hysterical cook book! | Anthony Bourdain's "Les Halles" Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of...

Classic French...Classic Tony | Anthony Bourdain's "Les Halles" Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking | Anthony Bourdain

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	• Anthony Bourdain's "Les Halles" Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking Anthony Bourdain Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2004 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 82 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

I would eat the pictures if I could!

When I have a serious piece of meat or an ingredient I want to show off and still manage to cook it so I can eat dinner, I reach for Les Halles cookbook by none other than Anthony Bourdain. I don't eat meat too often, I know he does and writes about it a lot, but when I do I like to treat it with respect and use it to its full potential, when I finally do indulge in it, I can think of a few other French cookbooks that I have but this one has spunk, and is so gosh darn entertaining too. It has knowledge and professional cooking instructions that bring a smile to my face whenever I create something out of it, no worries that it's just protein, the sides and veggies are totally covered (dessert too, oh boy!) and I promise, the Graitin Dauphinois recipe towards the back is one of the best, mouth watering, gooey, bubbling hot with a melting crust, the classic flavors that have been studied and paired for centuries..Eating it I feel like I just took a short cut and with luck landed on something that has been perfected for years, and I get to eat it anytime I want. I mean be prepared to scrub the pan you make it in, but it's worth it. The prefect French fry also makes an appearance, the instructions come with pictures so it's really easy. The Fennel and tomato soup in here is heavenly too, it totally made me get into soups again, I forget how healthy and tasty they can be. Basic tart dough, sauce Bechamel, herb butter, Boeuf Bourguignon ( it's a French beef stew one could say, make extra, it's so good that boyfriends decided to eat doubles) also there is a salad that brings me back to my childhood, and I haven't ran across it in books yet, to my delight frisee aux lardons is present, I omit the chicken livers, and the cheese is a new thing in it to me ( as far as the tastes I remember) but yay, it's yummy and finally here for people to see.

To me, a foodie who also loves books, Bourdain is a culinary giant, and I'm lucky to catch all the recipes in my lap, this cookbooks helps! The beginning has lots of tips and tricks in a short, great chapter that should be read a few times - General Principles, for example it's insisted on to have all your ingredients chopped and ready to go, that's something many overlook, but when things start spilling and too many things need attention, peeling and chopping potatoes isn't always fun when another sauce or pasta is screaming for our attention. Processional restaurants have everything set in place, so should we. Shopping and planning, knife knowledge, learning stocks and sauces, it's all here, for those who love food and love cooking. The book has lots of strange sounding French bistro recipes but they are pretty rustic and basic, with really good balance of flavors and with perfect cooking instructions. I think many who enjoy food will find familiar favorites here from Steak au poivre to Vichyssoise, and with a tasty dessert menu, hazelnut torte anyone? This has my whole taste bud topography covered.

The last pages have invaluable info, more reading material recommended by Bourdain, various suppliers and stores that are reachable online and a great glossary, all told form his view, few curse words here and there and the book is totally his. The best way to check this book out is to read it first, I read all my cookbooks before I use them, like a little manual into the chef's psyche, almost as fun as cooking itself.

- Kasia S.

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hysterical cook book!

I have a decent sized collection of cookbooks, many of which I've read as if they were novels. This cookbook makes me laugh out loud! I have not prepared any recipes yet. I purchased the book to widen my collection (didn't have French - too intimidating and Julia Child's didn't appeal to me as a home cook). Anthony's irreverent sense of humor makes me want to keep turning the pages to see what outrageous comment he'll make next. If you like his show and enjoy cooking - you'll love this book. I plan to purchase more of the writings of this talented bad boy.

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Classic French...Classic Tony

I've been watching Tony Bourdain on TV since he was doing A Cook's Tour on the food network. He's definitely not your average "travel show" host, which is what I enjoy about him. I find it amusing when he drops a series of bleeped out F'bombs will talking about food or places he's visited. It makes him relatable, even if he is a little sophomoric at times. But you can't help but find the guy charming. I mean he started out as a lowly cook with some pretty nasty drug habits and turned into a food and travel channel star, not to mention an accomplished writer.

If you only know Tony from No Reservations, than you might be missing out on the fact that Tony is a pretty damned good writer. One of his most popular titles was Kitchen Confidential, which was really a biography about his life in the restaurant biz. But he also writes fiction novels, like Gone Bamboo, which is this convoluted novel about mafia gangs and hitmen.

The book Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking is more classic Tony. He writes a few chapers in the beginning of the book in his typical style and then again at the beginning of the chapters, but the rest is truly a cook book. The reason I even bought this book was because I saw an episode of No Reservations where Tony was at Les Halles showing us basic techniques, and during that episode, he made Beef Bourguignon. I decided to make it myself and so I found the recipe on the internet at a web log, and they made mention of this book. So naturally I went right out and bought it. I have so far done a few recipes from the book and plan to do more. The recipes are not rocket science, but require a lot of prep and patience...attention to detail.

So get yourself a copy and enjoy Tony's biting humor and some good cooking, and make sure to make the Beef Bourguignon, it is awesome, eat it with a fresh Baguette and a pint of good beer.

Cheers.

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Tremendously talented Tony

This book is Anthony Bourdain at his finest. Descriptive author, amazing chef, and a storyteller extraordinar - a chance to have a peek into some of his recipes will make this book a wonderful addition to my collection of not only his books, but my cookbook collection. Worth every penny. To have not had the chance to dine in Les Hallas is a loss - to live vicariously through the recipes, and the talent who put them together makes my time well spent as I try to cook every one as written.

Awesome Cookbook for Foodies

I'm not much of a cook, but I'm a self-proclaimed foodie. I also love Anthony Bourdain's work as a travel show host and as an author. This book is no exception. His recipes are easy to follow -- even for an amateur chef like me.

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No one writes about food or cooking quite like Tony Bourdain. In his bestselling books Kitchen Confidential and A Cook's Tour, Bourdain captivated readers all over the world with his gritty, action-paced tales of the kitchen. Now his brings his inimitable style and energy to Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook. With over a hundred recipes from Tony's restaurant, the legendary Brasserie Les Halles in New York, this is guaranteed to be as much a good read, as to help you cook up a storm in the kitchen. A must for every Tony Bourdain fan and for foodies everywhere, this is going to be a classic.

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