Customer Reviews

Ducasse Made Simple by Sophie: 100 Recipes from the Master Chef Simplified for the Home Cook

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though I have only made 3 recipes as of this writing - the mushroom omelette, the steak with a red-wine shallot sauce and the veal medallions with tomato sauce where I substituted boneless chicken breast for the veal - I wanted to write because all have been absolutely spectacular, not at all "pedestrian". The omelette, while more labor intensive than a simple omelette, was well worth the extra time and effort. The tomato sauce is delicious, and the butter used to baste the veal, or in my case, the chicken, truly transforms the dish into something special - especially if you use French butter. I agree that there is nothing exactly new about a red-wine shallot sauce - but the slow cooking in the oven is different and coaxes more sweetness out of the shallots. The final reduction and butter enrichment results in a fondu or confit which is more intensely flavored and less aggressive than, for instance, Daniel Boulud's.

First, I appreciate cookbook reviews from people who have actually "walked the walk." Save me from the tedious "table of contents" reviews that are the norm. But I must agree with Ms. Thurm that "pedestrian" is not the adjective to be used for this book. I normally try a number of recipes before I write a review, so this is almost the exception since, as of this moment, I've only made two.

I am NOT a fan of turkey, but who can resist the ridiculous low prices for that bird around Thanksgiving? So I bought a small one and cut it up to use in various treatments, one of which was the Rolled Stuffed Escalopes of Turkey with Mustard Sauce (p.106). Except for my idiotic attempts to be a butcher, the recipe is quite easy and quite delicious (considering it was turkey, of course).

The Macaroni Gratin (p.190) was the suggested accompaniment, but I didn't make it until tonight. If you cannot excercise portion control, pretend you never heard of this dish. SO rich, SO delicious, SO unhealthy! And that element, rich/delecious/unhealthy is why I almost subtracted a star. But we're all grown-ups, aren't we, and some things are worth that one delicious bite -- and no more.

The vegetable and fruit recipes -- many variations and combinations that I can't wait to try -- are also spectacular in their innovativeness. And if you are "into" desserts, this is, without a doubt, the book for you.

Ducasse Made Simple is THE cookbook I plan to explore in more detail in the next few months.

This is an absolutely lovely book. The recipes are "simple" as the title suggests and directly across from the recipe, which is efficiently on one page, is a gorgeous photograph of the dish. Sophie Dudemaine has taken 100 of famous chef Alain Ducasse's recipes and made them approachable for the home cook. In the back of the book is a source guide for tracking down ingredients you might not be able to find locally and an index of recipes. There are also some basic recipes for components of the main recipes of the book. Well done!

I am always on the look out for something new, new tastes, techniques, etc. So it was with some enthusiasm that I purchased Ducasse Made Simple.

These recipes are supposedly inspired by Alain Ducasse, the great Michelin-starred chef. They are, though, quite pedestrian, a few are not even good. The Spicy Lamb with Onion Sauce is a waste of a rack of lamb (the dried fruit compote with it, though, is tasty).

For someone looking for a much better French cookbook (and there are many) I'd highly recommend The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willen, or James Peterson's Glorious French Food.

I suspect you would not find any of those simple receipts in Ducasse Restaurant.

Of course, the goal to make recipes simple is well done.

I am very suspect of some translation like "Grilled Duck Breasts" for "Magret de Canard à l'Orange". The French term "Magret" refer to the breast of the duck over feed with a large piece of fat covering them. The term "Duck Breast" refers to any Breast of Duck (also call filet)not cover with duck fat as they did not have been over feed. Of course their taste are quite different.

Editing job is well done with pastel color to present ingredients and nice picture of the suggested presentation.

Those presentation seems more those of Sophie Dudemaine than Alain Ducasse Restaurant.

I also regret they did not make any suggestion of wine. Most of the time picture show empty glass in background.

Source Guide is a mess: Vermont Butter and Cheese purveyor of Foie Gras, D'Artagnan for Goat Cheese, Ideal Cheese Shop for Chocolate, backing sugar, imported flours...

Even I would recommend for those who want to go further in their cooking knowledge.