cooking process, "
The author then goes on describing these sensory experiences,
I find it hard to believe that I'm the only person wondering, "What's the difference between pan roasting and pan frying" Why/when would you put something in an oven if pan roasting is so superior, why make the compromise
The reader would struggle to think like a chef if he/she didn't know how to make those judgement calls.
To me that judgement call is what enables someone to increase their level of competence, How do I know when something is cooked sufficiently How do I determine if what I have at hand is a reasonable substitute for a missing ingredient What is the margin of error for a particular measurement e.
g. adding an extra carrot to a stew forpeople is not going to vastly change the end result but adding an extra/teaspoon of salt could render a dish unpalatable.
It didn't feel to me that these insights were clearly explained,
And I am wary of people saying "always" and "never", For instance "you should always heat the pan to a medium heat before adding the food", Actually if you're looking to render the fat from skinon chicken thighs, starting in a cold pan is slightly preferable and saves you the bother of waiting for the pan to heat.
Given this book isn't for newbies, these nuances and exceptions are good to know,
In case this review is starting to feel like I hated the book, I didn't, I was disappointed that it didn't live up to its title for me, As a book of restauranttype recipes, it was alright, If you have the budget for lobster stock mmmm, . . delicious! Something I miss from my restaurant days I've never made it at home, all the better for you,
The section on trilogies was probably the most interesting as the author illustrated different dishes can be produced using the same key ingredients.
All in all, I really wish Tom Colicchio had shared more of his thinking as he seems like he knows a lot about cooking maybe that's too much to give for abook.
This book was a quick read for me, I made it through, with kids around, in a few hours, Based on previous reviews I thought it was more of a book, with some cookbook type recipes thrown in, Now
that I've been through it, it's a cookbook, organized to teach a lesson, but still a cookbook, Lot's of mouth watering pictures, plenty of recipes, and very short stories on how and why you are doing what you are doing, Each "lesson" is a quick read, The recipes look great, and help you to hone your skills and learn the craft,
I think the author did a good job in bringing his technique to the masses, and I better understand now the magic that happens in a chef's brain that allows him/her to see a few ingredients and picture a complete meal.
I also respect and agree with the premise of starting with the basics, braising, blanching, etc, As with most complex endeavors, a firm background in the basics makes all the difference,
There is one complaint that I have with this book, and perhaps it will go away if I can COOK my way through the book rather than read my way through the recipes are there for practice, not just to eat.
Although I see how the professional chef combines ingredients and techniques and the end result just happens, and I understand that what is fresh at the market tells you what to make, when I get to the fresh market, I'm still overwhelmed with what to pick and what to do.
Mustard greens, fresh tomatoes, turnips, carrots, lettuce, etc, etc, What goes better with pork Can I put corn and turkey together Apples and chicken It's like I need a color matching wheel to match foods together and I didn't get that out of this book.
I still cannot see the end of the road, the final product, and always end up with too many shelled peas and having to run back for mushrooms, which I didn't even think about.
I know others who put together meals easily on the fly, so it may be some mental block in my head but I still find myself backing my way into a recipe by picking one main ingredient, then looking for something that includes it, then hunting all over for all the other ingredients.
I did build a meal on the fly one time, as the author does and professes, and it was pure nirvana, The family loved it the ingredients were all fresh from the garden and simply prepared, and spiced up with simple additions, But don't read this book thinking it'll have "the secret, " Putting these combinations together requires knowledge and experience, neither of which is fully available from a book,
This book has a lot of good cooking lessons and tips, I take issue, however, with cookbooks that feature ingredients that I am unable to get in Wisconsin, The recipes for salsify, ramps, and duck ham all look very tasty, but I'd have a very hard time obtaining those ingredients,
I did make one recipe from this book the "diced potatoleek soup", and it did not turn out well, It was due to my not cooking the bacon correctly, I ended up having to throw the whole pot of soup away and heating up a frozen pizza, Don't let that discourage you, however, I always have bad luck with recipes containing leeks! After reading this book I find myself thinking differently when I look at ingredients and cooking.
The idea was to extend how we think and I'm looking at recipes in a very different way, Some great recipes in the book but all of which can be adjusted, I am in love with this book
Straight forward no nonsense Chef Colicchio has written this book with an elevated elegance.
One of the best non instructional cookbooks I've ever read, Chef C has enticed me to think outside the box, I really enjoyed his seasonal section as well as his recipes for stocks and sauces, I can't wait to get in the kitchen!,