The book will wean you away from recipes and teach you skills and techniques that will help you think and cook like a chef. Learn to use ingredients you have on hand, improvise and create unique dishes for every meal.

« François Perret is a magician of taste. [His] madeleine . . . is a masterpiece. » — Pierre Hermé What happens when François Perret — the world-renowned pastry chef at the Ritz Paris — leaves behind his state-of-the-art kitchen to compete in a Los Angeles food truck competition ? Trading in his chef’s toque for a baseball cap, chef Perret roamed central California in his food truck, sampling fresh produce and culinary specialties with local growers and chefs. His encounters inspired him to reinterpret American classic recipes including s’mores, tacos, donuts, and cookies. His experience, seemingly an inversion of the Ratatouille story, culminates into the perfect fusion of French pastry technique and the sunny flavors of California. Chef François Perret first shared his adventures in the Netflix series The Chef in a Truck, and this volume — part travel journal, part recipe book — recounts his unique culinary journey. It shows readers once again that food is truly a shared international language that builds bridges across cultures.

Sharpen Your Knife Skills and Hone Your Knowledge of Kitchen Tools A precise carrot julienne . . . A perfect basil chiffonade . . . A neatly quartered chicken . . . Proficiency with knives and other kitchen tools is essential if you want to perfect your culinary artistry. Written by the experts at The Culinary Institute of America, this indispensable guide delivers all the information you need to assemble a knife kit, build your knife skills, and use a wide range of additional tools, from peelers and pitters to Parisienne scoops and pastry bags. Featuring instructional photographs throughout plus insights and tips from top professional chefs, In the Hands of a Chef provides: * A complete guide to culinary knives * Comprehensive instructions for knife sharpening * Guidance on using specialty knives and cutting tools * Detailed cutting techniques for a variety of ingredients * Advice on tools for measuring, baking, and mixing * Equipment sources as well as checklists for knives and tools "This comprehensive overview of techniques associated with knives and other key kitchen tools truly benefits those concerned with preparing food safely and efficiently. . . . In the Hands of a Chef is an impressive guide, as important as the tools themselves." -Richard Von Husen, co-owner of Warren Kitchen & Cutlery Founded in 1946, THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. A network of more than 37,000 alumni in foodservice and hospitality has helped the CIA earn its reputation as the world's premier culinary college. Courses for foodservice professionals and food enthusiasts are offered at the college's main campus in Hyde Park, New York, and at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, California. Greystone also offers baking and pastry, accelerated culinary arts, and wine certifications.

Sporting his trademark fedora, Thierry Rautureau prepares for another night at Rover's, his four-star restaurant; he is about to create culinary magic. Anyone who has dined at the charming 50-seat Seattle restaurant can testify to the French-born chef 's exquisite dishes, artful presentations, and attention to creating a warm inviting atmosphere that makes you feel like you've stopped by a good friend 's home for an elegant home-cooked meal. In ROVER 'S, chef Rautureau and Northwest food writer Cynthia Nims present more than 100 recipes, including signature dishes such as Scrambled Eggs with Lime Cr me Fra che and Caviar; Whole Roasted Striped Sea Bass with Fennel, Moroccan Olives, and Thyme Vinegar; Venison Medallions with P Parsnip Ragout, Apricots, and Mustard Sauce; and Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Cake. ROVER'S is truly a celebration of fine ingredients, dedication, perseverance, and delicious creations all served with a tip of the hat and a French accent.

“Exudes a down-to-earth vibe. Packed with creative recipes constructed from fresh seasonal produce . . . accessible and inspiring at the same time.” —HuffPost Stephanie Izard knows how to inspire, captivate, and cook up a storm. Fan favorite and the first and only woman to win on TV’s Top Chef, she’s also the chef and owner of the acclaimed Girl & the Goat restaurant in Chicago. Girl in the Kitchen collects more than one hundred of Izard’s best recipes, from innovative appetizers like Asian-Spiced English Peas to luscious desserts like Quince and Fig Cobbler with Vanilla Mascarpone. Beautifully photographed and bursting with flavor, personality, and insights into the top chef’s process—including where she finds her cooking muses, how she shops for food, and which beers and wines she chooses to accompany her meals—this book represents the culmination of a craft and provides inspiration that reaches far beyond the kitchen walls. “A cookbook that should make anyone comfortable in the kitchen. The photos by Dan Goldberg are lush, and tips throughout cover techniques, ingredients, and wine or beer pairings for each dish. Izard wants her readers to have fun and even invites them to change up the recipes—just the way a professional chef does.” —Chicago magazine “Stephanie’s book is not only one of the most visibly appealing and beautiful cookbooks I’ve seen in a very long time, it’s also filled with awesome creative recipes that are sensible (like her). Stephanie is an amazing chef, an immense talent and a wonderful woman.” —Michelle Bernstein, James Beard Award–winning chef

Chef Michel Richard offers instructions and techniques to recreate dishes from his own restaurants at home, including spuddies, crab poppers, chicken faux gras, and duck-duck-beet.

This book is about the creative work of chefs at top restaurants in New York and San Francisco. Based on interviews with chefs and observation in restaurant kitchens, the book explores the question of how and why chefs make choices about the dishes they put on their menus. It answers this question by examining a whole range of areas, including chefs' careers, restaurant ratings and reviews, social networks, how chefs think about food and go about creating new dishes, and how status influences their work and careers. Chefs at top restaurants face competing pressures to deliver complex and creative dishes, and navigate market forces to run a profitable business in an industry with exceptionally high costs and low profit margins. Creating a distinctive and original culinary style allows them to stand out in the market, but making the familiar food that many customers want ensures that they can stay in business. Chefs must make choices between these competing pressures. In explaining how they do so, this book uses the case study of high cuisine to analyze, more generally, how people in creative occupations navigate a context that is rife with uncertainty, high pressures, and contradicting forces.