At the Crillon and at Home: Recipes by Jean-Francois Piege [Hardcover]

Jean Francois Piege (Author), Patrick Mikanowski (Author), Grant Symon (Photographer), Alain Ducasse (Foreword), Thomas Keller (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008

The Hotel Crillon is one of the most exceptional palace hotels in Paris, and its two-Michelin star restaurant Les Ambassadeurs is one of the best in France. Jean-François Piège is the dynamic young chef at the helm, serving up an elaborate cuisine—driven by products that are in season and at their best—that has forged his reputation worldwide. In this original book, Piège takes us behind closed doors to reveal the secrets of the Crillon’s kitchen, then invites us into his home where he shares his informal recipes that he dishes up to friends and family. This book contains over eighty recipes for both special occasions and simpler dishes for every day. This beautiful volume offers a wealth of ideas for both the amateur and seasoned chef.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I'm drawn to this book for its fresh presentation." ~Southern Accents

"...featuring 80-plus stunningly photographed dishes." ~France Magazine

"Jean-Francois Piege...takes us home with him to share in the more casual fare he dishes up to friends and family in his debut cookbook, At the Crillon and at Home. More than 80 recipes and 334 color illustrations may get you into the kitchen or just enhance your epicurean reveries." ~BookPage

About the Author

Jean-François Piège became chef of Les Ambassadeurs in 2004 after several years at upscale restaurants including Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenée. Alain Ducasse is a star of French cuisine and the only chef in the world to hold three Michelin stars in three different countries. Thomas Keller is an award-winning American chef whose restaurants Per Se in New York and The French Laundry in California each hold 3 Michelin stars. Patrick Mikanowski, international food development and advertising consultant, and Grant Symon, photographer, collaborated to publish Uncooked, Vegetables by Forty Great French Chefs, and Egg.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Flammarion (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 208030058X
• ISBN-13: 978-2080300584
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 1 x 11.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #324,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, comprehensive volume full of creative cooking, November 1, 2008

By 

Corey Burdick (Burlington, VT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: At the Crillon and at Home: Recipes by Jean-Francois Piege (Hardcover)

The first half of this book will undoubtedly excite professional cooks. The photography and the food are both dazzling. Many of the recipes cannot be replicated at some, mostly because of ingredient sourcing. However, it is a great way to glean ideas and simply marvel at real talent and technique. The second half is quite a bit more accessible, as they are recipes from Piege's home life. They are still far more difficult than Rachel Ray's schlock, but far tastier as well. For refined yet casual home cooking, these recipes are perfect. So in essence, this book has something for every serious cook, home or professional.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You must get this!!!, March 7, 2009

By 

Reginald Abalos - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: At the Crillon and at Home: Recipes by Jean-Francois Piege (Hardcover)

I had the esteemed pleasure of dining at "Le Ambassadeurs" in 2006 and I came away with the most memorable dining experiences of my life to date. I also came away with the picture of me posing with chef Piege as well as a signed menu which I cherish (and a receipt for a $500 lunch for four) This book is absolutely amazing, fully engaging with beautiful photography and unique and refreshing food styling which really showcases Chef Piege's style and obvious talent. The first half of the book is Piege's food as you would find it at Le Ambassadeurs to the T (I had the sweetbreads, asparagus with crawfish and shelless egg, and the vacherin which blew me away when it was first presented to me) The second half is a more approachable style meant to be prepared at home (although what American home, I'm not sure. Obvoulsly "home" in this case is somewhere on Rue Respail in Paris) even here the pictures and styling are fantastic and the creativity Piege displays even for home cooking is spectacular and still smacks of his Michelin star training. Unique techniques like cooking dried penne like a risotto so it absorbs much more flavor while still retaining that all important "al dente" (also saves on energy since you don't have to bring a big pot of water to boil) and a recipe for homemade canned tuna and eggs cocotte cooked in glass "le parfait" dishes. Flavor pairings too, even in the home section flourish with the kind of sensibilty only a chef of Jean-Francois' talent can only conjure up, like carrot juice and mustard sauce for brill fillets and a take on Carbonara using lobster and tomato. Overall an excellent and inspiring book which also has a laundry list of French purveyors (including Robert Blanc's asparagus) Specialty shops in and around France and a list of old and new books the chef recommends as resources for further reading. Considring the reasonable price for such in depth content, even if you havn't had the pleasure of dining at Le Ambassadeurs, a couple minutes immersed in this book will transport you there in no time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Calling French Laundry Cookbook Lovers!, July 8, 2009

By 

PMR - See all my reviews

This review is from: At the Crillon and at Home: Recipes by Jean-Francois Piege (Hardcover)

If you enjoy the challenge of cooking from the French Laundry Cookbook, then this book is for you. Stocks are created for specific dishes, unique techniques and beautiful plating are used (no molecular gastronomy). The photography is perfect. Please do yourself a favor and add this to your collection. If you thought French cooking was not up to current cooking trends then you are very very wrong. This chef is over the top with fresh new ideas.

Enjoy!