25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
This is basically a reprint., May 7, 2007
This review is from: Bocuse in Your Kitchen: Simple French Recipes for the Home Chef (Hardcover)
This is basically a reprint of 1982's Paul Bocuse in Your Kitchen. I have the earlier book, and I ordered this book by mistake. Because of the slightly different title, I thought it might be different. There's no information on the page to indicate that the material has been published nearly word for word before. The back cover of the book itself does indicate this by implication, but you can't "see into" this book on Amazon like you can others.
Probably doesn't matter to most people, and it's a nice book. Just a warning to those of you who have the earlier version.
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bringing a fine chef into your own kitchen for everyday cooking, July 28, 2008
This review is from: Bocuse in Your Kitchen: Simple French Recipes for the Home Chef (Hardcover)
I'm trying to cut back on buying cookbooks; my kitchen is getting filled up with these! But when I was wandering through a bookstore and happened upon this title, I could not resist. Paul Bocuse, after all, has a towering reputation as a chef. And here is his cookbook for the home chef. He says that (Page 7): "The cooking presented in this book has the advantage of being within everyone's reach, bringing together a selection of recipes that are easy to make, relatively quick to prepare, and easy on the budget." And (Page 8): "The recipes in this collection have been chosen specifically to help you learn to make good--and, in particular, varied--dishes very quickly."
As with many cookbooks, this begins with some basics, such as what tools you ought to have in your kitchen, general advice for the cook, and a very nice discussion of wine. At the close, he includes a dictionary of terms for the reader.
But it's the recipes that determine the value of such a book. And I really like that aspect of this work. I have made many of these dishes myself, with a variety of recipes. Bocuse's recipes, I can assure the reader, are, in fact, makeable. If I can cook these dishes up, anyone can! While there are some differences between his recipes and the ones that I have used, those are rather minor. I am looking forward to telling those who sup at my table that I am using Paul Bocuse's recipe!
The first section is soups. I have tried several approaches to Leek and Potato Soup. Bocuse presents a recipe that is similar to what I have used, but by using "crème fraiche" rather than milk, his looks much richer than what I have tried. French Onion Soup is terrific, and easily done. Bocuse's version is similar to what I have used, but there is an interesting wrinkle that I aim to try at some point. I use the Berghoff recipe for Red Cabbage, but Bocuse has another recipe that is fundamentally different--but sounds delicious.
What about egg dishes? Eggs with Vinegar? Sounds odd when I look at the title of this dish. But as I read the recipe, it looks pretty simple and makes me curious as to how it will taste. Eggs Poached in Beaujolais? I enjoy a good Beaujolais, and would never have thought of that as a key component of an egg dish. This is one recipe that I will take a shot at! Seafood. . . . Fresh Tuna and Tomatoes sounds delightful. His recipe for Coquilles Saint-Jacques (one of my favorites, and a dish that I have actually successfully made a handful of times!) is different from what I have used, but man it sounds great (vermouth was NOT in my recipe)!
Meat dishes. . . . I used to make Beef Bourguignon for parties. You can make huge amounts of this to satisfy a crowd, and it is easy to make a tasty batch. His version is close to what I made, giving me a false sense of expertise. . . .
This review is already too long, so I'll just mention a few other recipes that caught my fancy: Leg of Lamb English Style, Coq au Vin (with a couple wrinkles that I have never tried out), broccoli (with crème fraiches), Potatoes with Chive Sauce, and Pasta Provencale.
As you might guess, I really enjoyed looking at this cookbook. Especially cool is that I have made some of these dishes and I can compare what I have done with Bocuse's recipes. And, boy, do I look forward to some experimentation on my family (and maybe even friends), using the master chef's cookbook as my guide.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Bocouse stripped to the bone, September 24, 2007
This review is from: Bocuse in Your Kitchen: Simple French Recipes for the Home Chef (Hardcover)
I bought ' In Your Kitchen 'because it had a good review in the LA Times and promised some basic but interesting recipes. I own Bocouse's Regional French Cooking and had expecations that ' In Your Kitchen 'would at least meet, if not exceed, to provide interesting reading and a few recipes I would like to try. It's a re-hash of basic french recipes with "simple" meaning cutting the ingredients to the bone, so that there is no point in trying the recipe. Joanne Harris 'My French Kitchen' would be a far superiour choice
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