Amazon.com
Payard Pâtisserie and Bistro has won the devotion of Manhattan's pickiest sweet tooths, who hardly know which of its treats to devour first: the extra-tart Lemon Tart, the Chocolate Mikado Cake, or the Frozen Coconut Soufflé, among other delights.
Besieged with requests for the recipes, the store's award-winning owner and pastry chef, Françoise Payard, has responded wisely with a book geared to the home baker. Simply Sensational Desserts presents over 140 Payard classics transformed (where necessary) to make their preparation absolutely accessible. Everyday and advanced bakers alike will delight in Payard's easy yet uncompromised formulas, not to mention the results they yield.
Beginning with chapters devoted to ingredients, fundamental techniques, and pastry basics like sweet tart dough and genoise--the building blocks of Payard's repertoire and never more simply conceived--the book also presents dessert soups, cookies and petits fours, chocolate cakes (don't miss the Chocolate Pudding Cake), tarts, soufflés, candies, ice creams, and granités. Special chapters devoted to weekend cakes like pain d'epices--portable treats designed for casual munching--and holiday cakes, cookies, and bites conclude the feast. And a feast it is: besides recipes for the four-star goodies mentioned above, Payard includes Rhubarb Lemongrass Soup, Pistachio-Almond Biscotti, Pecan Reine de Saba, Rustic Peach Tart, Chestnut Yule Log, and Soft Chocolate Caramels. Payard also offers his special take on Belgian waffles, tuiles (his pistachio-almond version is stellar), macaroons, pound and fruit cakes, charlottes, and that most perfect dessert (and dessert accompaniment), vanilla ice cream, among others. Color photos profile Payard's homey yet sophisticated desserts--all designed, as Payard tellingly notes, to be made. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
He was named Pastry Chef of the Year by both the James Beard Foundation and Bon Appétit. Payard Pâtisserie and Bistro in New York has been hailed as a "culinary Shangri-la" by New York magazine. His dazzling cookies, cakes, and tarts, with their intricate detail and explosion of flavor, are coveted coast-to-coast. And now, François Payard shares his breathtaking desserts with home cooks.
Yes, his innovative recipes are remarkably simple. Here's what America's leading chefs are saying about François Payard and this stunning collection of spectacular desserts:
"François Payard is the best pastry chef that France ever exported to tantalize the American palate. From the useful chapters on technique, equipment, and basics, down to the many innovative and contemporary creations with clearly written recipes, this book is a must for the passionate baker.
Simply Sensational Desserts will make François's mouth-watering desserts the hit of your next dinner party."
--Daniel Boulud, chef/owner of Daniel and Café Boulud
"It was a great day for New York when François Payard brought his whisks and wizardry to town. Now, all of America can rejoice in his creations. With this wide-ranging collection, François shares his extraordinary talent and surprises us with his knack for simplifying even the most sophisticated sweets. There isn't a single recipe for one of his astonishing desserts that can't be made--perfectly--by anyone with an oven, a mixer, and a sweet tooth.
Simply Sensational Desserts is simply swell.
--Dorie Greenspan, author of
Baking with Julia and
Desserts by Pierre Hermé
"I have always been inspired by the brilliance and passion of François Payard. His depth of knowledge is what we all aspire to. Through his accessible and easy-to-use
Simply Sensational Desserts, François can now inspire everyone--pastry chefs and home cooks alike. What a treat!"
--Claudia Fleming, pastry chef, Gramercy Tavern
With fifty full-color photographs and 140 simple, spectacular recipes, information on ingredients and equipment, innovative techniques and decorating ideas, and an entire chapter on basic pastry recipes, this long-awaited collection guarantees simply sensational desserts every time.
Customer Reviews:
the best ..........2007-06-04
this book is for everybody who love good dessert, simple, easy and result are absolutely fantastic, even my sons (13 years old) use it
Practical, not over-charging resources, spectacular. .......2006-05-21
I am highly impressed with this book. There are too many cookbooks on the market written by chefs that advertise their own restaurants, or require highly expensive and inaccessible ingredients, or with recipes that require a whole weekend to construct just for visual effects, or all of the above. Francois Payard truly understands the needs and resources of a home cook.
So far, I have tried 5 dessert soups (mango soup with gingered raspberries is my favorite, and it caused a standing ovation from my family and guests), a few cookies (coconut tuiles are sooo simple and sooo delicious), 4 cakes ( the Chocolate Pudding Cake is the simplest cake in its category across several cookbooks, and fantastic in terms of flavor and impressive in terms of presentation; Gateau Alexandra caused deep envy of my husband's male friends :)), and 4 tarts, all of which turned out delicious and quite original. I appreciate that the author gives one recipe for tart dough which works for several of the sweet tarts (there are variations for some other tarts). I already had 6 lemon tarts/pies/cakes in my cooking repertoire, but Payard's lemon tart is just unbelievably flavorful, tasty, beautiful, and so simple! Mediterranean Swiss Chard tart is very original, takes little time to make (you can make several batches of tart dough once and use a prepared in advance batch), and is versatile - try it with other nuts, or golden raisins, or soak raisins in Amaretto instead of rum, or use dried cherries instead of raisins and soak them in Kirsch instead of rum. Hazelnut Tart with Chocolate Chantilly Cream also gives an ubelievable return on investment: it tastes great and looks very sophisticated for the actual time required to make it. It is somewhat rich, so I had to preceed it with a lighter entree when serving it as a dinner dessert course. There are recipes for warm souffles and for frozen souffles, which gives a good representation for one book. The photographs are beautiful. Not only is this book very practical, but it will also make a great gift.
I believe that this book is worth every penny and I recommend it very highly. Bravo, Francois Payard!
Fantastic book - wish I'd bought it earlier.......2005-09-15
I've been purchasing books from Amazon for ages. I love cookbooks - but especially books on baking. I've had my eye on this book for a while but I wish I'd bought it earlier. I've used several recipes from the book and they all turn out fantastic -some require a bit of effort - but you will be well rewarded. I made the bunny cake for my son's 3 year old birthday and every single person who tasted the cake raved and raved. Delicious recipes and great instructions. Thank you Mr Payard.
Disappointing, overall.......2005-08-10
Although there are a few good recipes, I found this cookbook to be disappointing overall. I'll start off with the good: The lemon tart recipe is not only delicious, but a breeze to make and worth the price of the book. The chocolate sorbet is also delicious. The quality of the paper and photographs are excellent, with many beautiful color photographs illustrating the finished product. Now the bad: There is at least one glaring typographical error in this book. The recipe for Linzer Cookies calls for over 2 sticks of butter, 1 cup of hazelnut flour and 1/3 cup of flour. These proportions simply do not work. I had to add at least 1 1/2 cups of flour to prevent the cookies from melting into puddles of butter in the oven. Given that the cover price is $35.00 and the author is a prominent N.Y.C. pastry chef, this alone justifies the two star rating. There simply should not be any recipes whose failure is not attributable to any individual person's taste preferences but to incorrect ingredient proportions. In addition, for what it's worth, three other recipes that I tried (Apricot Tea Cakes, Pineapple Tea Cakes, Golden Banana Cake) tasted very bad in my opinion.
For a good cookbook containing French-style pastries, try "Paris Sweets," by Dorie Greenspan instead.
Big Hoopla, Mediocre Recipes.......2004-09-18
This cook book starts out with many promises and a big name attached to a famous patisserie. There are some good points; in the end, however, it turns out to be a decent, if undistinguished, dessert book. This book is especially valuable for those who are fans of the author's eateries.
All of the popular, wonderful items at Payard's patisserie on the East Coast have been adapted for the home kitchen. Gone are the multiple component creations that take several days to execute at home, as are the sophisticated decorative touches that take talent and look like Picasso or Dali on a bad day. There are few components to do (e.g. only one pie crust recipe, rather than the dozen or so you will find in competing books), and all that is left is the wonderful taste. This, at any rate, is the stated intention of the author. Problem is, the recipes themselves are things you can find in almost any all purpose cook book, and there is little reason to pick this one over a cook book you might already have on your bookshelf. It is true, however, that all of the finicky bits are missing and procedures for the most part are not that difficult to do, and do not require any special skills.
The first part is a good step. It lists delineates tools, techniques, and basic recipes (genoise, simple syrup, buttercream, apricot glaze, etc.) that are crucial, but are often relegated as boring stuff tossed in at the end of many cook books. This book, happily, lists weights as well as volume measures for both liquid and dry ingredients, the mark of a good cook book author (thank you, chef). However, it has several lapses. It does not describe the proper procedure to beat egg whites, fold batter, or tell you what a batter that "ribbons" means. For ingredients: he specifies grade AA large, but does not indicate that the size ("large") and not the grade is important (AAA, AA, A, and even B will work as long as the egg size is correct); Armagnac is specified, but substitutes for those who cannot get or afford it are not specified (in fact, any decent quality brandy will do; I use California ones and usually get better flavors than with Armagnac), and a similar remark applies to his choice of chocolate (whenever a cookbook specifies Callebaut, I substitute Hershey's Special Dark, and always get identical results).
The Fruit Soup chapter is like Mexican agua fresca with Asian flavors (lemongrass, ginger, and five spice powder). Note that the Cookie chapter is about classic French cookies (tuiles, sables, macaroons, etc.), and not American ones. The Cake chapters were uninteresting, but the tarts were pretty good (especially the Lemon, and also the individual Tartes Tatin). In the Souffle chapter, half of them were frozen souffles (really just frozen mousse). I cannot tell you about the ice cream chapter, since I do not have an ice cream machine or a freezer cold enough to make granite. The last two chapters on Holiday stuff and Candy have some decent recipes. A listing of all recipes in the table of contents or chapter heads would be an improvement.
Amazon.com
Gordon Hamersley's Bistro Cooking at Home makes a much-explored culinary style newly exciting. Hamersley, chef-owner of Hamersley's Bistro in Boston, has won praise for fare that, though straightforward, is often flubbed, due to poor ingredients and technique. Bistro Cooking repeats his success, providing 150 classic and innovative recipes for irresistible dishes like Tian of Summer Vegetables Provençale and Spicy Lamb Shanks with Couscous and Preserved Lemons. Immediately appealing--open the book to any recipe and you'll want to start cooking--the book also boasts cook-friendly asides like "How to Make a Great Vinaigrette."
The organization is equally enticing. Beginning with "The Art of the Salad," which includes a particularly good version of frisée salad with lardons and poached egg, and "Small Plates," like Wild Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Sandwich, the book then pursues savory tarts, gratins and galettes, such as Fresh Goat Cheese, Roasted Beet and Walnut Tart; starchy dishes including Crabmeat Risotto with Peas and Mint and bistro-style fish like the quick-and-easy Halibut with White Wine, Shallots and Basil. Meat and vegetables are equally well represented--there's a mini-repertoire of roast chicken and duck confit dishes--as are simple but "finished" desserts like Souffléed Lemon Custard and Chocolate Mousse Cake. With a useful section on techniques (moderate-temperature "walk away roasting" ensures juicer results, says the author), good pantry-stocking advice, and color photos that further excite kitchen action. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
Bistro cooking—bold and full-flavored—is more like the best home cooking than restaurant fare, featuring slow-cooked stews, exquisitely roasted chickens, perfectly seared steaks, vibrant salads, fresh fruit tarts, and comforting custards. Now Gordon Hamersley of acclaimed Hamersley’s Bistro in Boston helps home cooks bring these classic dishes into their own kitchens.
Bistro Cooking at Home offers a complete menu of versatile selections for cooks who crave sophisticated but easy-to-prepare comfort food. Many of the dishes allow for “walk-away cooking,” such as stews, roasts, or braises. And many of these same dishes taste best if prepared a day or two ahead, making entertaining foolproof. Although the accent is French, dishes such as hamburgers stuffed with blue cheese and Pear Cranberry Crumble reflect Gordon Hamersley’s all-American roots.
Start a bistro meal at home with Hamersley’s classic Onion Soup au Gratin or signature Wild Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Sandwich. For a main course there is roast chicken (you can cook it ahead and reheat it under the broiler), New England Bouillabaisse with Rouille and Croutons, or Moroccan lamb shanks. Pasta, polenta, and risotto are given French finesse in dishes such as Lemon-Scented Risotto with Morels and Chives and Oven-Baked Penne with Onions, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese. The Savory Tarts, Gratins, and Galettes chapter holds such richly satisfying dishes as Portobello Mushroom and Roquefort Galette or Creamy Bistro Potato and Leek Gratin, each practically a meal in itself. Even vegetables are made exciting in dishes ranging from Roasted Artichokes with Garlic and Pancetta Bread Crumbs to Garlicky Mashed Potato Cakes. Bistro-inspired desserts include Maple Crème Brûlée, Profiteroles with Easy Chocolate Sauce, and a dense Chocolate Truffle Cake.
All the main dishes are accompanied by knowledgeable, down-to-earth wine recommendations from Fiona Hamersley, Gordon’s wife, who runs the wine service at the restaurant. With the Hamersleys’s expert guidance every step of the way, you can re-create the romance of bistro dining—at home.
Customer Reviews:
Superior autumn/winter cookbook.......2007-01-09
A truly great cookbook. Not something I reach for during the hot summer months but one I reach for routinely the rest of the year. He's in love with heavy cream as an ingredient, something I try to avoid normally, but I have had success substituting half the heavy cream called for in several recipes with evaporated skim milk and that has worked out just fine and made me feel better about lightening the fat content.
Hamersley's in your home!!.......2006-04-21
If you've ever been to Hamersley's you know what a gift this book is to the culinary world. If you have never been there... get the book. You'll then understand. Magnificent!
Fabulous Cookbook.......2006-02-17
Great cookbook. Really tasty recipes that appeal to modern tastes. So far no recipe takes more than about 45 minutes.
well written - reliable recipes.......2006-01-17
Love this cookbook!
If you like French bistro cooking you'll love this book. Excellent! He gives very clear directions for simple French fare. I especially like his selection of stocks and sauce basics. I've made quite a few of the recipes and each one was delicious.
Buyer Beware! Once you open it..........2006-01-08
no other cookbook will do! I stumbled across this gem at my local library one warm summer day. The rest, as they say, is history: my other cookbooks have been gathering dust ever since.
Every recipe I've tried has been really fabulous - truly, there isn't a dud in this book. The Curried Zucchini Risotto (a dream of saffron, sherry, fresh mint and cilantro - along with the titular ingredients) was an instant hit, the roast chicken recipe IS as good as they say, and the Lemon Lavendar sugar cookies were the star of holiday care packages.
Another nice feature is the range of options here: though we enjoy meat, we only eat it once or twice a week, and Hamersley offers a wealth of delicious vegetarian dishes - from hearty salads (the roasted vegetable salad with romesco sauce is a regular on our table, well worth the lengthy prep time) and soups to delicious gratins and tarts.
There's a lot to love about this book!
Average customer rating:
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Bistro: Casual French Cooking at Home (Cafe)
Valerie Lhomme
Manufacturer: Silverback Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
French
| European
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1930603517 |
Book Description
According to an amusing, but undoubetly incorrect etymology, the word "bistrot" goes back to the times of Napoleon. Its said that Russian soldiers in Parisian bars shouted "bistrot" (hurry up) to get a drink.
During the last 20 years, the "bistrot" has regained popularity. Many well known chefs have re-introduced old recipes in their new Bistro style restaurants.
This book allows you to bring a taste of this simple, yet scrumptous fare to your dinner table at home.
Book Description
Traditional bistro fare is the essence of French cooking-honest, fresh, and satisfying food prepared by cooks, not celebrity chefs. It's not expensive, it's not complicated, and it never goes out of fashion. Bistro food is real food for real people. In Bistro, Laura Washburn offers simple up-to-date versions of this good, old-fashioned food, including recipes for starters like French Onion Soup, fish and seafood like Mussel recipes for starters like French Onion Soup, fish and seafood like Mussel Bouillabaisse, classic meat and chicken dishes like Chicken in Tarragon, plus accompaniments that include Provençal Tian and the famous Creamy Potato Gratin, as well as recipes for legendary bistro puddings.
Customer Reviews:
spinach flan.......2004-12-09
I gave this book 5 stars based upon my spur-of-the-moment decision to make the spinach flan recipe tonight. I happened to have a bag of spinach, some eggs, and sour cream on hand so I went ahead, using a small pie pan and my convection toaster oven. Inspired, I also added some minced shallot with the spinach and a light topping of feta cheese. However, I suspect that even without my embellishments, the dish would still be absolutely incredibly delicious. Wow. The flan was so good that, along with a glass of white wine, I ate the entire dish -- alone. I have already input the recipe into my computer's recipe archive and I know that I will make this regularly for breakfast and/or the occasional solitary dinner. May the other recipes in this book be as wonderful.
Yum!.......2003-11-26
This is one of the best cookbooks I have ever read. The recipes are plain and simple, yet very delicious. This book is great for me, since I've wanted to learn French bistro cooking. Due to my job, I do not have the time to take classes. Several recipes intrigue my college daughter - she is a vegetarian. Laura - you did it again! YUM!
Great for Beginning French Chefs!.......2003-11-02
Bistro's are enjoying a renaissance on the restaurant scene and if the proliferation of new books with Bistro in the title are any indication, home cooks want to whip up some of these French homestyle dishes to share with family and friends too. Just what makes bistro cuisine so special? Ms. Washburn answers that question in her introduction, "...bistro is synonymous with simplicity...It is honest, fresh, and satisfying food...(that) is not expensive, it is not complicated, and it never goes out of fashion." For those of you the least bit familiar with French cuisine, the recipes will be like old friends coming back to share memories, but updated. For those of you just learning about French cusine, this book would make an excellent addition to your library and one that you'll pull out to make a special, easy dish for family and friends.
The book is divided into chapters by course: appetizers, entrées (in the American sense of main course), sides and sweet things. Nothing unusual there, but what is great is that each recipe is on its own spread - a full-page picture on one page with the recipe printed the page facing it. As an added plus, the book lays flat when opened. Each recipe also starts with a small anecdote explaining the history or some other aspect of the dish. For example, in the appetizer section there is a Basque Fish recipe, Ms. Washburn tells us that although France has many fish soups, only this one includes hot chilis. For the Braised Sea Bass with Fennel and Saffron and Harissa, we are told that sea bass and fennel are inseparable in the south and that ingredients such as harissa from the French colonies in North Africa are now found all over France.
When I first looked through the book, I felt it would be a good book to give to a beginning cook. So I showed it to a couple of beginners and we chose some recipes to try. Over the course of about 2 weeks we tried out 15 recipes, all with great success. They included: Chickpea Salad, Mixed Greens with Garlic vinaigrette, Pork Chops with Piquant Sauce, Stuffed Tomatoes, Creamy Potato gratin, Eggplant, onion and tomato tian and Chocolate Hazelnut Cake. All of them were easy to make and the directions easy to follow. We did run into one problem with the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake. I've always found it hard to find hazelnuts here in the U.S. and when you do the skins have to be removed. In the recipe, there were no directions for doing this, but that was a minor problem. The rest of the recipes were all successful and in some cases even looked like the picture!
Book Description
Chef Alain Rayé divulges his secrets to delicious French cooking.
In West Vancouver, people flock to the comforting French country fare served at Chef Alain Rayé's award-winning bistro, La Régalade. Now the delicious tastes and aromas of this successful little bistro can be recreated thanks to the restaurant's companion cookbook.
Accompanied by luscious photography and humorous illustrations, the recipes are easy to follow and rich in flavor. Rayé also suggests wines to maximize the dining experience, and the book is organized by season to take full advantage of the fresh resources each season offers, such as:
In the Spring:
- Pork Shanks with Ginger and Kumquats
In the Summer:
- Chicken with Lemon Confit
In the Autumn:
- Duck Ragout with Wild Mushrooms and Chestnuts
In the Winter:
- Lentil Crème Soup with Grilled Bacon.
Amazon.com
Take the flavors and culinary traditions of South America, add the influence of European cuisine, and you have Chef Rafael Palomino's Bistro Latino. As the title suggests, Bistro Latino is an innovative synthesis of European and New World flavors, and it is striking how easily Palomino moves between the cuisines. The lemony seafood salads common to the Mediterranean are replaced with the ceviches of Peru and Colombia. Dishes such as Roast Chicken with Jalapeños and Yuca put a distinct South American twist on traditional French bistro fare. These combinations are natural for Palomino. In his native Colombia, Latin cuisine is in itself a rich brew of indigenous, Iberian, African, Asian, Caribbean, and North American influences. Add to that early apprenticeships in New York and French restaurants, and it's easy to understand the birth of Bistro Latino.
As with traditional bistro cooking, Palomino emphasizes modest, down-to-earth food. However, the similarities stop there. Bold Latin flavor combinations and ingredients transform simple dishes. Fish Baked in Fresh Tangerine Juice and Parsley blend sweet citrus, woodsy mushrooms, and tender whitefish into an entrée teeming with brightness. In fact, the beauty of Bistro Latino is the simplicity. All the recipes are easily prepared at home and require only modest culinary skills. Palomino also does an outstanding job laying out the basics of Latin cooking. The ingredients glossary is extremely helpful to anyone new to the cuisine, and the recipes for basic sauces such as Aji and Hogo, as well as those for salsas and vinaigrettes, are excellent. Bistro Latino is an exciting new approach that guarantees Latin cuisine will never be the same. --Mark O. Howerton
Book Description
What is Bistro Latino? It's skewered shrimp, marinated in a mixture of smoky chipotle chiles and sweet guava paste, grilled to perfection with juicy chunks of pineapple. It's gazpacho like you've never had it -- a refreshing soup of blackberries, strawberries, and peaches, sparked with a little minced red onion and cilantro. And it's mashed potatoes, kicked up Latin style, whipped together with roasted garlic and black beans.
Bistro Latino is homey, appetite-inspiring food that brings the big, sunny flavors of Latin America -- with a touch of the Mediterranean -- into your kitchen. It's cooking that's familiar -- with a twist.
Bistro Latino is food that is meant to be shared and enjoyed with family or friends. If you're having a get-together, try serving a selection of colorful Bistro Latino cocktails (Pisco Sours,Caipirinha, Mango Mimosas, Passionfruit Batidas) and savory appetizers (Latin Crab Cakes, Spicy Vegetable Empanadas, Tuna Ceviche with Coconut, Goat Cheese and Basil Tamales). Or make your dinner party a family-style affair with Ecuadoran Shrimp and Corn Chowder, Chicken in the Pot, Latin Style, Colombian Pot Roast, or New World Paella. Round out the meal with side dishes like Roasted Corn and Garlic Rice, Potato-Chipotle Gratin, and Mashed Sweet Plantains.
Bistro Latino will give you a whole new vocabulary for everyday cooking.What is Bistro Latino? It's skewered shrimp, marinated in a mixture of smoky chipotle chiles and sweet guava paste, grilled to perfection with juicy chunks of pineapple. It's gazpacho like you've never had it -- a refreshing soup of blackberries, strawberries, and peaches, sparked with a little minced red onion and cilantro. And it's mashed potatoes, kicked up Latin style, whipped together with roasted garlic and black beans.
Bistro Latino is homey, appetite-inspiring food that brings the big, sunny flavors of Latin America -- with a touch of the Mediterranean -- into your kitchen. It's cooking that's familiar -- with a twist.
Bistro Latino is food that is meant to be shared and enjoyed with family or friends. If you're having a get-together, try serving a selection of colorful Bistro Latino cocktails (Pisco Sours,Caipirinha, Mango Mimosas, Passionfruit Batidas) and savory appetizers (Latin Crab Cakes, Spicy Vegetable Empanadas, Tuna Ceviche with Coconut, Goat Cheese and Basil Tamales). Or make your dinner party a family-style affair with Ecuadoran Shrimp and Corn Chowder, Chicken in the Pot, Latin Style, Colombian Pot Roast, or New World Paella. Round out the meal with side dishes like Roasted Corn and Garlic Rice, Potato-Chipotle Gratin, and Mashed Sweet Plantains.
Bistro Latino will give you a whole new vocabulary for everyday cooking.
Customer Reviews:
Yummy Latin Food........2007-06-27
AFter a trip to Miami, I had to purchase this book so I could make some of the food. Very yummy recipes & easy to follow instructions. I recommend highly.
The best Latin fusion cookbook ever!.......2004-12-17
This is the quintessential cookbook in that every time I make something from it EVERYBODY and his mother wants the recipe (which I don't dare give out -- if they want it, they can buy the book)!
Rafael is a secret waiting to be exposed -- hopefully on cable television with his own cooking show one day. Check out his other books from Chronicle -- they're not as well written (but don't blame the chef), but they make great companions to this spectacular volume.
A brilliant resource!.......1999-09-27
Deliciously inventive stuff
Book Description
A cookbook with a difference, The Gastronomical Tourist combines more than 250 easy-to-prepare bistro recipes with an elegant and witty remembrance of things past. Author Arthur Bloomfield serves up culinary adventures abroad, without forgetting the edible treasures in his own backyard.
Along the way tales of rich, rewarding and sometimes hilarious dining?and life?experiences carry the reader to gastronomic hot spots from Corsica to California, Tuscany to Manhattan, Strasbourg to Santa Fe. Bloomfield discovers "Trouffade Auvergnate" in the idyllic pastureland of Central France, "Chocolate Souffle Caruso" on Italy's Amalfi Coast, and many more epicurial delights.
Customer Reviews:
Over 200 bistro recipes.......2003-07-19
The Gastronomical Tourist: Memories And Recipes Of A Bistro Crawler At Home And Abroad combines over 200 bistro recipes with an affectionate recollection of fine dining in small bistros around the world, and discusses such varied topics as what makes a Nicoise Salad, and memories of eating Peruvian Chowder in San Francisco. Mouth-watering descriptions blend with dishes which are equally appealing and surprisingly simple.
Unique and delightful.......2002-12-18
This book combines great eating and great travel experiences into a unique reading experience. I can't imagine any reader putting down this book without either running eagerly into the kitchen or booking a flight to some of the romantic eating places described here. A wonderful bonus is the delightful writing style.
Henry Miller would have liked this book.......2002-11-21
I was lucky enough to see an advance copy of this book and hear a reading from it. Bloomfield has the story-telling skills of Henry Miller or Garrison Keilor as applied to both the details and the romance of food preparation.
The background for the recipes is a range of travel, literary, and personal discoveries that give food and cooking a whole new dimension.
Starting with a table of contents laid out like a high-class menu with entrees salads fish meat chicken vegetables, and wrapping up with desserts, Bloomfield is like a Nabokov at the stove as he listens to the musical pitch of a simmering tomato sauce.
And that's a mere throwaway line in this welter of literary, culinary and travel interweavings.
He's like Miller in the way he includes multiple sensibilities both in his narratives and in his culinary instructions.
Bloomfield does for cooking what Miller does for sex--he makes it adventurous and really tasty again....
A great book to read to friends (before or after dinner).
Also recommended: Henry Miller Colossus of Maroussi
Copyright (c) 2002 by Daniel Duncan. All rights reserved.
Book Description
In HOME BISTRO, author, David Kingsmill lets you in on the most important secrets of the greatest chefs; secrets that will make everyday cooking instantly better.
Average customer rating:
- Simple, sumptuous, and satisfying food
- Simoly elegant
- Too Fussy, Too Many Ingredients
- Spectacular quality recipes, wonderful food.
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Home Bistro: Simple, Sensuous Fare In The Comfort Of Your Own Kitchen
Betty Fussell
Manufacturer: Ecco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Desserts
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Quick & Easy
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| U.S. Regional
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0880015268 |
Book Description
Are you tired of coming home after a long day's work to an uninspired dinner that barely tides you over until morning? Are you fed up with crowded restaurants, surly waiters, and overpriced meals? Acclaimed cookbook author Betty Fussell offers an accessible and exciting alternative in Home Bistro: Simple, Sensuous Fare in the Comfort of Your Own Kitchen. This creative collection of nearly 100 delectable, nohassle recipes celebrates being the master of your own culinary destiny. Learn how Orange-Cranberry Soup, Mustard-Lemon Linguine with Asparagus, or perhaps even Charred Shrimp Poblano can be on the menu of your own satisfying and delicious home-cooked meal in minutes.As practical and precise as she is unflaggingly innovative, Fussell understands that many of us don't have the time to shop for, plan, and cook elaborate menus every night of the week. Home Bistro features Betty Fussell's favorite recipes from her previous books on home cooking, Eating In and Home Plates, as well as more than 40 entirely new recipes to further tempt the palate. From appetizing "Starters and Nibbles" to mouthwatering "Afterwards," most of the recipes are one-dish meals designed to serve two, but they can be easily doubled or tripled for larger groups. Peruse these pages and discover how you can whip up incredible dishes in no time, most often employing a single pot, one knife, and a blender or food processor. Even beverage decisions are made easy with selections by wine experts David Rosengarten and Joshua Wesson.
Fussell offers tips on how to make everyday -shopping fast and painless, with concise advice on stocking the pantry to eliminate last-minute frustrations; how to be imaginative with the seemingly unexciting ingredients you have on hand; how to substitute ingredients for a new twist on a basic recipe. She even recommends complementary accompaniments and interesting presentation ideas for various dishes.
Home Bistro is about simple pleasures. Once you've tried these recipes, you too will be smitten by the aroma of freshly snipped basil, the velvet of coconut cream, the lively bite of jalapeÑo peppers, and the endless other new food discoveries that await youin your own kitchen.
Customer Reviews:
Simple, sumptuous, and satisfying food.......2003-12-20
I was so pleased to find a cookbook that used simple ingredients and had quick recipes to make such elegant, delicious fare. Also, as the recipes are intended for two people, I don't have to worry about storing a ton of leftovers. Many of the recipes are great for any season. Another thing that may be overlooked is the selection of delectable meatless dishes, making this a good purchase or gift for a vegetarian, or someone who just doesn't eat a lot of meat. (Meat lovers, fear not! We are not overlooked by any means.) The author also includes tidbits on substitutions and serving suggestions. The wine suggestions are also handy; the right wine really can enhance a meal.
From a casual lunch with a friend or dinner with a significant other, this book allows you to plan any kind of meal your heart desires, and not be exhausted from preparing.
The ability to find all of the ingredients at my local grocer, the lack of bulky leftovers, and the variety of yummy foods ensure I'll always have this book in my kitchen.
Simoly elegant.......2001-01-22
I wonder if a reader from Plaino, TX read the same book or if a reader somehow got confused when reviewing Home Bistro? This is a book in which EVERY RECIPE HAS A SHORT LIST OF INGREDIENTS. In fact, it is the perfect "last minute" cookbook, which is how veteran author Betty Fussell describes it. Small in size, it is the perfect book to glance through after a long day at work, sitting on the stool in your kitchen, watching the tv news while trying to figure out how to rest your soul by enlivening your palate. Fussell's aim is to suggest one dish meals, although she does offer valuable side-dish and wine go-togethers. And her one-dish meals are not the "hot dish" of Lake Woebegone fame or your mother-in-laws dry macaroni and cheese with a corn-flake topping (yuck!), but imaginative meals that draw on European, New World and Asian traditions. Let's face, what is more relaxing and more rewarding, 1.) a meal made up of take-aways from the deli where the mayonnaise always tastes suspicious; 2.) a meal made up of convenience food from supermarket boxes; 3.) a meal made from simple and fresh ingredients that can be ready in the time it takes to cook frozen french fries? For me, three is the answer and that is part of the reason why I like Fussell's book.
Too Fussy, Too Many Ingredients.......2000-08-22
This is probably a great little cookbook for the gourmet cook. However, this is not what I was looking for. I want classy recipes with no more than 8 ingredients (and preferrably less than that) that take a minimum amount of preparation. Most recipes in this book have many ingredients and quite a few call for things I've never even heard of (such as cardamom), and things that I do not have on hand. It's fairly small - I scanned every recipe in less than half an hour. The author does include wine suggestions for each item, if you are interested in that. I am returning my copy.
Spectacular quality recipes, wonderful food........1998-07-24
I purchased this book on a whim and was absolutely thrilled with the quality of the recipes. I was so impressed that I purchased an additional copy for my daughter and her husband and now she is sold on the book as well. The recipes are are simple to prepare and the result is mouth watering. I have yet to find any dish I didn't like. If you like exciting tastes, you will love this book.
Books:
- Splendid Soups: Recipes and Master Techniques for Making the World's Best Soups
- Splendid Soups: Recipes and Master Techniques for Making the World's Best Soups
- Starting With Ingredients: The Quintessential Recipes for the Way We Really Cook
- Talk About Good
- Thai Food
- The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef
- The Art of Pizza Making: Trade Secrets and Recipes
- The Baby Bistro Cookbook: Healthy, Delicious Cuisine for Babies, Toddlers, and You
- The Best of Mexico (The Best of ...)
- The Boleyn Inheritance
Books Index
Books Home
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