teonzo

There are quite a lot of cookbooks coming out in France this autumn (some in the past weeks, some in the next). All of them are in French language, so it can be a problem. I'm copying the link to the original publisher, plus the Amazon.com link where available. Hugues Pouget , Sylvain Blanc - "Les 5 saisons par Hugo & Victor - Paris" http://www.editionsduchene.fr/livre/hugues-pouget-les-5-saisons-par-hugo-victor-paris-3237427.html This duo became quite famous in the past years, I really liked their pastries in the articles of various magazines, so I'll definetely buy it. Christophe Aribert - "Aribert" http://www.laymon.fr/#/ouvrages/aribert Book about this restaurant with 2 michelin stars, the publisher is the same of YAM Magazine (the magazine by Yannick Alleno). Emmanuel Renaut - "Nature d'un chef" http://editions.flammarion.com/Albums_Detail.cfm?ID=44829&levelCode=livres Another michelin starred restaurant, the English edition will come out next year, Amazon link. Gérald Passédat - "Passédat" http://editions.flammarion.com/Albums_Detail.cfm?ID=45033&levelCode=livres Amazon link. This chef is totally famous, 3 michelin stars in Marseille, he's a master of cooking fish. Régis Marcon - "Champignons" http://www.editionsdelamartiniere.fr/ouvrage/champignons/9782732454832 Amazon link. Another famous 3 starred chef, this book is based only on mushrooms. Christophe Adam - "Eclair de Génie" http://www.editionsdelamartiniere.fr/ouvrage/eclair-de-genie/9782732460109 Amazon link. Christophe Adam is considered to be the king of eclairs, so I suppose and hope this will be the definitive bible on this pastry. Pierre Hermé - "Ispahan" http://www.editionsdelamartiniere.fr/ouvrage/ispahan/9782732461847 I'm a bit sceptic on this one... a whole book about the Ispahan? It's a superb pastry, but this book seems to be another try to milk his fans (most probably I will succumb again since I'm dumb). Audrey Gellet - "Grand Pâtissier" http://www.editionsdelamartiniere.fr/ouvrage/grand-patissier/9782732460703 Amazon link. Audrey Gellet is the pastry chef of Maison Pic, the 3 star restaurant lead by Anne-Sophie Pic. She won a television contest, one of the prizes was a book deal. So here it is her book with her recipes, hoping there will be some desserts from Maison Pic. Guy Martin - "Le Grand Véfour" http://www.editionsduchene.fr/livre/guy-martin-le-grand-vefour-3237344.html Book about the history of this historical 2* restaurant, plus actual recipes. Vincent Lemains - "Les Marquis de Ladurée: l'Esprit chocolat" http://www.editionsduchene.fr/livre/vincent-lemains-les-marquis-de-laduree-lesprit-chocolat-3238730.html Another book by Ladurée, this time focused on chocolate. It seems to have the same classy package of the previous books. Teo

I tried the tabling method (as described by minas6907) a couple of years ago and it worked fine. Teo

To be honest (and coming back to the opening post) my goal would be being able to make a realistic photo of the real dessert. I don't like any kind of faked stuff, I prefer to get a lower quality photo but depicting the real thing. Especially because I'm making these experiments while I'm at home, so I'm going to eat it after making the photo. I would like to be able to get a good shot after the first plating, without doing another one (as much as I like my desserts, I'm not happy to eat 2 of the same in a row). Plating a faked dessert would also lead to wasting some food, I try to avoid it as much as possible. You (plural meaning whoever is reading, not only you Oliver) are welcome! I live near Venice, if you come to visit Venice then feel free to drop me a pm to organize something. Thanks to all the other users that explained the white balance and other details, much appreciated! I received the book for noobs and started reading it. It's quite clear and I'm starting to understand how a digital camera works. I've bought a CFL bulb but I think I need a more powerful one (I bought a 15W one), so I'll go back to the store and ask for the most powerful one they have. I've also "built" a couple of reflectors using some cardboard and some kitchen aluminum foil (I suppose it reflects better than white paper). Next week I'll make a boatload of photos to get some experience and confidence, I'll try to use all the settings of my camera and see how the results change, so I'll get an idea of how they work and which are the best for my case. Teo

If you want traditional food in Bologna, then I think the best place is this one: Osteria Bottega Via Santa Caterina, 51 40123 Bologna it's a bit difficult to find but it's well worth a visit. You get traditional dishes done correctly and with great produce. Their wine list is good too. Last time I've been there was about 3 years ago, if I recall right it costed about 45 euro plus wine. Beware you need to book it with a good advance. If you can use a car and got in the outsides of Bologna, then I heard great comments about Berberè and their pizza. You need to book in advance and be prepared for a slooow service. If you are interested in pastry shops and you can use a car, then a visit to Gino Fabbri is mandatory, he is one of the best 5 pastry chefs in Italy in my opinion. Only problem is that you need a car and a navigator to reach his shop, it's in a village outside Bologna. Once there you just need to choose what you prefer, I tried a lot of his stuff and it ranged from really good to excellent. Another very good pastry shop is Regina di Quadri, this is easier to reach since it's within the "exagon" in the center of Bologna. I'll ask to some friends living there for more suggestions. All the websites I linked don't have an English version (major defect of most food related websites in Italy), if you need help feel free to ask. Teo

Agreed 100%, that cover is far from being a good choice. But if you look at his blog (not updated from a long time) and his facebook you'll find a lot of great stuff (at least to my eyes). If this book will be on par with what he put on the blog, then I'll be really happy. Especially because there aren't much books on modern plated desserts. Alice Medrich has a new book on chocolate coming out at the end of this month: Seriously Bitter Sweet: The Ultimate Dessert Maker's Guide to Chocolate I always heard good things about her, but never bought any of her previous books. Any suggestion? Teo

Baselerd: thanks for explaining some of the basics! Oliver: thanks for appreciating the desserts I make. And thanks for the suggestions about the white sheets and so on. I'll look for a fluorescent bulb, since during winter natural light will be scarce. Maybe the best option should be buying a basic set-up with 2 lights with umbrellas (don't know how they are called in English), Amazon IT sells a set for about 100 euro. But I suppose the priority should be buying a reflex camera. I already have a cheap tripod. I bought this book: Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots it seems a good starting point for a noob like me, worst case I wasted 15 euro. My main problem while taking photos is with plated desserts, especially the ones with ice-creams. The ideal thing would be setting up the plate, the camera and everything, so when I plate the ice-cream I just need to take few quick photos and done. But I need to get skilled about lights and so on. First time I tried to take a photo of a dessert with a one-spoon quenelle all the photos were crap (as I said, I just click random hoping to get something decent), I had to plate it three times before getting a decent photo. Now I freeze the ice-cream, so I have more time to take photos. But it's a problem, since one-spoon quenelles don't keep the shape well while freezing (they tend to sit on the spoon and flatten a bit). Plus you see the frost on the surface, while a good one-spoon quenelle should be polished and "shiny". Here is an example: http://www.teonzo.com/immagini/dessert/tabacco_banana_peperone.jpg (another sign of my ignorance, I just don't know how the plate has blue shades, since it's perfectly white and there weren't blue things in the room) Thanks for the suggestions about editing programs, now I'm using Gimp, but I can use just the basic options. Teo

I would say it tastes like a crossing between hay and chicory. I don't know if the taste is similar to the smoked stuff, I don't suppose so since the flour is made from the seeds, while people smoke the leaves. I'll ask to one of my smoking friends next time I'll see him/her. Teo

Other 2 cookbooks that will be released in the next weeks: Antonio Bachour - "Bachour" Amazon page Official page I love the stuff that chef Bachour puts up online, his desserts are great, so this will be a sure buy from me. Too bad it's not available on Amazon UK and I'll have to import. Arnold Hanbucker, Karen Keygnaert - "A'Qi: A Kitchen Dialogue" Amazon page Official page I read some reviews online and this restaurant seems interesting. The problem about this book is that it's a bit expensive (if compared to current restaurant books), it has few pages and should be tri-lingual. Not the best value for money... Teo

Have you ever tried using powdered egg whites? They are safe and should have the advantage that they do not dilute the cocktail taste. Teo

This is one of my last experiments, I called it "Hippie Cannon" ("Cannone Hippie" in Italian, "cannone" means both "cannon" and "joint"). I found on sale a package of flour made from cannabis sativa seeds, this flour is legit in Italy because it doesn't have psychotropic effects. So I bought it out of curiosity and thought about making a cannolo / fake joint. Since in Italian they are called "cannoni" they recalled me the hippie saying "put flowers in your cannons", so I decided to fill it with a flower-flavoured cream. I tasted some pairings and rose was the best one. Then I decided to add a sort of "flower field", looking like the cannon is shooting out a flower field. It's made with the "soil" technique using the cannabis sativa flour. Underneath the soil there is a helicrysum jelly, I think it pairs really well with rose and that flour. The garnishes are rose buds, rosemary flowers and some helicrysum branches. I would have liked to put a lot of edible flowers of different colours (just to make a rainbow and insist on the hippie concept), but unfortunately I did not have them on hand. I have to admit I laughed quite a bit while realizing this dessert, loved the dual joke fake joint / cannon shooting a flower field. Disclaimer: I never smoked in my life and I'm against drugs. If you think I re-used some ideas from Jordi Roca and Albert Adria then you are totally correct. Teo

Just received an e-mail from Amazon UK, it should be here next week, sweet! Yesterday I found there is another fine dining book coming out this November: http://ronnyemborg.dk/the-book/ Judging from the photos it seems really interesting. Teo

You are right, I should have explained better my situation, my apologies. I'm a professional pastry cook (don't like being called chef even if my position should be that). I'm not working in this period, I'm making some experiments at home and putting them in my blog (linked below in the sign). I'm from Italy, so I can't find those books in libraries or stores. About my photography experience, it's almost zero: I have a compact camera (Panasonic DMC-TZ6), I barely know how to turn it on and click to make a photo. I'm not looking to become able to make high quality photos, it would take too much efforts than I'm willing to do. But I'd like to be able to make some decent photos, to understand how to get decent lightings, what "depth of field", "ISO" and so on mean (and how to set them). A bit of the basics to be able to correct my settings, knowing what I should do and how things would change. I'm not looking for suggestions on how to plate beautiful but fake food (like some examples you made). I just would like to plate the dessert (the real deal, it's going to be eaten afterwards) and be able to take some decent photos without clicking randomly like now and wondering what the hell I should have to do to get a decent result. Thanks. Teo

If he's smart enough he should put it. It's clear to everyone that he invented them, plus he has the copyright for the name. Giving away the recipe won't do any harm, since there already are a lot of clones. Clones are a great way to promote the original and spread the word about it without spending money in advertising. Just look at the macarons and Pierre Hermé: he gave away all his recipes, now you find macarons and Ispahan clones everywhere. This did not create Hermé any harm, he's more famous than ever and still expanding. Teo

Phaidon will release a set of seven volumes with the last years of elBulli: http://www.phaidon.com/elbulli-2005-2011/ My wallet is already crying. Teo

Besides spices, you have a whole universe of pairings to try with that basic recipe. Some suggestions: Darjeeling tea + dried apricots (you can substitute some of the wheat flour with almond flour) chamomile infusion + dried apricots + pepper lavender infusion (better making a cold infusion, water + lavender in fridge for 12 hours) + dried apricots + rosemary pomegranate juice + chopped walnuts + ginger licorice + dried figs licorice + candied pineapple hibiscus flowers infusion + dried cranberries Assam tea + candied orange peel + cinnamon Keemun tea + sweetcorn grains dates + carob flour (substitute 30% of the wheat flour with carob flour, the dark one made from the pods, not the white one made from the seeds) coffee + white sesame blackberry juice + star anise rose petals infusion + ground pistachio pineapple juice + marron glacé + ginger whitethorn infusion + candied nectarines ginseng infusion + goji berries (or dried jujube) mint infusion + candied lemon peel + dried coconut rum (with water, of course) + candied pineapple + nutmeg orange juice + cocoa powder (substitute 10% of wheat flour with cocoa powder) + cinnamon (or nutmeg or mace) Sencha tea + sweet potatoes (roasted and cut in small dices) licorice + dried longan carrot juice + japaleno Teo

If you are aiming for the strawberry taste and don't care about putting aside the cream, then you can use some modernist techniques like foams (made with an ISI syphon) or a "strawberry chantilly" (strawberry juice + cocoa butter). Teo

Thanks! Which one would you suggest to a total newbie? Teo

You can substitute ricotta with a lot more of other "fillings", like pumpkin puree, broccoli puree and so on. Teo

Can you name some titles, please? Teo

I'm looking for some books on vegan pastry but haven't found anything worth. I'm a pastry chef, so I'm interested in professional books with professional recipes. I'm trying to expand my repertoire to please vegan customers and I've created some dishes on my own, but I'm curious to see what other professionals did out there. I'm looking for personal stuff: pastries or dishes created within the vegan limits but without trying to recreate non vegan classics (I can't stand stuff like vegg and similars). Can you suggest some good books please? Thanks. Teo

I bought this book just out of curiosity, without expecting that much. I've been totally surprised! This is a graphic novel that tells about the author's experience in the kitchen (and not only there) of L'Arpege. We can see Alain Passard (the vegetable master) creating new dishes, discussing his ideas, describing his way of working and how some pairings work. There are a dozen recipes too, the text is the transcription of Passard's words, plus there are Blain's drawings of the kitchen staff realizing each recipe. The best thing about this book is that Blain has been able to capture the "creative flame", that particular moment when a chef gets the inspiration and starts to realize it from his brain to the real dish. There are thousands of cookbook with recipes, but really few are able to capture that peculiar flame. Blain really succeeded in this, probably since he's an artist depicting another artist (and not a ghost writer trying to understand a chef). If you enjoy being part of these great moments (when a high class chef creates something new) then this book is really inspirational. $12.16 on Amazon: In the Kitchen with Alain Passard Teo

Sven Elverfeld is the chef of Aqua, a 3 michelin star restaurant in Wolfsburg, Germany. This is the English edition of his latest book, it's been printed in only 1000 copies and sold only by the restaurant, so if you are interested in it I suppose it's better to hurry before it goes out of print. Visually the book is simply stunning: great photos, great graphics, great printing and binding quality... every detail is on top level. It's pretty huge (30x26x5 cm, 532 pages) and full of dishes. At first sight it's one of the best cookbooks ever. There are a lot of snacks (both savoury and sweet), for which you get the photo and the description, no recipes. The recipes are written "only" for the a-la-carte dishes, they are really detailed and precise. The cooking style is modernist, strongly rooted in the style of the Spanish greats. Here comes the defect of the book: there are a lot of dishes that took huge inspiration from Spanish modern classics. While reading the book you will keep saying "this come from elBulli" (for example there is the reconstructed dandelion or the cheese sphere), "this come from Mugaritz" and so on... I can't complain with the material quality of the book (top notch), I can't complain with the included dishes (they seem all great, after all it's a 3*), I can complain about the personality (a bit many borrowed ideas). I spent 131 euro to get it (110 euro for the book, 21 euro for shipping to Italy). If you can read German then the original edition is way cheaper (75 euro instead of 110). The customer service of Aqua Restaurant has been exceptional: their answers were kind and detailed; the package was more than perfect, with a personalized hand written letter. Top class service. If only the dishes were highly personal then this would be in the top 5 cookbooks ever. Teo

I suppose it's time to start looking for what the next year will give us. February will see the release of a new book by William Curley: Patisserie: A Masterclass in Classic and Contemporary Patisserie This seems to be based on modern pastries where chocolate is not the main ingredient. I really loved "Couture Chocolate", so I hope this new one will be on par. October will see the release of a book by Dominique Ansel: Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes I'm curious to see what he will include. I've also heard rumours that Massimo Bottura is preparing a book for Phaidon, but it's just an unconfirmed rumour. Teo

A friend of mine is planning to visit Inverness. He asked me for some food related suggestions but I'm totally ignorant on this city. Can you suggest me some good places (restaurants, pubs, bakeries, pastry shops, breweries, distilleries, whatever) worth a visit, please? Thanks in advance! Teo

As far a I know Martellato and Pavoni produce those stencils (is this the correct name?), both of them have a US division: http://www.martellatousa.com/ http://www.pavonitalia.com/gestore.php?var0=eng&var1=news&var2=News&var3=Pavoni_born_in_the_USA! I couldn't find the direct link for the product, sorry. You can contact them and ask for info. It's the same stencil used to cut the plaquettes to decorate the sides of the entremets (like the ones on the famous Setteveli). It has a cut every 15 mm as far as I remember. Teo