With summer here I am looking forward to making Jose Andres's "Gaspacho Andaluz" and Daniel Bouloud's "Cherry Gratin".
I only have one problem with this book. I am dying to order copies to take as house gifts this summer but it's been listed as "out of stock" on Amazon for the last three weeks.
A great book for year-round cooking or summer hammock reading.
I can remember becoming first interested in high school when taking a date out on that impressive prom meal when gourmet was specific dishes, e.g. Steak Diane, etc. But now, there is such a wide variety of everything, with so many more choices of not only dishes, but cuisine specialty houses and more. This book gets to that. The mixture of cultures and global reach has brought us to this melting pot concept of gourmet. Here there are ten major world cuisines: Chineese, French, Mexican, Indian, Spanish, Moroccan, Italian, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese. Each of these is represented by its approach, similarities and specialties, then a representative recipe sampling.
While there is ample opportunity here to learn more about cuisines I'm already into: French, Moroccan, Italian, Mexican, Chineese, Japanese; there is certainly opportunity here to explore some new cuisine such as Thai, Indian, etc. although I'm not all that enthralled with them in my experience so far.
And just that is the beauty here, one doesn't have to be excited about all ten, or the majority of them. There is so much here to be learned and experimented with. The standards of each are explemfied in all: balance, aroma, harmony, seasonality, etc.
Recipes that caught my attention to make include: Deep-Fried Fillet of Trout(Masu no Agemono); Shrimp in "Crazy Water" (Gamberoni al'Acqua Pazza); Barcelona-Style Flounder with Raisins, Nuts, Lemon Butter and Anise; Cherry Gratin (Gratin aux Cerises); Maine Lobster Tail on Salsify with Pinot Noir Sauce, Vanilla Oil, and Crispy Leeks; Rock Candy-Ginger Short Ribs; Chile-Orange Cold Noodles; Braised Lamb Shanks with Masala Raan;Guajillo-Spiked Pork-and-Potato Tacos (Tacos de Puerco y Papas al Guajillo; Salmon Panang (Grilled Salmon in a Creamy Red Curry Sauce); Quail Bisteeya;Chicken Tajine with Prunes; Couscous Mango Mousse.
Many of the contributors are already great culinary friends and inspirations to millions: Batali, Bayless, Boulud, Feniger, Vongerichten, Wolfert to name a few. I'm sure many of the others will go on to such fame and become regular fixtures in this growing, wonderful world of cuisine.
With each cuisine there is ample background text as well as cookbook and other reference suggestions. No color photos, just the author's usual nice contrasty B&W but with unbelievably good text for chefs both pro and amateur.
This is definitely one to grow and have fun with. It proposes one choose a cuisine direction and then gives advice on that pursuit. An unusual and welcome addition and approach.