Les Halles Cookbook – Anthony Bourdain
Posted: 28 September '09 by Niall
Les Halles Cookbook
Les Halles Cookbook begins by saying that it’s not really a cookbook – not very helpful then, you might think!
Although the book DOES contain plenty fine recipes, it’s much more than that – it’s also an insight into the dark world of running a professional kitchen, and a French bistro in particular. And it’s an excellent read at that. I find that lot of recipe-books are dry instruction-books – but Bourdain’s dark-humour pervades this book with asides, anecdotes, and observations (“if you can’t properly roast a damn chicken then you are one helpless, hopeless bivalve in an apron”). Mild abuse aside, Bourdain clearly enjoys the hectic, stressful life of a New York chef, leading his team into battle at the bistro every night – and in Les Halles Cookbook Bourdain treats you as if you’re in the same fight, his latest recruit.
Like every drill-sergeant from every war movie I’ve ever seen, Anthony Bourdain takes his new recruit through basic training before getting into the ‘fight’ proper. Although told from the perspective of his own bistro kitchen, this basic knowledge is just as important to the amateur cook: the importance of preparation; knowing which ingredients are in-season; how to find a good supplier; the types of knives you’ll need to work properly; and how vital a good stock is.
You won’t find any of those ethereal, delicate, haute-cuisine-type dishes in this book – but what you will get are plenty of good rustic, satisfying and flavoursome classic French meals: onion soup; vichyssoise; moules marinieres; rillettes; coquilles saint-jacques; boeuf bourguignon; coq au vin; cassoulet; boudin noir with potatoes; rabbit with olives; creme brulee; and cherry clafoutis. There’s also a section on preparing basic components like pastry dough, bearnaise sauce, and sauce gribiche.
Details
- Title: Les Halles Cookbook
- Author: Anthony Bourdain
- Pages: 304
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
- ISBN: 0-7475-8012-X
- Cost: £15.99
- Where to get it: From www.amazon.co.uk
Our Verdict:
Les Halles Cookbook isn’t an everyday cookbook – but it is a very enjoyable read, a “no-holds-barred” look at the realities of life as a professional chef, and a fantastic resource for hearty, satisfying French dishes. Not a “must have”, but a “should have”.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Other Information:
You can read more about Anthony Bourdain at: www.anthonybourdain.com
You can visit the Les Halles website at: www.leshalles.net
Tags: book review, french food, Recipes
Categories: Books for Cooks
