From Hannibal Lecter's Table to Yours

books:


	• Amuse-Bouche: Little Bites That Delight Before the Meal Begins Rick Tramonto, Mary Goodbody Random House, 2002 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 19 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

From Hannibal Lecter's Table to Yours

I really enjoyed the idea of this book. I was familiar with the title words from both my culinary readings and my dining experiences, but I had never heard it used in American popular culture until I saw the movie "Red Dragon" several years ago. Hannibal Lecter was serving a small dish (later we discover that it was a body part of an unfortunate flutist) to the Baltimore Symphony board when one of the members asked "Hannibal, what is this divine looking amuse-bouche?". Dr. Lecter replied (in the bone-chilling manner that Anthony Hopkins perfected for this character) "If I tell you... I'm afraid that you won't even try it".

One of the advantages of serving an amuse-bouche is that the home cook can use ingredients that would be too expensive to use in a main course (truffles, caviar, pate, etc.) except for the most special of occasions. Although I have tried several of the recipes in this wonderful book, many of them require specialized equipment that only the most advanced home cook would have in his/her arsenal (things like a "cream whipper" for producing foams, specialty juicers, meat slicers, a Japanese potato mandolin, and so on).

Don't get me wrong, I have most of the above equipment and I've prided myself in the past for trying to tackle any recipe, regardless of how difficult the technique or how laborious the preparation. Although it was always a great learning exercise for me, in the end I could have achieved similar results with less work.

Regarding the illustrations; the photographs are well done but the reproduction quality in the book (maybe even the paper stock itself) causes them to appear dull and flat. Glossier paper might have helped. The photographer (Tim Turner) uses only two different photographic techniques; an extremely shallow depth of field (see the photo for the Warm Onion Tart with Thyme) and then a sharper, view camera-style overhead shot (such as the one used to illustrate the Soft Polenta with Forest Mushroom recipe). The lighting source seems to be mostly a large light-box which only adds to the overall softness and the lack of contrast in the photos. Including an additional side-light source would have added some snap to the shots. I also think that it would have added a more approachable feel to the illustrations had they used more natural looking sets (as in the Saffron-Champagne Sorbet photo) instead of the obvious studio arrangements. Also, since presentation is a major element in serving an Amuse-bouche, there are far too few photos, especially for a book with a $35 price tag. Still, the composition and design of the photographs are exquisite. That could be the work of Mr. Turner or of a talented art director and/or food stylist.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to serve something special to friends and family, but the recipes are too involved for most of us to use on a regular basis. I would love to see a book on this theme that uses some of the fine prepared products found on Amazon's Gourmet Food section or in specialty grocery stores. Until then, I am afraid that the amuse-bouche will never make the leap from a French culinary curiosity to a common offering in US homes, a leap that the appetizer successfully accomplished decades ago.

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amuse-bouche

Loved the pictures and the instruction. Delightful recipes. A little bit advanced but still "doable". Have made around a dozen dishes from it and have at least two dozen more that I want to make.

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Gorgeous and elegant

This is a wonderful cookbook with beautiful ideas. It has sensational taste combinations, is very classy and is beautfully arranged by season.
The recipes are simple, but mind blowing in their presentation and appeal.
This is one of my favorite cookbooks, and many of the dishes can be made in larger portions as elegant entrees. These dishes will impress any dinner guest, and add that wow factor to any meal. Some of the reipes include Mission Bay Figs with proscuito and mascarpone foam, mushroom terrine, and baby onion tarts - all little bursts of flavor that hit the spot.
You will not be disappointed with this purchase - satisfaction guaranteed

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I wish

Wow what an awesome book. While living in NYC and Miami, I didn't have a hard time finding interesting ingredients like razor clams, squab and foie gras, but living in an area with limited grocery stores I feel abandoned. If I thought that Foley Fish would ship me 4 Kumamoto oysters without killing me on shipping and handling I would so do it. Or if Chef Tramonto would kindly give me a substitution I would be so pleased. The lay out of the book is great and the presentations are inspiring. I guess on my next trip to a greater metropolitan I will pack ziploc bags and dry ice instead of shoes and makeup.

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Good Buy

This is a very well thought out and put together book. I was very happy with it and recommend it to everyone interested in elegant amuse bouches.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

Amuse-bouche (pronounced ah-myuz boosh) are today what hors d'oeuvres were to America in the 1950s: a relatively unknown feature of French culinary tradition that, once introduced, immediately became standard fare. Chefs at many fine restaurants offer guests an amuse-bouche, a bite-sized treat that excites the tongue and delights the eye, before the meal is served. Nobody does it better than the celebrated executive chef/partner of Chicago?s Tru, Rick Tramonto. Amuse-bouche are a fa-vorite of diners at Tru, many of whom come expressly to enjoy the ?grand amuse"--an assortment of four different taste sensations.

Amuse-Bouche offers an array of recipes, from elegant and sophisticated to casual and surprising?but always exquisite?that will inspire home cooks to share these culinary jewels with their guests. From Black Mission Figs with Mascarpone Foam and Prosciutto di Parma to Curried Three-Bean Salad, from Soft Polenta with Forest Mushrooms to Blue Cheese Foam with Port Wine Reduction, Tramonto?s creations will embolden the novice and the experienced cook alike to experiment with unfamiliar ingredients and techniques.

Organized by type of amuse and season of the year, the book also includes a directory of sources for specialty products. With more than a hundred recipes and with fifty-two full-page color photographs by James Beard Award--winning photographer Tim Turner, Amuse-Bouche enchants the eyes as much as an amuse pleases the palate.

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