"Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide"

[edsel]

"Under reduced atmospheric pressure"

Not a sexy title.

I'm looking forward to what chef Keller & co. have to say on the subject. All semantic quibbling aside.

[Really Nice!]

Can someone explain what the cover is showing?

I am totally at a loss.

[JasonTrue]

Looks like rhubarb to me... I'm fairly sure I've seen a sous vide rhubarb photo somewhere else (maybe the ideasinfood blog).

[paulraphael]

"Under reduced atmospheric pressure"

Not a sexy title. 

How about "Boil-In-Bag" ...?

Chris has it exactly right; the vacuum pump in sous vide isn't about pressure (as a pressure cooker is). It's about getting rid of the air, plain and simple. So the title is silly. Unless it refers to trying to cook with Thomas Keller looking over your shoulder.

Obviously it's not a deal breaker. Having to buy lots of big, expensive equipment is probably a deal breaker, but that's not the authors' problem.

[slkinsey]

Perhaps it means "under pressure" as the opposite of "over pressure"?

[jayt90]

The manufacturers of home bagging devices, like Foodsaver, claim that the reduced atmospheric pressure inside the bag is useful for quick infusions and marinades, and also for boil in a bag cooking at a lower boiling point than 212 F.

I have seen 160 F mentioned as a boiling point (can't remember where).

If I can boil a bag of fresh salmon fillet, infused with marinade, and know it will not be overcooked when simmering bubbles appear in the bag, then this simple pressure device is useful to me.

The notion of bagging at normal atmospheric pressure, to remove air, and then lengthy poaching at a low temperature in an expensive device, is foreign to me, and best left to the professionals.

Edited July 1, 2008 by jayt90 (log)

[dougal]

Perhaps it means "under pressure" as the opposite of "over pressure"?

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Problem is that suggesting that the pressure inside a flexible and stretchy plastic bag (as illustrated on that cover) could be significantly different (+ or -) from atmospheric would indicate that the author really hadn't grasped the physics of the situation.

For once, I sincerely hope that the title is going to prove a misleading guide to the content!

[dougal]

"Under Pressure" was also the title of the New York Times Magazine feature on sous-vide cookery in '05. In that piece, the term pressure is used thus:

''Cryovacking'' is an industry term for putting food in a plastic bag and vacuum-packing it. Sometimes the food is then cooked in the bag. Other times, the pressure of the packing process is used to infuse flavors into ingredients. The watermelon, for instance, was vacuum-packed with 20 pounds of pressure per square centimeter, to compact the fruit's cells and concentrate its flavor. It had the texture of meat. Just the thing for backyard picnics.

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STRANGE units to choose, pounds per square centimetre !!

There are almost 6.5 sq cm to the sq inch.

So that watermelon is said to be being packed under 130 psi pressure

Ordinary atmospheric pressure is about 14.5 psi

So thats about 9 times atmospheric pressure. Like 5 times the pressure inside a car (automobile) tyre...

That is under serious pressure (for a kitchen anyway)

And cannot be produced by evacuation alone. It needs plenty external pressure applied.

BTW a "pressure cooker" (or canner) is unlikely to give more than 15 psi above local atmospheric. Simply not in the same league.

[manwith8ovens]

Perhaps it means "under pressure" as the opposite of "over pressure"?

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My take on the "Under Pressure".

1. The title is appropriate for two reasons: First, since it is for the mainstream consumer market, as far as for the layman, the food is being pressed inside the bag. Second, for the professional cooks who are demanding and perfectionists like Keller, you are constantly "Under Pressure" to perform and it is especially true in a "sous-vide" kitchen environment.

2. Viking is definitely coming up with a sousvide cooker for the pro-consumer market and it will retail for over $1,000. It may be launched around the release date of the book (just a guess). I know the chef who is under NDA and currently testing it. Viking is the main ad sponsor of the eG's sousvide thread; of course, they are interested. One thing I am not sure is whether Viking will have a cheaper version for the consumer market.

The real missing link here is still the availability of a FDA approved consumer-oriented vacuum packing system. Lots of people use Foodsaver but it is not endorsed by the manufacturer. Ziploc bags are only good for 80C max and not endorsed by the manufacturer either.

I am also looking forward for the release of two other books around the same time as "Under Pressure"'s release date: "Fat duck" and "Alinea"

Of course, the ultimate SV book will be the book to be written by NathanM.

[Tri2Cook]

I don't care if he calls it Under Pressure because he had beans for dinner the night before he titled it. It's Chef Keller sharing information. I will have it.

[jmridd]

Whoa... was this thread about the book, or the validity of the title? and it isn't really misleading at all, and isn't really a reflection of reputation at all, and it is catchy, and it is accurate, as keller uses cryovac'ing for everything from compressing fruit to infusing flavors to indeed, sous vide cookery...

Anyways, I do hope there is some sort of book+immersion circulator package as that would truly bring this style of cooking to the professional and amateur chef. I think it is somewhat of a shame that the technology seems to have such an elitist air about it. Hopefully this will book will open up the possibilities to a larger group of both practitioners and consumers - there's no reason why we can't be sous-viding our burgers! With the knowledge, know-how, and equipment now publicized things might change...

[Fat Guy]

There was a link posted today on Eater to the new Artisan book catalog. If you look on page 4 there's a bunch of information about the book.

(My only issue with the title is that it's unoriginal.)

[Doodad]

From the description, it seems to be about sous-vide cooking. I wonder why the title is Under Pressure. And I don't see Michael Ruhlman's name mentioned anywhere. What's his connection?

Here's an eG Society-friendly link to the book.

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Ruhlman has mentioned it several times on his website. He is writing ala Bouchon and TFL.

[Doodad]

BTW, to add to the discussion on equipment, you could make a fairly serviceable sous vide bath with a good hotplate and magnetic stirrer. Those units can be had for much less than the real stuff and should, with a little calibration and experimentation, yield satisfactory results.

[NY_Amateur]

I don't know if this is the appropriate place for this, and if it's not I apologize in advance.

I have basically fallen in love with sous vide cooking so obviously the next logical step is to try to exactly emulate one of the best, if not the best, chef in the world and then document this project.

To that end I started a cook the book blog called Sous Vide Or Not Sous Vide. In which I will try to accurately reproduce all these, I'm sure, amazing recipes.

Of course the book is not out yet but a lack of knowledge (not to mention talent, luck or training) has never stopped me in the past. I just have two posts, one intro and a very basic sous vide technology post. I plan to add more tech posts as necessary but it will mostly be straight recipe documentation.

Anyway I figure people reading this thread may be interested, so there it is. There won't be many updates to it until the book comes out but I'll try to come up with some interesting content for filler in the mean time.

This should be interesting because I am a rank amateur (as my name suggests) so I am very nervous but also very excited at this project.

Edited September 16, 2008 by NY_Amateur (log)

[NY_Amateur]

So I got an email from Amazon saying that Under Pressure would be delivered late, anyone know where I can order this so it gets here asap?

Edited October 16, 2008 by NY_Amateur (log)

[the_nomad]

Huh - in the US too? I'm waiting for mine in the UK right now, and again, it's been delayed.

Lots of popularity or a delay in printing?

[RobC]

Thomas Keller's book, Under Pressure, shipped from Amazon today. There is a God.

[Temple]

Thomas Keller's book, Under Pressure, shipped from Amazon today. There is a God.

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I've been really looking forward to this book for a long time. I pre-ordered a copy from Amazon months ago, but I got an email today stating that they have no copies left and its back-ordered. I thought this book to be a perfect present for someone I know and pre-ordered a second copy a little over a week ago as a gift, strange thing is, my very recent pre-order was filled and sent out, but the pre-order I made ages ago got back-ordered. I guess Amazon doesn't fill pre-orders in the order they receive them .

[Shinboners]

I'm another one who got an e-mail from Amazon.com saying that the book would be delayed. That would be fine, except that today, I was visiting one of my favourite bookshops (Readings here in Melbourne, Australia), and they had a copy of "Under Pressure" for sale!

I had a look through the book, and I think everyone will love it. I took a note of the chapter headings, and they are as follow:

Foreward by Gousself (spelling? sorry, I can't read my own writing )

Intro by McGee

Precision of Execution

Why Sous Vide?

The Chefs

The Fundamentals

-What sous vide can achive

-3 basic principles

-4 basic techniques

-Safety

-In our kitchen

-In the home kitchen

Vegetables and Fruits

Poultry and Meat

Variety Meats

Cheese and Desserts

Basics

Index

For those who are in Australia, Thomas Keller will be at the next Melbourne Food And Wine Festival ( www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au ). He'll be in good company too as the likes of Heston Blumenthal, Rene Redzepi, Iñaki Aizpitarte, Alain Alders, Philip Howard, Jean-Paul Jeunet, and Dieter Müller amongst many others are also making the trip down.

Edited October 21, 2008 by Shinboners (log)

[Bricktop]

I just got an email from Amazon that my copy of Under Pressure has shipped.

[edsel]

My copy arrived today. I only had time to browse through it a bit, but I must say that I'm impressed. It looks like there's a wealth of technical information, and the recipes look wonderful.

[Jamesbchef]

Anyone having trouble finding this book? Is it out?

[NY_Amateur]

Anyone having trouble finding this book? Is it out?

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eh I had a pre order copy but then they slipped on the ship date and I canceled it because it looked like it would arrive this week when I (and both my roommates) are traveling. So then I saw that there was a shortage and hastily ordered and damn the consequences, only be to be told my ship date was now the 4th, which is the day after I am supposed to leave the country for up to a month. woo.

Then I got another a email today saying my revised arrival date is the 29th.

So long story short, sort of. But hopefully I will get it soon, can't wait.

[RobC]

I've been reading it today. For those who want to see how SV is done at FL and ps, it's great: terrific photos, lots of recipes from the restaurants. For those who'd like to cook those dishes in our own kitchens, it's a little disappointing. The recipes are as complicated and demanding as you'd expect in Keller's restaurants, which means they generally aren't very accessible for home cooks. Many pretty much demand chamber vacuum sealers, which most home SV cooks don't have. Even the use of metric quantities is less than user-friendly, though obviously not a deal-breaker. So it's a fine book, but it doesn't really provide the comprehensive guide for home SV cooking that I'd been hoping for.