More Edible Art: 75 Fresh Ideas for Garnishing [Hardcover]

David Paul Larousse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 2000

Praise for More Edible Art
"More Edible Art is the book we've been missing. The art of garnishing seems to have faded in recent decades, whereas in the time of Escoffier, many dishes were named by their garnishes. We must thank Chef Larousse for reviving this art. His book is fully comprehensive and contains beautiful photographs, with many ideas for garnishing that will transform a simple dish into a masterpiece."
--Pierre Gouirand, President Auguste Escoffier Foundation, Mus?e de l'Art Culinaire

"Even an old clam shack cook (like me) could not help but be enchanted by David's passionate, entertaining, and technically thorough treatment of this inspired culinary art form."
--Jasper White, author of Cooking from New England, Lobster at Home, and 50 Chowders

"Right after I started reading More Edible Art, I used several of the practical garnishes. The accolades I took credit for belong to David Larousse!"
--Chef Brennan Hurley, Arts Club, Washington, D.C.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

When it comes to culinary artistry, nothing sets off a dish better than a terrific garnish. In this delectable book on edible art, bestselling author David Paul Larousse shows how to transform familiar fruits and vegetables into a stunning array of beautiful, ready-to-eat garnishes that are quick and surprisingly easy to prepare.

Beginning with a clear review of all of the basic techniques, Chef Larousse covers knife-handling and cutting procedures, as well as other essential garnishing tools and methods. Then, with illustrated instructions that guide you through each step, he explains how to use these fundamental skills to make 75 fresh and versatile garnishes, including:
* Beet pinwheels
* Bell pepper baskets
* Carrot spears
* Cucumber lilies
* Jalape?o pepper tulips
* Apple feathers
* Grooved papayas
* Melon leaves
* Orange starbursts
* Pineapple boats

Beautiful color photographs show how garnishes can add the right finishing touch to a plated presentation.

Once you've mastered the basic techniques, the key is knowing where and how to use them. Chef Larousse shares aesthetic guidelines for successful garnishing that he calls California mukimono-an approach based on Japanese aesthetics of food presentation that he developed while living and working in San Francisco. These general principles are the ideal starting point for your own culinary journey of adventure and discovery.

Approaching garnishing as both a skill and an art, this book gives you the practical techniques, ideas, and inspiration to enjoy a lifetime of colorful, inventive garnishing.

From the Back Cover

Praise for More Edible Art
"More Edible Art is the book we've been missing. The art of garnishing seems to have faded in recent decades, whereas in the time of Escoffier, many dishes were named by their garnishes. We must thank Chef Larousse for reviving this art. His book is fully comprehensive and contains beautiful photographs, with many ideas for garnishing that will transform a simple dish into a masterpiece."
--Pierre Gouirand, President Auguste Escoffier Foundation, Mus?e de l'Art Culinaire

"Even an old clam shack cook (like me) could not help but be enchanted by David's passionate, entertaining, and technically thorough treatment of this inspired culinary art form."
--Jasper White, author of Cooking from New England, Lobster at Home, and 50 Chowders

"Right after I started reading More Edible Art, I used several of the practical garnishes. The accolades I took credit for belong to David Larousse!"
--Chef Brennan Hurley, Arts Club, Washington, D.C.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471176397
• ISBN-13: 978-0471176398
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,542,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some good points, some bad points, January 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: More Edible Art: 75 Fresh Ideas for Garnishing (Hardcover)

Beginners may have trouble following the drawings in this volume. The drawings were a disappointment when compared to the gorgeous photography in the center of the book. I also think Mr. Larousse was overly ambitious in presenting garnishes which require little or no skill next to those which are more involved or demanding. The sheer number of "old" ideas make the professional chef bored, and the more complex items will only serve to frustrate the beginner. The work itself is flawless, but much is lost in the translation.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars expectations not met, December 5, 2000

By 

Dennis "DMen" (San Francisco, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Edible Art: 75 Fresh Ideas for Garnishing (Hardcover)

I was extremely disappointed with the book for the following reasons:

The instructions were written as one paragraph rather than in steps and there are about two hand drawn diagrams accompanying the instructions for a garnish. Perhaps a professional chef can follow the instructions for complex cuts, but I could not since there weren't enough diagrams. There should have been numbered pictures that goes with the instructions. And there should have been a lot more diagrams. One diagram showing cutting on a mandolin was wrong -- the object being cut was shown in the wrong position so that you could not achieve the result using the diagram for guidance. An improvement would to use photographs instead of hand drawnings.

It also seemed that some garnishes were duplicates. That is it appeared that you read or seen the garnish covered before with little differentiation.

The tools should have been photographed rather than hand drawn since I could not make out enough detail so that I go out and buy a specific tool. It would been better if the author told you the part number and where you could buy the tool. I think there were a handful of referenced websites in the back.

Some offerings I have seen on PBS such as Yan Can Cook which are easier to follow seeing a video than the subject book.

The only good thing about the book were photographs for some of the finished products.

IHMO, I do not think that this book is worth buying.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW ! DAVID'S DONE IT AGAIN, September 14, 2000

By 

Joe C. Silva Jr. "JOE IN MANTECA" (MANTECA, CA. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: More Edible Art: 75 Fresh Ideas for Garnishing (Hardcover)

I am not a professional chef but I like food garnishing as a hobby ,to liven up dinners and impress guests.I have collected every book on food garnishing that I can find and I was very pleased with this one .I recommend this book to the novice as well as the seasoned garnisher it covers many projects with easy to understand instructions and drawings.One of my favorites that I learned from this book is the turnip sunflower.I would like to also thank David Larousse for sharing his talent and hopefully he will continue writing more great books in the future.