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The
Cafe Boulud Cookbook: French-American Recipes for the
Home Cook
by Daniel Boulud
 Book
Description
"Cook the sauce another minute, then add just a
touch of olive oil," urges Daniel Boulud in his
kitchen at Café Boulud in New York City. "Not
too much. That's it," he exclaims. His voice carries
his passion as he swirls the copper pan holding the
finished dish. Over the tops of his glasses he assesses
the color and takes in the aroma of the sauce. Then
he brings a few drops of it to his lips. After thirty
years of cooking in France and America, the chef knows
what he wants. "I'm looking for balance,"
he explains. "A hint of herb, a little acidity
-- sweet seafood needs a bit of sharpness -- and all
the brininess and flavor of the scallops." It is
a simple but perfect recipe and it has been given all
his attention, commitment, and talent -- as have each
of the recipes in this simple but perfect cookbook.
Daniel
Boulud's Café Boulud Cookbook contains all his
creative cooking skills made accessible. By means of
Dorie Greenspan's expertly written recipes, Daniel accompanies
you into your home kitchen, where his inspiration becomes
yours and his instructions are easy to follow. With
little effort, you find yourself reproducing his magic
on your own stove.
One
ingredient for a perfect dish is family tradition. In
the book's first section, La Tradition, we are transported
to the original Café Boulud run by Daniel's grandparents
on the outskirts of Lyon -- France's culinary capital.
Daniel's education as a cook began with his grandmother
and the Poulet Grand-mère she lovingly prepared
for her guests. It continued with great chefs that shaped
his unique interpretation of home cooking. Recipes such
as Skate with Brown Butter and Capers, Hanger Steak
with Shallots, and splendid Pommes Frites reveal the
influences of his French roots.
But
tradition also includes respect for seasonal ingredients.
In the next section, La Saison, Daniel accompanies us
through the market. We select peas and sugar snaps that
are ready to tumble into the pot for the Chilled Spring
Pea Soup. Fresh corn becomes the surprise ingredient
in Lobster with Sweet Corn Polenta. Complete the celebration
of the seasons with Ruby Grapefruit with Pomegranate
Sabayon or a milk chocolate-cherry tart like no other.
In
the third section, Le Voyage, Daniel Boulud's Café
Boulud Cookbook takes us on an exploration of many of
the world's cuisines with dishes as varied as Italian-style
Veal Gremolata, Spanish Gazpacho with Anchovy Toast,
or a fast and easy Asian salad of crab, cucumber, and
mango. Imagine yourself under the warm Middle Eastern
sun as you taste Daniel's Coffee-Cardamom Pots de Crème.
In
the last section, Le Potager, Daniel offers an extraordinary
selection of vegetarian dishes, from easy starters like
Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad to main courses
such as Lemon-Lime Risotto with Asparagus or bone-warming
Root Vegetable Cassoulet, and, of course, sublime desserts
to cap any meal.
Daniel
Boulud's Café Boulud Cookbook opens wide the
door of his kitchen and invites you in with 150 recipes
that will unfailingly stimulate your passion for flavor
while offering a healthy, easy, and modern approach
to good eating. He also provides a collection of basic
recipes that are used at Café Boulud; a glossary
of terms, techniques, and ingredients; and a short batterie
de cuisine, a guide to pots, pans, and a few gadgets.
He even provides a list of trusted suppliers so you
can find the same ingredients he uses at Café
Boulud. Thirty-two pages of color photographs of finished
dishes prepared personally by Daniel will allow you
to see, and almost smell and taste, what you are cooking.
Watch as this book becomes the extension of your own
hands. Whether making a salad for one or a dinner for
eight, let Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud Cookbook
be your reliable guide to great food.
A
delicious book (21 January 2000)
Reviewer:
Lissy Friedman from Boston, USA
I
am really enjoying reading this book. The informative
passages preceeding each recipe give some insight
into the origin of the recipe and alternative ways
to prepare and serve. I usually put post-it notes
on each page that holds a recipe I want to prepare,
but this book is just packed with goodies so I won't
bother with the post-its. I particularly liked the
traditional French recipes. Also, I feel that the
methods used are relatively simple and easy for the
average cook to execute, which is a tribute not only
to the quality of Boulud's ability as a chef but also
as an author. A lot of chefs' cookbooks get knocked
(and mostly justifiably so) for being too complicated
or esoteric for the layperson to relate to and use,
but this chef's cookbook is the delicious exception
to the rule. I thoroughly recommend this book.
A
very good thing (17 November 2003)
Reviewer: B. Marold (Bethlehem, PA United States)
Martha
Stewart captured the charm of this book in her introduction
when she says `...I cannot wait to open it again (for)...
those recipes that I want to try immediately... then
to all the other recipes, because I'd like to try
them also'. I have felt that same urge while reading
other great cookbooks, such as Julia Child's `Mastering
the Art of French Cooking', to which this book is
a worthy amendment. This urge is a sure sign that
the author(s) of the book have something which have
touched your sensibilities.
It
is important to note that while Daniel Boulud is the
headliner, there is a very important co-author, Dorie
Greenspan, who has won more cookbook awards than any
three celebrity chefs put together. It's hard to determine
exactly how much Dorie contributed, but, as a major
cookbook author in her own right, I have to believe
her contribution was a lot more than transcribing
Boulud's words from tape recordings and notes. My
guess is that, at the very least, she was instrumental
in translating the recipes from the restaurant to
the home kitchen. Her contribution must be, therefore,
essential to the attraction of this book.
As
other reviewers have noted, the book, like the menu
at Café Boulud, is divided into four independent
sections covering French, World, Seasonal, and Vegetarian
cuisines. In evaluating the recipes, I believe this
division is incidental. All of the recipes are easily
identifiable as having sprung from the French culinary
tradition. The only thing distinguishing one section
from the others in my reading is that the first section
on traditional French recipes presented a concrete
look at the elements of Nouvelle Cuisine in the Troisgros
brothers recipe `Salmon and Sorrel Troisgros'. In
the past, I have read many generalities but few real
examples on what this movement is really about. I
thank Daniel and Dorie for that. There is, of course
much, much more.
While
the subtitle of the book proclaims it to contain recipes
for the home cook, these are primarily only practical
for the `foodie' cookbook collector, food hobbist,
weekend meals, and special entertaining meals where
the added cache of preparing something from Café
Boulud adds interest to the feast. Almost all recipes
are LONG, with long ingredients lists. Many recipes
include long marinades and braises. Most recipes include
substantial subpreparations such as for stocks and
sauces. Luckily, the authors always add a warning
when the technique requires a plan ahead step. None
of this detracts from the type of enthusiasm Martha
Stewart had for the book, as I felt the same thing.
These are good recipies.
It
is to our advantage that the new interest in food
in the US is centered around both American and French
cuisines, as this means that very few ingredients
used in this book will be hard to find. I have even
seen Jerusalem artichokes in my local supermarket.
No need to travel to a farmer's market or to the regional
megamart. Spices and herbs should be no problem. The
hard to find stuff is more likely to be things like
sweetmeats and marrow bones.
I
found no errors in this book. The closest it came
was to relate Jerusalem artichokes with globe artichokes
in the main section of the book. The two are not botanically
related, and this is cleared up in the appendix on
ingredients. In general, I find such appendices on
tools, techniques, and terms to be of little value,
since, being just a few pages long, they invariably
omit something you may look for. This book's appendices
have good content, but they fail to explain many of
the French culinary terms. I also give little credit
to the pantry recipe sections, but, in this book and
other good books like it, you need to know how the
author prepared their veal stocks and the like to
really know how their stuff is supposed to turn out.
The
color pictures in this book are the way I like them
in separate sections, all together, so you can page
through all the pictures to choose a dish. In this
book, the pictures are divided into the four sections
of recipes. Very wise.
This
book is MUCH better than the later `Chef Danial Boulud:
Cooking In New York City', where the celebrity chefs
started entombing their cuisine in coffe table books
with lots of useless photographs. The absence of Ms.
Greenspan's influence is also felt in the latter volume.
Exquisite
French-American Offerings (15 April 2003)
Reviewer: rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States)
This
superb chef provides intense food that the home gourmet
that has been cooking for sometime can easily handle
with ingredients that are not as bizarre and hard
to find as most cookbooks from star chefs.
Unique
is the organization of recipes, here into four groupings
of Traditional French, Seasonal Specialties, Other
Cuisines and Vegetarian.
Offerings
in each include main entrees, sides and desserts as
well as first courses, soups, etc.
A
marvelous dish from French category is Sea Bass en
Croute or the Cornish Hens a la Diable. Unusual combo
exemplefies Boulud's coupling of tastes, Sweet Swiss
Chard Tourte. Don't tell your guests what this is
until they eat. Swiss Chard done right is magnificent.
A tangy sweetness to it that here is married with
honey, orange and pine nuts. This is superb!
How
about Cod with Blood Orange Sauce and Creamy Grits
from Seasonal section? Who would have thought to put
blood organes with cod? Citrus goes so well with seafood
as this, but with grits? This guy is truly French-American
chef.
I
find his abilities and recipes to be inspirational
for amateur gourmet. Techniques are not too formidiable
and much is offered in the way of purchase and prep
techniques. The small, details are what is worth the
book. The user will see that this guy is on to each
ingredient and wants to display its savor at max.
This
is breakthrough cuisine, with simple, straightforward
technique, but full throttle flavor and expert combining
of luxurious components. You'll have fun with this
one!
Odd
organization, good content (6 April 2003)
Reviewer: "jfrancismcluggage" (Ann Arbor,
MI USA)
I'm
not crazy about the way this book is structured -
it's really four small cookbooks in one, each carrying
through from appetizers to dessert, themed around
one of the ways Boulud looks at dining. But with that
said, there's great stuff in here. Wonderful long-cooked
chicken, for example, and good basics, too. If you
don't know how to make pate brisee' or sablee', he'll
tell you, and tell you how to do it with a range of
power tools, too. Buy it.
I
got a standing ovation because of this book! (19
March 2001)
Reviewer: A reader
Three
of my seven courses at my latest dinner party were
from this book and all three were astounding! The
Pancetta-wrapped Tuna with Ramp Puree was perfect
in bite-sized pieces for hors d'oeuvres. The Braised
Short Ribs were so meltingly tender that no knives
were necessary. And the Celery Duo that accompanied
them was so simple to make and the surprise hit of
the evening. For dessert, the Chocolate Mousse Trio
was the best I've ever had. After the first bite,
everyone just stood and clapped and toasted to me!
This book is loaded with great photos and the directions
are very clear for the home cook. It is now one of
my top three cookbooks ever.
A
must have cookbook (12 January 2000)
Reviewer: A reader
This
is by far the best cookbook of the year (French Laundry
2nd IMHO). Not only are the recipes within the grasp
of the average home cook, but they taste great as
well. I've eaten at Daniel and Cafe Boulud and and
more than a few of the dishes I've enjoyed at the
restaurants are in this book. I've cooked over a dozen
dishes and haven't had a disappointment yet. Most,
if not all ingredients are easily accessible and no
exotic kitchen tools or highly advanced cooking techniques
are neccessary for 90% of the recipes. If you love
to cook and eat, this book is a must have.
 If
you want to order a copy of the book - click
here (USA)
If you want to order a copy of the book
- click
here (UK)
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