Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home

[tomdarch]

Has anyone noticed that the book is basically sold out? (Amazon, Borders and other on-line sellers are showing it out of stock!)

[prasantrin]

I ordered it and Momofuku from Amazon.com last week, and even paid for expedited shippping to Japan. Momofuku is due to arrive the day before I leave for holidays (hopefully it will arrive earlier, so I can make sure it gets delivere), but Ad Hoc probably won't be delivered until February. By that time, I'll have packed up all my stuff to move back to Canada!

Darn backorders!

[Aloha Steve]

  On 12/3/2009 at 7:03 AM, tomdarch said:

Has anyone noticed that the book is basically sold out? (Amazon, Borders and other on-line sellers are showing it out of stock!)

There are 10 copies available with a Ebay seller at 39.95 with 3.95 shipping.

I just bought mine on Amazon cause I don't mind waiting and saving 40% of the book's cost as compared to the Ebay seller.

Also its my experience with Amazon, that they will get out or stock orders sooner than the indicate at the time of ordering.

Maybe they believe in "Under promise and over deliver" which is a good practice as a seller.

[OliverB]

barnes and noble list it as in stock, around $30, depending if you're a member or not. I'll have two after tonight, not sure yet if I'll sell my current copy, give it away for Christmas or store my signed copy in a vault and use the one I have for cooking

Of course you have to buy your copy at the store if you want to get it signed...

[Aloha Steve]

  On 12/3/2009 at 6:06 PM, OliverB said:

barnes and noble list it as in stock, around $30, depending if you're a member or not. I'll have two after tonight, not sure yet if I'll sell my current copy, give it away for Christmas or store my signed copy in a vault and use the one I have for cooking

Of course you have to buy your copy at the store if you want to get it signed...

Thanks Oliver just ordered mine from B&N & cancelled the one at Amazon. Please don't tell Jeff B and me a share holder 2

Edited December 3, 2009 by Aloha Steve (log)

[OliverB]

back from the signing, was quite a zoo. SF Williams Sonoma is huge, 3 stories occupying an entire nice old building next to Tiffany's. Closed after 6pm unless you were on the "invite" list. Very busy inside, huge stacks of the book and the other Keller books. You had to buy there, though I'm sure I could have just pretended and smuggled my copy in w/o problem, they did not check for receipts or anything like that. On each floor there seems to be a little kitchen place, they had people walk around offering fried chicken (awesome), a SV short rib/mushroom thing on one of those chineese spoons that was fantastic, meatballs, couple other things I'm too tired to list now. All good stuff. Oh, also the cauliflower soup from the book, which I had just yesterday put a little sticky flag onto, as I want to make it. It's delicious! Some sweet stuff too that I did not try. Also Williams Sonoma's wine club had a tasting, whites, reds, and a bubbly. Nothing in particular overly exciting, but tasty nonetheless.

Long line to get the books signed, we were first in line on the 2nd floor, later I think they had a line on ground floor too, lines advanced to the next floor when enough signing was done. TK was on the top floor together with the chef of Ad Hoc, who's name escapes me right now and I'm - well - too tired - to look it up. I'd have had him sign my book too, but somehow once you get to the front of the line it's quite a hustle and you're gone before you know it. Got a picture taken with TK and my wife and me, and took a couple more of him signing other people's books.

Went back down and bought the pallet knife thingy he advocates over tongs, not that I'm gonna throw my tongs out, but as I was in the store and TK likes them...... Oh well, I'm a sucker for that kind of thing, what can I say :-)

Got some more free wine and food on the way out, probably spent about 2 hours in the store. Was fun, well organized by the staff, great to finally meet Chef Keller in person, though there was not much time to talk. told him the truth, that I learned more about food and cooking from him than from anybody else. I think he heard it :-)

Got a nice sig in my book and also had a 2nd book signed which we gave to our friends who watched our little ones (and gave us other great gifts over the years), which they really seemed to love. And I'm sure they'll cook from it, as they had paged through my copy here at home, the one I bought a while ago.

So, a fun evening, a bit hectic and crazy, lots and lots of people, some dressed-in-black-we're-special San Francisco fancies jumping the line too, as usual, all part of the fun. It was great to see TK in person, I'd have loved to talk a bit (or a lot actually) or some presentation or reading or talking about the book would have been nice, but it really was just a straight up book signing, with the added benefit of some great little food things (really really good ones) and some free wine (so so, good but nothing special). Very glad we went, glad I got to shake his hand, he's the most influential cook in my life and I'll cherish the memory for ever.

Now I just hope he'll open up a place in Walnut Creek (great property available just across the street from Tiffany's right now!) so I can enjoy food directed and inspired by him more often without having to make it an overnight trip :-)

I really thing that just about anybody here on this forum would enjoy the book, and would actually cook from it. Do yourself a favor and check your local store, if they have it, take a look. I'll be deepfrying some chicken this weekend if things work out the way I hope :-)

Edited December 4, 2009 by OliverB (log)

[jenc]

Thanks for the report OliverB! Wish we'd have had something like that here. Our signing line was pretty crazy-long as well. Sigh. At least you're close enough to hop over to Napa if you wished!! I'm all the way out on the East coast...

Here's a pic of Keller, now that I've discovered you don't have to upload and all that jazz like with the old forums!

aaannnd... a video about where Keller feels most comfortable:

... wow, I like these new "insert" things for photos and media!

Edited December 4, 2009 by jenc (log)

[OliverB]

nice pic and video! I would have liked to hear him speak too, but this was just a signing, albeit with food. Of course, youtube has quite some of him (and many other chefs) to watch and listen to.

And yes, the new way to insert photos is great, the old system was a bit of a pain. A great improvement to the forum!

[Paul Kierstead]

Interesting. Just looking at what was looking nice at the store, and scanning the book, and had just decided on the cauliflower soup only minutes before reading this. I'll definitely have to follow through now

[prasantrin]

My book won't arrive until January, but I found the recipe for the cauliflower soup online.

Question--in the book does he recommend a weight for 1 head of cauliflower? In Japan cauliflower heads are awfully small (and expensive), so I think 1 head might be too little. It would be so much easier if there were a weight!

[Fat Guy]

I mentioned earlier that my review copy of the book came with a Thomas Keller fried-chicken kit. I finally had the opportunity to make the fried chicken, and there's an extensively photographed post with comments on the Don't Shop Now topic for anyone who's interested.

[Paul Kierstead]

In the book it calls for 2 heads, about 4-5 lbs.

Edited December 5, 2009 by Paul Kierstead (log)

[prasantrin]

Thanks! Maybe the recipe I found was 1/2 a recipe. That's OK since I'm cooking for one!

[far_gone]

NY Times reveiws the cookbook today - doesn't look terribly simple from what they've said!

[OliverB]

well, as they say, it's for the "advanced" home cook (what ever that means). No, this is not an other Rachel Ray 30 min meal throw away volume, this is some really good food, and that tends to take a bit more time. It's for the home cook that loves to cook and doesn't mind spending a while in the kitchen. Anybody expecting something in the 30 min quick arena is looking at the wrong author.

But it's all stuff that's doable at home, and yes, w/o a staff of dish washers. Kind of a silly review, more flippant than informative. All recipes I've read so far are quite doable in anybody's kitchen. Not in 30 min, but most (but not all) won't take a day either.

Read it here:

NYT Ad Hoc review

I'm off to the store now to make the cauliflower soup tonight :-)

PS: they review a bunch of other books, including Ramsey's Cooking for Friends which I find irritating in layout and print - and photography, I want food pix, not photos of some friends I don't know. I love some of his other books, this one I'll pass. Momofuku is mentioned too, a great book that I plan to tackle over the holidays, and the Big Fat Duck book is there too, also a great one, much more than just a cook book. Actually, I doubt I'll cook much from it as here we're really talking about food that needs a staff! There are recipes that have around 20 or so different items you need to make. I have it filed under very educational with high pornographic appeal :-)

[Ruth]

I have all four of Keller's books and find all extraordinary - so much so that they have made me almost forget the very miserable dinner we had at Per Se. I have never had even a near disaster using one of his recipes.

When it comes to using weight based measurements the publishers refuse to use them for books aimed at the "home" cook. Keller's earlier books (French Laundry, Bouchon and Under Pressure) are all aimed primarily at professionals, while Ad Hoc ostensibly focusses on the home cook. Many chefs complain bitterly about having to convert all their measurements to cups and spoons when publishing their recipes. Personally I always convert my cups and spoons to weight when any degree of precision is called for.

There is a nifty application for the iphone/iPodtouch which will not only do the conversion for you but lets you weigh your two tablespoons of chopped almonds, for example, and enter the weight in grams or ounces for future reference.

[agray]

Ruth - what's the name of the iphone application? That sounds like something I could use. I'd like to convert all my recipes to weights eventually - that's what I love about British cookbooks; always measured to the gram...

I had an unfortunate brining incident with Keller's Tenderloin recipe because of the whole cups of salt / weight issue.

And I agree with OliverB - it's not a quick recipe cookbook, but it's definitely manageable by the home cook. I'm by no means an advanced cook, but I had no problems following his directions for the pork tenderloin and the chicken pot pie, and both results were appropriate for the level of detail (they were worth the work).

[Aloha Steve]

  On 12/8/2009 at 5:24 PM, Ruth said:

Personally I always convert my cups and spoons to weight when any degree of precision is called for.

There is a nifty application for the iphone/iPodtouch which will not only do the conversion for you but lets you weigh your two tablespoons of chopped almonds, for example, and enter the weight in grams or ounces for future reference.

Two Questions:

Where (here at EG or ?) can we find that conversion table ?

What is the name for "There's an APP for That" ?

Thanks,

steve

[VeraAgnes]

If that was your impression then Thomas Keller addressed his goal appropriately. The book is for the home cook who wants to hone in on the magic. I'm in that category and adore this book of cooking spells. I have no time to go off to cooking school so this aids in building around my cooking style. I found the writing visual for my interpretation of the skill at hand in each recipe. I loved the photography. Thomas Keller has professional cook level books on the market wherein you could probably feel as comfortable with as I do Ad Hoc.

[Aloha Steve]

  On 12/8/2009 at 6:51 PM, Aloha Steve said:

  On 12/8/2009 at 5:24 PM, Ruth said:

Personally I always convert my cups and spoons to weight when any degree of precision is called for.

There is a nifty application for the iphone/iPodtouch which will not only do the conversion for you but lets you weigh your two tablespoons of chopped almonds, for example, and enter the weight in grams or ounces for future reference.

Two Questions:

Where (here at EG or ?) can we find that conversion table ?

What is the name for "There's an APP for That" ?

Thanks,

steve

Can anyone say where that APP or reference is ?

[dougal]

  On 12/8/2009 at 5:24 PM, Ruth said:

... Personally I always convert my cups and spoons to weight when any degree of precision is called for.

There is a nifty application for the iphone/iPodtouch which will not only do the conversion for you but lets you weigh your two tablespoons of chopped almonds, for example, and enter the weight in grams or ounces for future reference.

Weighing can give you more precise repeatability of your own efforts.

However, converting and then weighing cannot take you closer to the original writer's intention.

UNLESS, he/she was forced to convert an original weight specification to volume for publication, AND you happen to use the exact same table/app/database to convert back! However, even then, rounding-off errors are going to throw your accuracy out.

[Anna N]

Kerry Beal showed up unexpectedly at my house with this book on Saturday. Yesterday I read it through cover to cover and it is all I hoped for and more. Today I am going through it again, making notes, making a shopping list, noting dishes in my daytimer and just itching to get started on some of the recipes. Unlike most books I own there are few recipes here that don't appeal! Most are accessible both in terms of technique and in terms of availability of ingredients. There are so many things that I appreciate. Most recipes give options of make-ahead steps, of storing times, of weights when it seems really important (you get the sense that Thomas really regrets that he had to use volume measurements to please the publisher!) and of substitutions when Thomas recognizes that sourcing certain things might be harder for the average home cook. No foie gras, no truffles or truffle oils and only a few expensive ingredients (banyuls vinegar and artisan cheeses come to mind). I love that he thinks grilled cheese sandwiches are worthy of a recipe and that he admits to his love of some foods that you simply don't associate with a chef of his calibre. Now to test some of his recipes as I think that is an essential step before giving a cookbook a full seal of approval!

[DanM]

I recently picked up a copy pf this book. I am, so far, pleased with the book and the recipes. I really get the feel of this being a book of family recipes twisted by the guys behind this book. Grilled cheese, cupcakes and banana splits shows that he has a fun side. I have so far made the chicken pot pie, roasted chicken with root veg, and paperdelle pasta with mushrooms, all with good results.

Now for the not so good. Like others have said, he lists a scale, but does not use it. I would expect a chef of his caliber to include weights for at least the desserts and baked goods. I have also found 2 or 3 typos so far. The chicken pot pie recipe calls for 3 bay leaves, but I only see 1 used in the directions. The roasted chicken recipe seems to have incomplete directions for cutting the leeks.I think I spotted another in the veg section, but I cannot find it again. I might be wrong on these points as I am a sleep deprived new father of a 5 week old. He also mentioned his love for green bean casserole, but does not include a recipe. What a shame.

Overall, I am happy with the book and look forward to many happy meals from this book.

Dan

[jm chen]

Made the duck breast recipe from this for a dinner party Saturday & it was a huge success. Like others have said, the recipes aren't "easy", but most are several degrees simpler than TFL or Bouchon. Highly recommended.

[HappyLab]

  On 3/29/2010 at 5:00 PM, jm chen said:

Made the duck breast recipe from this for a dinner party Saturday & it was a huge success. Like others have said, the recipes aren't "easy", but most are several degrees simpler than TFL or Bouchon. Highly recommended.

I made the duck breast this weekend as well. It's amazing how much flavor it packs in with just a simple marinade. I served it with the leek bread pudding, which is also excellent. While some of the recipes are a bit fussy, the book has won me over; Keller knows how to make everything taste better than you would imagine.