Customer Reviews

Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

`Braise' by leading New York restauranteur and chef, Daniel Boulud and leading culinary writer for hire, Melissa Clark is high on my list of books I look forward to reviewing for both the authors' track records and the importance and value of the subject. The fact that another recent book, `All About Braising' by Molly Stevens covers the identical territory makes reviewing this book even easier than usual for a book by someone of Boulud's stature.

The very first observation I must make about Boulud's book is that Stevens' book contradicts the comments on Boulud's back jacket which suggest Boulud and Clark have written the last word on the subject, as there are many things about Stevens' book which make it a superior first book on braising, and even give one grounds for passing on Boulud's book, if money or bookshelf space is tight.

Being simpleminded, I first check the size and recipe count of the two books. While Boulud / Clark has 228 pages, Stevens weighs in at 480 pages, over twice as much for a similar list price. Another simpleminded comparison shows that while Boulud / Clark give us nine (9) pages of introductory material on braising technique, Stevens gives us 33 pages, including some superb illustrations of the variety of braising pots. Boulud / Clark speaks about these briefly, but offers little illumination on the great range of pots used for braising. They say enough, but certainly don't cover the field thoroughly. And, in the appendices on sources, while Boulud / Clark give us only sources for their wide range of ingredients, Stevens also gives us sources for braising cookery such as Sur la Table, Williams-Sonoma, Lodge Cookware, and Big Tray. I am surprised she doesn't give a reference to Le Creuset.

I am very happy that both authors use a very simple `by principle ingredient' table of contents and I am doubly happy that both authors list the titles of all recipes in their tables of contents. If I were to choose one over the other, I like Stevens' breakdown of chapters for four meats, Beef, Veal, Pork, and Lamb over Boulud's one chapter on `Meat'. The only area in which Boulud and Stevens don't cover exactly the same territory is in Boulud's final chapter on braising fruits with nine (9) recipes. Stevens includes no fruit recipes.

On the other hand, on every other subject, Stevens has over twice as many recipes as Boulud / Clark. For example, Stevens has 34 recipes for vegetables while Boulud / Clark has but 13. And yet, even though both authors focus on the same few vegetables such as eggplant, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli rabe, and other members of the cabbage family, there seems to be practically no overlap in recipe names. Stevens does give us a lot more on white potatoes, however, Boulud does give us the insight that sweet potatoes work well with a much different range of spices (especially citrus and the cookie spices) than do white potatoes.

Of the recipe writing style in the two different books, there are some important differences in Stevens' favor. The first is that she gives the braising time for each recipe. The second is that her numbered recipe steps highlight the point of each step, making it easier to mentally tick off where you are in the recipe. The third is that Stevens gives several more variations, albeit relatively small variations in recipes, than does Boulud / Clark. Both writers (and in this area I think we are primarily reading Melissa Clark) give us very nice sidebars on technique and ingredients. As Boulud has a wider range of ingredients, his asides in this area are more interesting.

On the use of color photographs, both use the `economical' option of special `rotogravure' sections scattered throughout the book where all the color pics appear. If color pictures are important to you, this may be a nuisance, but both books are the same, and I think the quality of the photography is the same in both books.

Now we get to those areas where Boulud / Clark has something special to offer.

The first thing we encounter is Boulud's characterization of the book as a collection of International recipes. Braising has often been described as THE distinctive French technique, just as stir-frying is THE distinctive Chinese method of cooking. But, Frenchman Boulud pulls in techniques from around the world and adapts them to his own style.

Thus, the second distinctive aspect of the book is that unlike Stevens' recipes, almost all the recipes in this book are Boulud originals. While every recipe may have started somewhere else, he has made them all his own by some change or other.

A third distinction is that Boulud tends to use a wider range of ingredients than Stevens. Now I encountered absolutely nothing in Boulud's recipes which I have not seen a dozen times before, but you will definitely need a bigger pantry if you start making Boulud's dishes. One ingredient I am especially happy to see (and which seems to be a Boulud favorite) is chestnuts.

The fourth and most important aspect of Boulud's book that sets it apart is the fact that his recipes may generally be considered more `artisinal'. What that means is that on average they can be more complicated and take more time and more effort to prepare. This is not a bad thing, if you really want to make a big impression.

The fifth distinction one finds in Boulud / Clark is the excellent photographic tutorials you get for the techniques of some of the more distinctly artisinal dishes. My favorite is the stuffed cabbage with pork and chestnuts, which requires no less than twelve (12) pictures to fully illuminate the method for assembling the dish.

If you like distinctive dishes and ingredients, Boulud is your man. If you are a foodie cookbook collector, you need both books. If you prefer simpler, easier dishes, definitely get Stevens first.

I had been excited to read of Daniel Boulud's Braise. He is a great chef, and having become comfortable with the braising technique from Molly Steven's book, I was looking forward to Daniel's ideas.
I tried seven dishes. Of the four beef dishes my family ate, only the Beef Shoulder with Jerusalem Artichokes and Carrots was tasty enough to be served again. It was complex and the Jerusalem Artichokes were exotic but did taste like they belonged in a beef stew.
We also ate the Paleron de Boeuf au Vin Rouge, which was merely an adequate variation on a daube,and Smoky Beef Chili, which uses lime juice instead of tomato for its acid,but cooking dimished the tang, so the final flavor seemed tamed and dull. We tried the Braised Ground Beef with Split Peas, Apricots and Apples and the Red Cabbage with Apples and Honey,and they were both way sweet. My daughter loved the cabbage candy.
I also cooked the Veal Breast Braised with Cinnamon and Green Olives, which was edible(unlike the two previous) but, well, maybe the nuance of the 20/lb serrano ham is lost after being braised for 2 hours. Again, the cinnamon seemed to give an excessive sweetness to the dish.
I tried the dessert braise of Mangoes and Carrots With Honey and Ginger-Lime Whipped Cream. The cream was outstanding, but the braise was a what was I thinking moment.
Over all, I've been disappointed. Maybe I'll have tastier times with fowl and pork.

I bought "Braise" because I was in the mood to spend a few days hunting down quirky ingredients, and the recipes sounded good. The ingredients were indeed quirky---pomegranate molasses, anyone?---but the recipes didn't end up being worth the effort and cost. Boulud does a lot of variations on braised beef and sweet potatoes, which, I now know, makes for one heck of a heavy meal. I made the beef and sweet potatoes braised in cherries and Guinness, and it was an overly sweet, heavy, fatty disaster. Several other recipes turned out much the same way.

The poultry recipes were better. The Lapin Dijonnaise was fantastic, and when I made it again with chicken thighs, it was even more flavorful.

All in all, I'd say this will not be one of my favorite cookbooks, even though I love braising. The recipes are too complicated, too costly, and not worth the trouble.

More years ago than I would like to remember my mother would start to cook something every Sunday morning. She would put meat, potatoes, veggies into a great cast iron pot and set it to cooking very slowly. We would go to church and when we got back it would be done. I didn't realize it at the time, but what she was doing was braising.

She is long gone now, but I wish I could have given her a copy of this book. Here are about a hundred recipies cooked this way. The variety, the spices -- it seems that every type of cooking has dishes that are braised. Here the dishes come from Thailand, Italy, Mexico, Turkey, Lebanon, France, Russia, China and many other places. There is the distinctive flavors of each of these cooking type, but each dish has been thought about, modified, tested and made Boulud's own.

Tonight I'm serving Ropa Vieja, a Cuban braised flank steak with peppers, tomatoes, and onions. I started it marinating last night. I started it cooking a couple of hours ago. It smells wonderful.

I've now cooked from both Molly Stevens' _All About Braising_ and Boulud's _Braise_. None of the five recipes from Stevens were tasty or interesting enough for me to want to cook them again. So far I've cooked four from Boulud (Tender Beef with Horseradish, Parsnips, & Celery Root; Chicken Basquaise with Artichokes; Red Beans with Bacon & Chorizo; and the one referenced below), and I will definitely make all four again. Some friends were over the other night for the Tamarind Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Okra, and they couldn't stop raving about it. Boulud's reputation as a master is wholly justified by his careful attention to every flavorful detail in these recipes. They may take a bit of time (many call for overnight marinating) and a great knife (veggies cut into 1/4" dice, for instance) to prepare. And you'll surely have to make a trip to a specialty grocery for some ingredients. But the superb results wholly justify the time and effort. I really can't recommend this book highly enough for those who love to cook, and to eat, truly great food. Now it's time to make that Cubano Chicken with Tomatoes, Peppers, & Citrus......

I cook for just two every night, now that our daughters are off to college and graduate school, so braising one night to provide meals and lunches for another two or three days is really an ideal way of making good use of my time in the kitchen. Also, the balance in each dish between animal protein and vegetables seems to be just right. This book has some really wonderful recipes, and some that are not so wonderful. I disagree with the reviewer who found the Braised Ground Beef with Split Peas, Apricots, and Apples "inedible" because of its sweetness (although it is quite sweet); but I agree that I would not make that dish again. (Incidentally, ground moose or venison is a fine natural substitute for the beef.) The Spicy Oxtails with Pears and Sweet Potatoes, which also has a pronounced sweet note, is fabulous! So is the Tamarind Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Okra. What I find especially attractive about the recipes in this book is that (1) they are deliciously different, (2) many call for somewhat unusual ingredients that I particularly like (such as star anise and Indian spice combinations), and (3) they remind me of the splendid meals my partner and I have had at Boulud's restaurant in Las Vegas. The dishes tend to be rich and warming, so this is cold-climate, or at least cold-weather fare.

Well written, Daniel Boulud is one of my favorite cook book authors as far as subject matter and recipe testing. The recipes in this book work and are easy to modify to personal needs and desires. The Subject of braising is well explained and maintains focus through the different styles around the world.

I found the book well written, and easy to use. Some of the ingredients are a bit unusual but very tasty together... It is also a good jumping off point to inventing your own braises

I've made about 3 recipes from the book, including Cuban Creole stew, and each time found that there was at least one jarring flavor note in the vast, sprawling flavor profiles of the recipes, such as raisins or sherry vinegar or orange peel where you don't expect them.

I just ordered this cookbook and can already tell I'm not going to get my money's worth out it. There are very few recipes that call for ingredients you can buy at a typical supermarket. Most necessitate a trip to a specialty or gourmet market.

Also, make no mistake: this is not easy, leave it in the slow-cooker type of cooking. It's not a good sign when a recipe begins, "take the first 20 ingredients and marinate the meat overnight."