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"Modernist Cuisine" by Myhrvold, Young & Bilet (Part 2)


nathanm

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who'd have expected all this added drama to the tension and waiting! This is really weird, some sick late April's fool joke? Are there sets w/o kitchen manual on ebay already? Hidden camera in the bushes?

That Amazon.ca charged full price is just ridiculous, there's something seriously wrong here. I sure hope that you guys get your books or at least a SUBSTANTIAL discount from Amazon. They can't ship you just one out of 6 books at full price, that's fraud. And since they are packaged in one box to be shipped as is, there's no way this was a packaging or clerical error in any way. What, here's your Ferrari steering wheel, sorry, that's all we had to ship?

Very weird, good luck to all that are still waiting!

"And don't forget music - music in the kitchen is an essential ingredient!"

- Thomas Keller

Diablo Kitchen, my food blog

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Mine should be here either later today or worst case on Monday.

The DHL site I can see has no shipping weight so I called the local office who told me that my parcel was 10kg - now I'm worried!

Friday, April 08, 2011 Location Time

16 Processed at SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA 09:24

15 Clearance processing complete at SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA 09:20

14 Arrived at Sort Facility SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA 08:24

Wednesday, April 06, 2011 Location Time

13 Departed Facility in LOS ANGELES GATEWAY - USA LOS ANGELES GATEWAY, CA - USA 11:04

Let's hope it's just a clerical error.

Cheers,

Peter.

Hi Peter,

mine arrived, see below.

The 5 books are 14.1 kg, the transparent box is 2.6 kg, and the kitchen manual is 966g. The total package was 47.4 lbs. or 21.27 kg.

I really hope for you they converted lbs. to kgs and then again which might explain 10kg.

DHL_Track.jpg

Peter F. Gruber aka Pedro

eG Ethics Signatory

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Mine should be here either later today or worst case on Monday.

The DHL site I can see has no shipping weight so I called the local office who told me that my parcel was 10kg - now I'm worried!

Friday, April 08, 2011 Location Time

16 Processed at SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA 09:24

15 Clearance processing complete at SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA 09:20

14 Arrived at Sort Facility SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA 08:24

Wednesday, April 06, 2011 Location Time

13 Departed Facility in LOS ANGELES GATEWAY - USA LOS ANGELES GATEWAY, CA - USA 11:04

Let's hope it's just a clerical error.

Cheers,

Peter.

Hi,

I just phoned DHL too (in Sydney) to check on my order , and their own records didn't include weight or dimensions - which the operator said could have been down to laziness by the original loader. But she was able to check the airway bill, which listed the recorded weight as 21kg - PHEW!!!

If you're seriously worried about the 10kg weight (can't blame you) then perhaps try phoning DHL again and specifically asking them to check the recorded weight on the airway bill, rather than the weight typed in by the Amazon operator, as they may be different. The airway bill will be the actual weight of the box as recorded when loaded onto the plane...

She also said it's feasible that, depending on where you live, the books may even be delivered this afternoon. Check the DHL tracking site, and if it's going out today then it will be updated around 1pm as out for delivery. But it will probably be Monday...

Cheers and good luck...

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I'm going waaayy out on a limb here, but I suspect returns.

My guess is that a chain of errors in the Amazon.ca warehouse occurred.

But here's the thing. Amazon doesn't normally have chains of errors. It would ruin them. Yes, this may be a unique offering for them, but we've been told that all the volumes are packaged together (I haven't seen it myself, but I assume that to be the case).

If you've ever seen one of those "How do they do it?"-type shows, the warehouse is pretty neat. Robots bring items to the packers, they drop them into boxes as the computer instructs, and off they go. But I can imagine a scenario where when the robot shows up with a big box, and the packer is expecting a book, they just dive into the box and grab a book off the top of what they presume to be a stack of identical books.

But (and I've recently worked in such a company), if the robots deliver 50 lbs worth of books, and the packer selects just one, he's got to deal with 45 lb's of books that have no destination. He can't just sweep them under the rug. That's going to raise a red flag.

That's why I think they come from returns. Because that's a more chaotic environment where things can't be predicted with the certainty one might expect from the 'bots.

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That's why I think they come from returns. Because that's a more chaotic environment where things can't be predicted with the certainty one might expect from the 'bots.

Can't be from a return. My order was plucked from the first batch of books to arrive at Amazon.ca

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Can't be from a return. My order was plucked from the first batch of books to arrive at Amazon.ca

Did you receive an incomplete order, or nothing at all? There's a difference between those that received the product as expected, versus those that haven't received it, versus those that have received it in an unsatisfactory state.

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DSCN2759.jpg

I'm willing to bet that the sticker on the side of the box is in part responsible for the missing copies - when you announce on the side of the box that it contains something worth $625 US or $700 Cdn - that's got to be pretty tempting to someone who figures they could earn a few extra bucks by lifting it and selling it. Perhaps we should all be watching for e-bay sales of MC that don't have the kitchen manual to find the guilty parties.

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DSCN2759.jpg

I'm willing to bet that the sticker on the side of the box is in part responsible for the missing copies - when you announce on the side of the box that it contains something worth $625 US or $700 Cdn - that's got to be pretty tempting to someone who figures they could earn a few extra bucks by lifting it and selling it. Perhaps we should all be watching for e-bay sales of MC that don't have the kitchen manual to find the guilty parties.

Today, on ebay, a copy with a Buy It Now price of $1600. Clicky here

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What a releif! DHL just called and my parcel was 21kg not 10 as advised by their operator earlier today. Whilst I had seen Chris' photos of the packaging it needs to be seen to be believed! My set has just travelled 28,000km from China to Canada and then to Australia. Although there is minor damage to the external box the books and their perspex case have survived and are in perfect condition.

MC1.JPG

Seems to me that the weekend is now officially cancelled!

Cheers,

Peter.

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Today's article in our Philly Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/philly/restaurants/20110407_The_2_438-page_cookbook.html

A brief nod to our discussion here on eGullet - "One writer on eGullet suggested that sous vide's digital temperature control takes the soul out of cooking."

Gee...I wonder who might that have been? :sad:

coquus and others in the same topic.

Peter F. Gruber aka Pedro

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My books arrived yesterday! I could hardly sleep for fear that I wouldn't hear the DHL guy knocking at the door. Luckily I was awake coz he only knocked once very lightly!

I couldn't believe the box was so big! I actually found it difficult to remove the books in the acrylic case vertically out of their cardboard box, but I agree that the packaging is very nice!

These pages are very big! I feel like I have been reading it a lot since it arrived, but I am only up to page 50 of volume one!

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I bet nobody can brag about a delivery as special as mine. Kerry Beal bought MC but I knew from the get-go that this would be a shared acquisition. The books arrived at Kerry’s home while she was at work. Against all the odds, she resisted the urge to open the package when she got home. At around 8pm last night she showed up carrying the unopened package from our visitor parking lot to my back door – all 50 lbs. She then photographed the incredible task of opening the boxes.

We were both awed by the size and beauty of these books. They completely exceeded our expectations despite all the hype.

Kerry buried her nose in the Kitchen Manual and I grabbed Volume 2, Techniques and Equipment. For more than two hours we were totally entranced. We shared tidbits, made lists, added post-it notes and simply revelled in the joy of these incredible books and the shared companionship they engendered.

After Kerry left I continued to page through the volumes until the print blurred and the photographs became nothing but a kaleidoscope of colour. Well after midnight I finally closed the volumes and slept.

This morning I cannot wait to get through the routine chores that must be done before I delve back into them. Nathan, this is truly, truly a work of genius. Thank you and thank you Kerry for generosity above and beyond. I am blessed.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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What a great expression of friendship that is! I completely understand it, too: I have been lugging it around town for weeks now just to share it with people: chefs, librarians, teachers at my school, food writers... anyone who has an interest in food. Every time it inspires a sense of shared joy that such a thing exists!

I know that's over the top. But now that so many of you have it, perhaps it makes a bit more sense. :wink:

Chris Amirault

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Sir Luscious got gator belts and patty melts

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Today, on ebay, a copy with a Buy It Now price of $1600. Clicky here

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0982761007/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

Check out the "signed" copy price.. :wacko: You'd think that for that price, they would give you free shipping..

I clicked on that and saw the $10K copy, but I was also surprised to see that the price at Amazon is now $625, no discount. It was $461 and change yesterday.

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Hi, just wanted to introduce myself, I am a member of the MC team. I have been following egullet for the last two years. I have some information from our business team:

We are hearing scattered reports of the 374-page, waterproof Kitchen Manual (Volume 6) missing from Modernist Cuisine sets. If you purchased the book and are missing the Kitchen Manual, please forward your receipt, mailing address, and phone number to info@modernistcuisine.com

You will receive the Kitchen Manual within 7-14 days. Thanks in advance for your patience as we determine why some sets are missing the Kitchen Manual.

The Cooking Lab

Art Director

Modernist Cuisine

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I bet nobody can brag about a delivery as special as mine. Kerry Beal bought MC but I knew from the get-go that this would be a shared acquisition. The books arrived at Kerry’s home while she was at work. Against all the odds, she resisted the urge to open the package when she got home. At around 8pm last night she showed up carrying the unopened package from our visitor parking lot to my back door – all 50 lbs. She then photographed the incredible task of opening the boxes.

....

Anna,

I miss Kerry's photographs!

Well, I couldn't resist either to take a few pictures.

I had not noticed our wireless doorbell was out of battery power (doh!), but luckily I looked out of the window just at the right moment and saw the DHL guy typing "recipient not home" into his machine (one minute later he would have been gone!):

gallery_65177_6897_48221.jpg

Heavy!

gallery_65177_6897_47863.jpg

625 bucks!

gallery_65177_6897_62872.jpg

This should stand the "Philips test 10" (free fall from 10 meters; I did not verify!):

gallery_65177_6897_142061.jpg

The kitchen manual:

gallery_65177_6897_33321.jpg

The perspex box wrapped in paper:

gallery_65177_6897_88804.jpg

Here it is:

gallery_65177_6897_128313.jpg

Other cookbooks look pretty tiny!

gallery_65177_6897_12414.jpg

Peter F. Gruber aka Pedro

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As you lucky folks dive in this weekend, share your impressions. Where did you start? Where did you go? What things are you thinking of cooking first?

I suppose I'm not really a "typical" reader, since I had access to the online review version before (thanks, Chris!). But once I got my physical copy, I started reading the microbiology section, in addition to browsing through all five volumes, admiring the photography and looking at pictures.

So far, two recipes have really caught my eye, and they both seem relatively straightforward: the onion rings and the autoclave onion soup. Really looking forward to trying both, though I might have to skip the cheese foam on the soup...

Matthew Kayahara

Kayahara.ca

@mtkayahara

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