Gordon Ramsay: A Chef For All Seasons

What made me want to check out this book was the forward by Charlie Trotter. Not only is this book published by the venerable Ten Speed Press, which also publishes Trotter's books, but the styling reminded me of Trotter's books. I'd never heard of Gordon Ramsay before, and no wonder, he lives in the U.K. (One U.K. magazine I was reading referred to him as the "angry chef")

That said, the book is divided up into sections one for each season. He begins each section with notes about the ingredients of that particular season. Spring, for example, has recipes for Spring Pea Soup Steamed Scallops and Asparagus with Lemongrass Butter Sauce and Sirloin of New Season's Lamb with Lentils. There were many more recipes that sound just as delicious.

I made the Roasted Figs with Cinnamon Shortbreads and the Salad of Avocado and Crab with Pink Grapefruit Dressing. Both were a hit with me. That they were easy to make is another plus. The salad's presentation was a slight nod to Charlie Trotter's circular towers. The recipes had ingredients that are easily obtained or substituted. The recipes were well written and didn't have too many steps to them.

Surprisingly, the recipe's measurements conformed to American standards. I was surprised to see cups and tablespoons instead of metric measurements. A concession to the American publisher perhaps? There are still many more recipes that I would like to make: Oven-Roasted Caramel Bananas en Papillote Wild Duck with Hazelnut Dressing Pear, Honey, and Lime Cake. So, seek this book out and take a look for yourself. You might be similarly inspired.

 

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