Cookbooks 2021

[paul o' vendange]

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

I just want somebody to interpret “Modern Health”. 

 

I did a little digging.  Not that it answers Honkman's (fair) point, but it may give a bit of background:

 

Quote

The new book was also born out of recovery. That included going to CrossFit and adopting the paleo diet, which you still more or less follow today. The new cookbook is categorized as "modern health." Can you explain exactly what you mean by "modern health?"

 

Modern health is a term that came out with, I think, the paleo diet. I think the paleo diet was really, really big 10 years ago. I think CrossFit was really big 10 years ago, and that's how I stumbled into it. I think modern health to me just really means being able to make some smart choices — not feeling like you're being restricted, not feeling like you can't have some things that you enjoy.

 

Really, what it truly means to me is understanding that while Mother Nature makes all these amazing things that have nutrients that come out of the earth — not all of them are the best foods for you. It's really about focusing on the plants and the proteins and all the amazing ingredients that are truly the healthiest. The superfoods: kale, sweet potatoes, organic meats, all those types of ingredients that you can truly have as much of it as you want. All the ingredients featured in my cookbook are based on the top 100 superfoods.

 

It's understanding that when we talk about something like grapeseed oil, which is an extremely chemically processed ingredient and it's made by a harsh chemical process, and instead use something like avocado oil, which is just avocado squeezed, which is a far more natural ingredient. Making these small switches and being confident that having these best ingredients, you can eat as much of them as you want.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

35 minutes ago, paul o' vendange said:

 

Jacques is so screwed.

 

 

 

Laughing about poor little children and melted Howard Johnson's ice cream.

 

[paul o' vendange]

1 minute ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Laughing about poor little children and melted Howard Johnson's ice cream.

 

I love his decision to tweak the chef's consommé by stirring it.  Seems the chef really appreciated the initiative.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

38 minutes ago, paul o' vendange said:

I love his decision to tweak the chef's consommé by stirring it.  Seems the chef really appreciated the initiative.

 

Sadism I would say.

 

Seriously, I don't believe Jacques is malevolent but he did not have the competence to manage the quality of Howard Johnson's' menu.

 

 

[FlashJack]

2 hours ago, paul o' vendange said:

Jacques is so screwed.

Unfair example. Jacques is a saint and I'll not suffer a word against him.

 

Most of these indignities come from the publisher. Case in point: Kenji's Food Lab -- mostly in volume measures. It takes a good author to stand up to a spineless publisher.

[Anna N]

6 hours ago, paul o' vendange said:

I did a little digging. 

Please, please put that spade away. 

[weinoo]

6 hours ago, paul o' vendange said:

 

Jacques is so screwed.

 

 

 

Don't forget these...

 

All in my collection!

 

What kitchen task doesn't look mundane, once that  moment in time has been photographed?

 

 

[gfweb]

JP is an interesting case. Classically trained, moved to NYC and hung out with the culinary hot shots but never had a place of his own and then only a short while in later life. Worked for Howard Johnson ( I want to believe that he invented the top-loading hot dog bun) and did TV stuff.  Wrote good books. Beloved.

 

Outside of the accent, who is more accomplished him or Puck or Flay (or Garten for that matter)?

Edited December 27, 2021 by gfweb (log)

[blue_dolphin]

8 hours ago, paul o' vendange said:

 

Jacques is so screwed.

 

....  ....

 

 

And don't forget volume 2 of that set:

 

The use of full color, step-by-step photos on almost every page of these books was a truly lavish choice at a time (vol 1 came out in 1987) when color illustrations were often still limited to a few sections and demonstrates his commitment to teaching.

This set is a treat!

Edited December 27, 2021 by blue_dolphin (log)

[rotuts]

@gfweb 

 

not Garten.   she seems to only have   ' very dear friends '

 

unless she meant  Expensive.

 

 

[heidih]

2 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

Don't forget these...

 

 

I have a vague recollection that the lobster might be one of his illustrations? He is not a single faceted man.

[rotuts]

Im a very big fan of JP.

 

please read " Apprentice "

 

if you have not already.

 

there is a story in that book 

 

concerning   Cow Heads.

 

hilarious.

[paul o' vendange]

6 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

Don't forget these...

 

All in my collection!

 

What kitchen task doesn't look mundane, once that  moment in time has been photographed?

 

 

 

I've got the "complete techniques" version now, but the La Technique original sure brings back memories.  Here's my JP collection.  I have The Apprentice somewhere but can't find it:

 

 

 

I think it says a lot that Tom Colicchio lists La Technique and La Méthode as the books he used to teach himself to cook.

 

 

 

 

[paul o' vendange]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

Im a very big fan of JP.

 

please read " Apprentice "

 

if you have not already.

 

there is a story in that book 

 

concerning   Cow Heads.

 

hilarious.

 

I can't find the book right now but now you have me searching.  I've forgotten - one blessing of a faulty memory, laughing twice, lol!

[paul o' vendange]

4 hours ago, heidih said:

I have a vague recollection that the lobster might be one of his illustrations? He is not a single faceted man.

 

That makes sense.  His illustrations are delightful.  

[paul o' vendange]

5 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

And don't forget volume 2 of that set:

 

The use of full color, step-by-step photos on almost every page of these books was a truly lavish choice at a time (vol 1 came out in 1987) when color illustrations were often still limited to a few sections and demonstrates his commitment to teaching.

This set is a treat!

 

Totally agree.  If I remember correctly, this two-volume set are the books of which he's most proud.

[rotuts]

my father didn't cook much.

 

a few things , outstanding-ly done :

 

slow grilled leg of lamb , w lots of slivered garlic 

 

etc

 

( see , food-ish )

 

as he got older , he would forget recent books he had read.

 

he looked forward to me visiting , as Id make a selection from the Local 

 

Library for him  ( not the University Library )

 

he read Michael Connolley's  " Blood Work "  at least

 

4 times .  couldn't put it down 

 

( highly recommended as a stand alone MC )

 

so there is that .

[paul o' vendange]

5 hours ago, gfweb said:

JP is an interesting case. Classically trained, moved to NYC and hung out with the culinary hot shots but never had a place of his own and then only a short while in later life. Worked for Howard Johnson ( I want to believe that he invented the top-loading hot dog bun) and did TV stuff.  Wrote good books. Beloved.

 

Outside of the accent, who is more accomplished him or Puck or Flay (or Garten for that matter)?

 

A touching memory from his book is when he finishes up his stint as the chef to President DeGaulle.  They bring him to a room and it was just Jacques, Mr. and Mrs. DeGaulle, thanking him for being their chef.

[gfweb]

Speaking of Collichio, his Think Like a Chef is good stuff

[paul o' vendange]

4 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Speaking of Collichio, his Think Like a Chef is good stuff

 

Agreed.  "If it grows together it goes together" is a line that really stuck (I think that's in Think Like a Chef?).  I also have his The Craft of Cooking.  Second recipe - Porchetta, from a piglet!

[gfweb]

17 minutes ago, paul o' vendange said:

 

Agreed.  "If it grows together it goes together" is a line that really stuck (I think that's in Think Like a Chef?).  I also have his The Craft of Cooking.  Second recipe - Porchetta, from a piglet!

 Craft is a good one too.

 

"Grows together" has a nice philosophy but is easy to quibble over.

 

His roasted tomato thing is a nice dish from one of them.

[paul o' vendange]

On 12/27/2021 at 2:53 PM, gfweb said:

 Craft is a good one too.

 

"Grows together" has a nice philosophy but is easy to quibble over.

 

His roasted tomato thing is a nice dish from one of them.

 

Yeah, I hear you.  Funny, I was thinking about just that as I as typing it.  Not always!  One that does come to mind is a magret with corn crepes and Michigan sour cherry duck sauce.

 

Do you mean his "tomato tatin?" Love it.  Braised lamb shoulder for some friends.

Edited December 29, 2021 by paul o' vendange (log)

[gfweb]

25 minutes ago, paul o' vendange said:

 

Yeah, I hear you.  Funny, I was thinking about just that as I as typing it.  Not always!  One that does come to mind is a magret with corn crepes and Michigan sour cherry duck sauce.

 

Do you mean his "tomato tartin?" Love it.  Braised lamb shoulder for some friends.

 

Yes!  Exactly that.

I keep roasted tomatoes on standby.

[weinoo]

You can all have your Missy Robbins' (whose pasta I have liked in restaurants) book...

 

but how many more books about pasta are really necessary?

 

 

If only he weren't doing such a mundane task; like making pasta, on a pasta book cover!!

 

[KennethT]

On 12/26/2021 at 9:04 PM, liuzhou said:

Just squeezing into 2021, this is due to be published on the 28th December. It will be a late Christmas gift to myself.

 

 

 

I'm curious as to what you will think of the book and recipes, being that you're so close to Vietnam.  Do you know if anyone in Asia uses Red Boat?  I've never tried it myself - I have a hard time spending so much $ on something that I can get a very good example of cheaply.