Named a Best Book of 2020 by Publisher's Weekly
Named a Best Cookbook of 2020 by Amazon and Barnes & Noble
"Every elegant page projects Keller's high standard of 'perfect culinary
execution'. . . . This superb work is as much philosophical treatise as
gorgeous cookbook."
--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Bound by a common philosophy, linked by live video, staffed by a cadre
of inventive and skilled chefs, the kitchens of Thomas Keller's
celebrated restaurants--The French Laundry in Yountville, California,
and per se, in New York City--are in a relationship unique in the world
of fine dining. Ideas bounce back and forth in a dance of creativity,
knowledge, innovation, and excellence. It's a relationship that's the
very embodiment of collaboration, and of the whole being greater than
the sum of its parts. And all of it is captured in The French Laundry,
Per Se, with meticulously detailed recipes for 70 beloved dishes,
including Smoked Sturgeon Rillettes on an Everything Bagel, "The Whole
Bird," Tomato Consommé, Celery Root Pastrami, Steak and Potatoes,
Peaches 'n' Cream.
Just reading these recipes is a master class in the state of the art of
cooking today. We learn to use a dehydrator to intensify the flavor and
texture of fruits and vegetables. To make the crunchiest coating with a
cornstarch-egg white paste and potato flakes. To limit waste in the
kitchen by fermenting vegetable trimmings for sauces with an unexpected
depth of flavor. And that essential Keller trait, to take a classic and
reinvent it: like the French onion soup, with a mushroom essence stock
and garnish of braised beef cheeks and Comté mousse, or a classic crème
brûlée reimagined as a rich, creamy ice cream with a crispy sugar tuile
to mimic the caramelized coating.
Throughout, there are 40 recipes for the basics to elevate our home
cooking. Some are old standbys, like the best versions of beurre manié
and béchamel, others more unusual, including a ramen broth (aka the
Super Stock) and a Blue-Ribbon Pickle.
And with its notes on technique, stories about farmers and purveyors,
and revelatory essays from Thomas Keller--"The Lessons of a Dishwasher,"
"Inspiration Versus Influence," "Patience and Persistence"--The French
Laundry, Per Se will change how young chefs, determined home cooks, and
dedicated food lovers understand and approach their cooking.
