The French Laundry, Per Se (The Thomas Keller Library)

Named a Best Book of 2020 by Publisher's Weekly Named a Best Cookbook of 2020 by Amazon and Barnes & Noble “Every elegant page projects Keller’s high standard of ‘perfect culinary execution’. . . . This superb work is as much philosophical treatise as gorgeous cookbook.” — Publishers Weekly , STARRED REVIEW Bound by a common philosophy, linked by live video, staffed by a cadre of inventive and skilled chefs, the kitchens of Thomas Keller’s celebrated restaurants—The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and per se, in New York City—are in a relationship unique in the world of fine dining. Ideas bounce back and forth in a dance of creativity, knowledge, innovation, and excellence. It’s a relationship that’s the very embodiment of collaboration, and of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. And all of it is captured in The French Laundry, Per Se , with meticulously detailed recipes for 70 beloved dishes, including Smoked Sturgeon Rillettes on an Everything Bagel, “The Whole Bird,” Tomato Consommé, Celery Root Pastrami, Steak and Potatoes, Peaches ’n’ Cream. Just reading these recipes is a master class in the state of the art of cooking today. We learn to use a dehydrator to intensify the flavor and texture of fruits and vegetables. To make the crunchiest coating with a cornstarch–egg white paste and potato flakes. To limit waste in the kitchen by fermenting vegetable trimmings for sauces with an unexpected depth of flavor. And that essential Keller trait, to take a classic and reinvent it: like the French onion soup, with a mushroom essence stock and garnish of braised beef cheeks and Comté mousse, or a classic crème brûlée reimagined as a rich, creamy ice cream with a crispy sugar tuile to mimic the caramelized coating. Throughout, there are 40 recipes for the basics to elevate our home cooking. Some are old standbys, like the best versions of beurre manié and béchamel, others more unusual, including a ramen broth (aka the Super Stock) and a Blue-Ribbon Pickle. And with its notes on technique, stories about farmers and purveyors, and revelatory essays from Thomas Keller—“The Lessons of a Dishwasher,” “Inspiration Versus Influence,” “Patience and Persistence”— The French Laundry, Per Se will change how young chefs, determined home cooks, and dedicated food lovers understand and approach their cooking. Named a Best Book of 2020 by Publisher#39;s Weekly Named a Best Cookbook of 2020 by Amazon and Barnes amp; Noble Every elegant page projects Kellers high standard of perfect culinary execution. . . . This superb work is as much philosophical treatise as gorgeous cookbook. Publishers Weekly , STARRED REVIEW Bound by a common philosophy, linked by live video, staffed by a cadre of inventive and skilled chefs, the kitchens of Thomas Kellers celebrated restaurantsThe French Laundry in Yountville, California, and per se, in New York Cityare in a relationship unique in the world of fine dining. Ideas bounce back and forth in a dance of creativity, knowledge, innovation, and excellence. Its a relationship thats the very embodiment of collaboration, and of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. And all of it is captured in The French Laundry, Per Se , with meticulously detailed recipes for 70 beloved dishes, including Smoked Sturgeon Rillettes on an Everything Bagel, The Whole Bird, Tomato Consomm, Celery Root Pastrami, Steak and Potatoes, Peaches n Cream. #160; Just reading these recipes is a master class in the state of the art of cooking today. We learn to use a dehydrator to intensify the flavor and texture of fruits and vegetables. To make the crunchiest coating with a cornstarchegg white paste and potato flakes. To limit waste in the kitchen by fermenting vegetable trimmings for sauces with an unexpected depth of flavor. And that essential Keller trait, to take a classic and reinvent it: like the French onion soup, with a mushroom essence stock and garnish of braised beef cheeks and Comt mousse, or a classic crme brle reimagined as a rich, creamy ice cream with a crispy sugar tuile to mimic the caramelized coating. #160; Throughout, there are 40 recipes for the basics to elevate our home cooking. Some are old standbys, like the best versions of beurre mani and bchamel, others more unusual, including a ramen broth (aka the Super Stock) and a Blue-Ribbon Pickle. #160; And with its notes on technique, stories about farmers and purveyors, and revelatory essays from Thomas KellerThe Lessons of a Dishwasher, Inspiration Versus Influence, Patience and Persistence The French Laundry, Per Se will change how young chefs, determined home cooks, and dedicated food lovers understand and approach their cooking A Note from Thomas Keller......Page 14 Preface......Page 22 Introduction: The Cornet......Page 24 The Chefs......Page 32 My Journey to The French Laundry by David Breeden......Page 43 My Journey to Per Se by Corey Chow......Page 48 My Journey to America by Elwyn Boyles......Page 53 About the Recipes......Page 58 CANAPÉS......Page 61 Canapés......Page 63 Purveyors as Partners......Page 87 Skip Bennett......Page 89 Reeboks in the Kitchen......Page 98 Inspiration Versus Influence......Page 121 Caviar......Page 146 Tools of Refinement, Revisited......Page 159 FIRSTS......Page 167 The Evolution of Service......Page 169 Classic Roux and the Evolution of the Liaisons......Page 211 On Fine Dining......Page 240 Charcuterie......Page 261 VEGETABLES......Page 277 Patience and Persistence......Page 286 The French Laundry Garden......Page 303 Big-Pot Blanching, Revisited......Page 317 Soyoung Scanlan......Page 327 Pickles and Vegetable Preservation......Page 340 On Brining and Curing Fish......Page 355 FISH......Page 383 Butter-Poached Lobster and Beurre Monté......Page 408 The Lessons of a Dishwasher......Page 414 The French Laundry Kitchen......Page 450 The Per Se Kitchen......Page 456 Bread and Butter......Page 459 MEAT......Page 463 Stephen and Sylvia Pryzant......Page 475 Brent Wolfe......Page 487 The Porcelet and Other Whole Animal Preparations......Page 492 Low and Slow......Page 504 Fire and Smoke......Page 507 Stocks and Essences......Page 530 DESSERTS......Page 548 Think Like a Pastry Chef by Elwyn Boyles......Page 550 The Evolution of Dessert......Page 598 Timeline......Page 672 Sources......Page 680 Acknowledgments......Page 687 Index......Page 691 When The French Laundry Cookbook was published in 1999 (five years after the opening of the French Laundry restaurant), it broke the mold of all previous cookbooks; it has since come to be considered by many to be the most important restaurant cookbook ever published. With more than 600,000 copies in print, the book has been an education for thousands, from home cooks to aspiring professionals, selling in bookstores, wineries, department stores, grocery stores, and even airports throughout the world. Now, 20 years later, The French Laundry, Per Se is set to break the mold anew. Keller opened Per Se in New York City in 2004, and since that time, the French Laundry and Per Se have become inextricably linked, influencing each other's evolution through the exchange of chefs and ideas. A lot has changed in 20 years, and the recipes and techniques featured in The French Laundry, Per Se will delight and inspire professional and home cooks as only those in Keller's books can. Here, he and his chefs offer meticulous, in-depth recipes for both beloved and iconic dishes'Salmon Cornet, "Peas and Carrots," and Butter-Poached Lobster, for example'as well as essays of reflection, notes on the restaurants' daily operations, information about farmers and purveyors, and lessons for young chefs the world over. In addition to more than 100 recipes, a basics chapter featuring such revelations as Parmesan mousse, tomato water, and a variety of stocks not only give readers insight into the foundations of these groundbreaking recipes but can also be used to elevate the food of any home cook. The French Laundry, Per Se is sure to be the year's most anticipated cookbook