The French Laundry Cookbook

Thomas Keller has become the modern day institutional equivalent of American classical culinary prowess. His flagship restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, Napa Valley, is the only restaurant in the San Francisco Bay area to be awarded three Michelin stars, and is in itself an acclaimed once-in-a-lifetime experience that gourmands and food fans flock to (despite the hefty price tag, upwards of US$210). Keller embodies a perfectionist attitude toward his craft, striving only to create the most beautiful, most satisfying dishes any mortal could conjure. His first cookbook, also entitled The French Laundry, reflects this sometimes-obsessive standard of grueling perfection that is the Keller trademark. The pages are testament to the overflowing passion of a man who shares to us the secrets of his life's work.

It's a beautiful, oversize tome replete with some of the most beautiful food photography you'll ever get to see. Almost every recipe is accompanied by the appropriate photos, and they complement the elegance of the cuisine perfectly. Keller, on the other hand, does a wonderful job of narrating to us his journey as a chef, all the way to the French Laundry. He gives some of his philosophies (like his infamous law of diminishing returns, which he uses to explain why the servings at his restaurant are notoriously small) and gets into the grimy details in explaining his culinary techniques. His explanations are so easy to understand, and he doesn't fail to emphasize the importance of some of the most minor steps, that when done right, collectively result to ethereal dishes. He tells us, for instance, why it's so important to wash the bones for stock several times to achieve the clarity of taste we seldom get, and why it's vital to keep straining, straining and straining your sauces and stocks.

Keller's recipes are very elaborate creations, and most likely the home chef will encounter serious difficulty in trying to replicate most of them. His famous Caesar salad, for one, is made up of several components that he puts together to form an elaborate, jazzed up version of the classic: baby arugula leaves topped with Parmesan shavings sits on a tangy Parmigiano Reggiano crisp and a silky Parmesan custard. All this is held on a thin baguette base and drizzled with his Caesar dressing, accented by a drop of Balsamic reduction on the side. All this for a salad that could take several hours to make! But then, the author emphasizes that the book is not meant to be an exact blueprint for doing things; instead, it should only serve as a guide, because even then the creative chef does not do things in a constant manner. The good chef evolves and adapts to changes. The recipes then only serve as a guide for the home cook, and what is fundamental behind their success is the attention to detail that Keller gives. This is the cardinal rule that governs his techniques and his kitchen wisdom, and it's evident on these pages.

The book epitomizes the essence of Napa Valley: good food, fine wine and leisurely dining. What Keller tries to do here is to reconnect us with the centuries of traditional cooking, a bond that has been severed with the advent of fast food and urbanization. He tries to instill in us a certain respect for food and shows us how things should be done-meticulously, passionately and leisurely. He tells us that it's all right to take our time in the kitchen, because cooking should be something enjoyable, and food not done correctly is an insult to the love that nature put in nurturing that piece of food for it to reach your table. In our harried lives, Keller halts the bustle and teaches us a new way of doing things. Well, not really a new way, but a forgotten way of doing things. And he does it extremely well. Most of us may never get the chance to step into the hallowed walls of the French Laundry, but Keller's book may be enough to give us an intense, visually satisfying window into the French Laundry experience. It's not your everyday kitchen book, but it's a beautiful and inspirational coffee table book.