The Big Fat Duck Cookbook
by Heston Blumenthal ($250 Bloomsbury, 2008).
“It is not often that you can see what arguably the greatest chef in the world is doing,” says Chef Brandon Collins of The Garrison in Garrison, New York. This boxed opus is based on Blumenthal’s “culinary alchemy,” scientific explorations in cooking, at his three-Michelin star restaurant, The Fat Duck, in Bray, Great Britain. The restaurant was voted the Best Restaurant in the World by a panel of 500 culinary experts gathered by Restaurant Magazine.
A Day at elBulli
by Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler, and Albert Adrià ($49.95 Phaidon, 2008).
Not for the home cook, this book delivers a vicarious experience more cheaply than a trip to Barcelona, says chef and owner Peter Kelly of X2O Xaviars on the Hudson. “elBulli is not like any other restaurant in the world and reading this book demonstrates why.”
Gordon Ramsay’s Three Star Chef
by Gordon Ramsay ($65 Key Porter Books, 2008).
“This book is filled with vibrant photography and the recipes are doable,” says Chef Kelly. It gives good insight into what makes this chef the perfectionist he is.”
On the Line
by Eric Ripert and Christine Muhlke ($35 Artisan, 2008).
Chef Alex Rubeo, owner of Armonk Lobster House, calls this a “serious look at the inner workings of Manhattan’s Le Bernardin.” He appreciates Ripert’s unsnarky view of the business.
The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell
by Mark Kurlansky ($23.95 Ballantine, 2006).
“If you love oysters, this book will amaze,” says Rubeo.
