French Bistro Cooking with an American Twist

books:


	• Bistro Laurent Tourondel: New American Bistro Cooking Laurent Tourondel, Michele Scicolone Wiley, 2007 - 286 pages average customer review:based on 4 reviews view larger image
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Great book

Some great recipes, some simple, some sophisticated. Most recipes I've tried accentuate the umami sense.

French Bistro Cooking with an American Twist

If you pick up this book, be prepared to deal with uncontrollable drooling as your browse through the pages. Beautiful pictures of Seared Kobe steaks, giant cheese popovers, peanut butter-chocolate parfait and many more are a feast for the eye. Laurent Tourondel is a master at what he does and the recipes reflect it well. He takes classic French Bistro cooking but adapts it for the American public, the guy is not afraid to cross the line of tradition to create his own version of classical dishes using all american ingredients. Needless to say, he is quite succesful at it if you judge by the speed he's opening restaurants around New York. This book will appeal to the home cook looking to fine tune his skills and to the "night table" gourmet who simply enjoys nice cookbooks, it'll make you drool and it'll make you want to cook. After all, that what cookbooks are for right?

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Unique twists on classics and new favorites

I would make every last recipe in this book. Usually I debate on whether the finished product will be worth the effort and decide against attempting some recipes of other books. However, BLT has page after page of mouthwatering photos that encourage you to taste everything. I've tried around five recipes so far and not been disappointed. For spices, visit www.thespicehouse.com. For kaffir lime leaves (which are amazing and should not be omitted) try one of the two Amazon vendors or (depending on your part of the country) even check with a local well-stocked plant nursery to see if they have the tree and would let you pluck a few leaves.

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For cooks who enjoy the process

Combining the flavors of his French childhood kitchen and his classic French training with his personal bias toward casual French bistros and American steakhouses, Tourondel has established six varied bistros, mostly in New York.

This glossy, lavishly illustrated book offers restaurant recipes adapted for the home cook. From Cream of Corn Soup with Corn Fritters to Braised Short Ribs with Garlic-Thyme Brown Butter, Curry-Kaffir Lime Chicken Pot Pie, Wild Mushroom Risotto with Mushroom Cappuccino, and 5-Spice Caramelized Long Island Duck, these are labors of love.

There are simpler, quicker dishes that are just as mouth watering, like Marinated Kobe Skirt Steak (garnished with chopped peanuts), Braised Swordfish with Tomatoes, Olives, and Capers, or Macaroni and Tomatoes with Spicy Sausage, but all require some joy in the process.

From appetizers to desserts, the recipes are well organized. Tourondel offers menu accompaniments (other recipes from the book) and gives an idea what to expect in his brief intros. Wine accompaniments are also offered with each dish and in his introduction Tourondel offers menu suggestions for the novice and the experienced cook.

With informal and delicious dishes in a format that is as easy to follow as it is sumptuous, this is a book primarily for experienced cooks.

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Superstar chef Laurent Tourondel is redefining bistro food in America with his growing empire of BLT ("Bistro Laurent Tourondel") restaurants. Now, with this exciting cookbook, Tourondel shows you how to prepare his simple yet spectacular food at home. From new takes on French and American classics to dazzling dishes featuring Asian, Mediterranean, and Latin American flavors, his nearly 150 recipes are sophisticated enough to impress any guest, yet accessible enough to prepare in your own kitchen. Illustrated with more than 150 striking photographs, Bistro Laurent Tourondel gives you everything you need to take casual cooking and entertaining to a new level.

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