Jean-Georges

Rating:
Summary: One of the most used books in my kitchen
Review: A wonderful, simple book....the alter ego of the French Laundry, simple, concise with spectacular results. The Warm Soft Choclate cake has become a dinner party staple..my guests are disapointed if I stray and make something new.

A great Book !!!!

Rating:
Summary: Only three stars for the four star chef
Review: Bittman fawns over Vongerichten's recipes as if the dishes produced are manna. I found otherwise. The recipes I tried produced nothing special, and I needed to tinker to make some even edible. I am committed to try the rest before I pass final judgement; I just hope my wife doesn't leave me in the interim. Still, I get the feeling that this book was an expensive mistake...

Rating:
Summary: Unexpected flavors from unexpected combinations
Review: I bought this book, expecting the best. He uses ingredients that are hard to find in a major metropolitan area (Boston). Oh, but once you find the ingredients, the recipes produce wonderful results. I tried the Rice Paper shrimp and herb rolls, with 5 minute dipping sauce. It was a case of a dish being more than a sum of its parts. The man is a culinary genius. It was one of very few recipes where I couldn't picture the taste before I bit into it. I can't wait to try more of these recipes.

Rating:
Summary: The simple once again made astonishng!
Review: Jean-Georges has done it again! This and "Simple Cuisine" are the two most-used cookbooks in my large collection. Everyone is always so impressed by the flavor combinations, and refuses to believe that I haven't slaved for days in the kitchen! I can't stop eating the Sticky Rice Wrapped in Banana Leaves (which is great w/o the banana leaves, too, by the way). And the Soup of Red Fruits is a delicious way to end a meal. The crab salad bound in tomate a la francaise is a winner....Come to think of it, every recipe I've ever tried from one of Vongerichten's cookbooks has turned out perfectly. Sure, my plating might not be up to the standards of the color photos, but the flavors are the same as in Vongerichten's restaurants. This book is worth the price just for the recipe for the curry spice blend. Even if you don't think you have the skills for "gourmet cooking" you can use the recipes in this book.

Rating:
Summary: elegant and simple
Review: Jean-Georges has quite an accomplishment with this work--conveying his talent at achieving complex flavors in recipes with a minimum of ingredients and clear instruction. Of the many chef-authored cookbooks I own, this one stands out as one from a talented chef who understands cooking and ingredients. Though works from Gotham City Grill or Jeremiah Tower yield great food, they don't allow you to cook it on a weeknight after work. Jean-George is different. Cornish Game hen with herb-bread stuffing is such a recipe as is the outstanding fresh pea pancake. Both require a minimum of ingredients and preparation and give an abundance of flavor and sophistication. Halibut with sherry sauce sounds pedestrian but, despite its paucity of ingredients, has a sophisticated taste beyond compare. All of the ingredients are readily found in a reasonable supermarket and will not send you to a food encyclopedia. A great book.