Hello everyone out there in the blogosphere,
Sorry that I haven't written sooner, but I recently accepted a job opening a new restaurant in Boston and I really haven't had time to do much else. Check out the website at www.STIXboston.com, and please come visit once we're open. It's a wonderful concept and I'm proud of our food!!!
Back to where I left off...
Morimoto is really a fantastic book. It is chock full of inventive techniques and wonderful flavor combinations. The ma-po tofu recipe is fantastic! If you're looking to add some Asian style and technique to your repetoir and menu, I highly recommend this book!!
A lot of people are always asking me, "I want to learn how to be a better cook." Or, "I want to cook like a restaurant chef." There are a couple of books that I HIGHLY recommend over and over. Tom Colicchio (yes, of Top Chef fame, but more importantly of his wonderful group of Craft restaurants) wrote two books a number of years ago. Think Like a Chef and The Craft of Cooking are both WONDERFUL books that teach you excellent technique. I actually have these as required reading for all my cooks. (another book I also require them to read is Simple Cuisine by Jean George Vongerichten)
Michel Richard, a true culinary genius, finally released his second book last year. Happy in the Kitchen has a lot of new, simple techniques that really make you think outside the box. They are well explained and are very easily executed (beautiful and tasty too!!!)
I also feel that I must recommend Thomas Keller's books. The French Laundry and Bouchon are both full of PERFECT technique. (The two also come as a boxed set: The Complete Keller.) If you want to learn why passion, precision and dedication are required to create "perfect" food, then these are the books for you. His food is nothing short of sublime and perfect! Of note too... his pastry chef, Claire Clark, just recently released her own book. Indulge, 100 Perfect Desserts. I haven't finished reviewing it yet, but it looks fantastic (and I've already picked up a few trucs of wisdom).
A couple of books that have been recently released (and I've been eagerly awaiting) yet haven't had time to pick up are... Jean-Georges new book, Gina DePalma of Babbo (one of the best ice cream makers in America), Sherry Yard, Jonathan Waxman (my old mentor and still an inspiration to this day!) and my buddy, Pichet Ong.
That's it for now. I've got to get back to hiring a kitchen staff and all the rest of the fun stuff that goes with opening a new restaurant. Write with questions and I'll try to get to them as soon as I can........
'Til then, eat well and love life!
Peter
