Proper cook books

Rocker

cruxiform said:

I'm a decent cook and I have to ask why fine dining? You're filling people's stomachs and keeping them happy. I've cooked for 12 people, 3 courses and enjoyed the praise when they all enjoyed it. All presented well and fresh ingredients. I've found picking the right booze is usually more important. In my opinion, anybody who cooks in that manner is wasting time and money. Oh, and it's unbelievably pretentious. 

Well said my friend, Wiz awarded. My cooking philosophy is to keep it simple and plain. To taste the food and not the sauces/gravy. No salt added, the guest can add it if they want to. No pressure on guest as they are there for a meal and not so called "fine dining". Food they enjoy, what more do you need?

CabbageCat

Rocker said:

cruxiform said:

I'm a decent cook and I have to ask why fine dining? You're filling people's stomachs and keeping them happy. I've cooked for 12 people, 3 courses and enjoyed the praise when they all enjoyed it. All presented well and fresh ingredients. I've found picking the right booze is usually more important. In my opinion, anybody who cooks in that manner is wasting time and money. Oh, and it's unbelievably pretentious. 

Well said my friend, Wiz awarded. My cooking philosophy is to keep it simple and plain. To taste the food and not the sauces/gravy. No salt added, the guest can add it if they want to. No pressure on guest as they are there for a meal and not so called "fine dining". Food they enjoy, what more do you need?

Why do people do any sort of art? It's fun and rewarding. Food can be as creative a medium as anything else.

stickyfiddle

Rocker said:

cruxiform said:

I'm a decent cook and I have to ask why fine dining? You're filling people's stomachs and keeping them happy. I've cooked for 12 people, 3 courses and enjoyed the praise when they all enjoyed it. All presented well and fresh ingredients. I've found picking the right booze is usually more important. In my opinion, anybody who cooks in that manner is wasting time and money. Oh, and it's unbelievably pretentious. 

Well said my friend, Wiz awarded. My cooking philosophy is to keep it simple and plain. To taste the food and not the sauces/gravy. No salt added, the guest can add it if they want to. No pressure on guest as they are there for a meal and not so called "fine dining". Food they enjoy, what more do you need?

Without being harsh, that sounds a bit dull. Not a curry man, I presume!

octatonic

CabbageCat said:

Rocker said:

cruxiform said:

I'm a decent cook and I have to ask why fine dining? You're filling people's stomachs and keeping them happy. I've cooked for 12 people, 3 courses and enjoyed the praise when they all enjoyed it. All presented well and fresh ingredients. I've found picking the right booze is usually more important. In my opinion, anybody who cooks in that manner is wasting time and money. Oh, and it's unbelievably pretentious. 

Well said my friend, Wiz awarded. My cooking philosophy is to keep it simple and plain. To taste the food and not the sauces/gravy. No salt added, the guest can add it if they want to. No pressure on guest as they are there for a meal and not so called "fine dining". Food they enjoy, what more do you need?

Why do people do any sort of art? It's fun and rewarding. Food can be as creative a medium as anything else.

Exactly.

I'm happy eating cheese on toast, or a home cooked sausage and mash, or curry goat from the local pub (run by Jamaicans), or an 11 course degustation menu. 
There seems to be much more inverse snobbery towards fine dining on this forum than I've ever received at a fine dining restaurant.

And why 'so called'? What is there to object to?

Bezzer

octatonic said:
There seems to be much more inverse snobbery towards fine dining on this forum than I've ever received at a fine dining restaurant.

And why 'so called'? What is there to object to?

There's a lot of inverse snobbery to everything on this forum.

As for books, my recommendations would be the Michel Roux (snr) books that specialise.  "Eggs", "Pastry" and "Sauces" are brilliant.

Also learnt a lot from Rene Redzepi : A Work In Progress ... although less of a recipe book than an really inspiring look at process and recipe development.

stickyfiddle

Bezzer said:

octatonic said:
There seems to be much more inverse snobbery towards fine dining on this forum than I've ever received at a fine dining restaurant.

And why 'so called'? What is there to object to?

There's a lot of inverse snobbery to everything on this forum.

As for books, my recommendations would be the Michel Roux (snr) books that specialise.  "Eggs", "Pastry" and "Sauces" are brilliant.

Also learnt a lot from Rene Redzepi : A Work In Progress ... although less of a recipe book than an really inspiring look at process and recipe development.

Exactly. One of the simplest and best italian dishes is spaghetti with a sauce made from parmesan, black pepper and pasta water. It's great, and dead simple, but takes a bit of skill to get the sauce right. 

Equally, I've had plates that are only a couple of mouthfuls worth of beetroot and cheese cooked umpteen ways. Very complicated but a brilliant thing to experience.

Further, a good chicken kadhai has about 30 ingredients but it's dead simple and cooked daily in millions of households across India.

Good food isn't about complicated/simple in the same way that Tchaikovsky and the Sex Pistols can both be enjoyable, despite being very different.

Fretwired

My wife's out at the moment but she's into fine dining - she has GAS over kitchen equipment and was an early adopter of sous vide - she even makes her own ice cream and chocolate. She has about 100 cookbooks but these days she tends to go online.

There's a couple of forums she is on where chefs share their secrets via videos - she often watches these on an iPad whilst cooking. I'll get the details for you. You have to register (like here) but it's a great resource.

ToneControl

Axe_meister said:

Are there any books that concentrate on the basic techniques which can then be adapted I.e a chefs manual.

am I right in thinking you want to learn principles and techniques, rather than just another recipe book?

BigMonka

It may not be the kind of thing you're after @Axe_meister but the Jamie Oliver "Cook" book is really good at taking you through techniques and which cuts of meat come from where and how they should be cooked etc. It may not be specialised enough in the amazing/crazy things of fine dining though.

mgaw

Rocker said:

cruxiform said:

I'm a decent cook and I have to ask why fine dining? You're filling people's stomachs and keeping them happy. I've cooked for 12 people, 3 courses and enjoyed the praise when they all enjoyed it. All presented well and fresh ingredients. I've found picking the right booze is usually more important. In my opinion, anybody who cooks in that manner is wasting time and money. Oh, and it's unbelievably pretentious. 

Well said my friend, Wiz awarded. My cooking philosophy is to keep it simple and plain. To taste the food and not the sauces/gravy. No salt added, the guest can add it if they want to. No pressure on guest as they are there for a meal and not so called "fine dining". Food they enjoy, what more do you need?

well i like a bit of flavour in my food..and especially enjoy what a well made sauce brings to the dish

Axe_meister

ToneControl said:

Axe_meister said:

Are there any books that concentrate on the basic techniques which can then be adapted I.e a chefs manual.

am I right in thinking you want to learn principles and techniques, rather than just another recipe book?

Pretty much. We have hundreds of cooks books at home with plenty of recipes. But a book that approaches the entire dish, I.e. How to get certain textures and certain flavours from certain ingredients, 
What is a the base of certain techniques and how to adapt for certain flavours without making something to sloppy/tough.

toescantalk

Try the David Everitt-Matthais books @Axe_meister

AliGorie

octatonic said:

Get this: "The Escoffier Cookbook: Guide to the Fine Art of French Cuisine".

and then get this: "Larousse Gastronomique".

Neither are easy to read but they are classic and comprehensive.

yup ol' school - recipes took century's in the making - I trained using these - over fifty yrs ago - fond memories for a lad who didn't have any French.
Le répertoire de la cuisine -
It is considered a standard reference for classical French haute cuisine
alongside Larousse Gastronomique and the works of Escoffier and Carême as required reading for anyone interested in classical French cooking.

mgaw

AliGorie said:

octatonic said:

Get this: "The Escoffier Cookbook: Guide to the Fine Art of French Cuisine".

and then get this: "Larousse Gastronomique".

Neither are easy to read but they are classic and comprehensive.

yup ol' school - recipes took century's in the making - I trained using these - over fifty yrs ago - fond memories for a lad who didn't have any French.
Le répertoire de la cuisine -
It is considered a standard reference for classical French haute cuisine
alongside Larousse Gastronomique and the works of Escoffier and Carême as required reading for anyone interested in classical French cooking.

problem is they are from another age entirely, techniques can be very dated and also the richness of the food is way out of step with the "modern" palate....i think they are more history books than useful cookery books TBH, a nice read but unless you particulaly want to cook in a VERY traditional style not much use,   way better modern stuff around in abundance

octatonic

mgaw said:

AliGorie said:

octatonic said:

Get this: "The Escoffier Cookbook: Guide to the Fine Art of French Cuisine".

and then get this: "Larousse Gastronomique".

Neither are easy to read but they are classic and comprehensive.

yup ol' school - recipes took century's in the making - I trained using these - over fifty yrs ago - fond memories for a lad who didn't have any French.
Le répertoire de la cuisine -
It is considered a standard reference for classical French haute cuisine
alongside Larousse Gastronomique and the works of Escoffier and Carême as required reading for anyone interested in classical French cooking.

problem is they are from another age entirely, techniques can be very dated and also the richness of the food is way out of step with the "modern" palate....i think they are more history books than useful cookery books TBH, a nice read but unless you particulaly want to cook in a VERY traditional style not much use,   way better modern stuff around in abundance

I'd be very interested in your recommendations- other than the Ducasse.

mgaw

Phil Howard from the Square in London is one place to start very precise very thorough and a modern approach to classic french cooking...check his book out  and i will have a look through me library and dig out the ones i thought a bit spec and let you know its been a while so bear with me....tell you what @octatonic i would trade cooking lessons for guitar lessons if you were up for it

mgaw

this is the one 


there is a sweet one too..

octatonic

mgaw said:

Phil Howard from the Square in London is one place to start very precise very thorough and a modern approach to classic french cooking...check his book out  and i will have a look through me library and dig out the ones i thought a bit spec and let you know its been a while so bear with me....tell you what @octatonic i would trade cooking lessons for guitar lessons if you were up for it

I'd be up for that.
Are you remotely close to Oxford?

mgaw

North Cornwall   but i do go to see my eldest in Farnham pretty regularly could maybe nip up to yours do a day of cooking and guitaring..?

ToneControl

I like to learn what I can make to "restaurant quality" in 30 mins, rather than in 3 hours
I have various books I can recommend if that is your plan