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*** Chef by Gordon Ramsey

post #1 of 12
10/20/08 at 4:27pm
Thread Starter 
Although it may be a tad pricey, I believe that *** Chef is a must have for any serious chef. The recipes are creative and the presentation is gorgeous. What I really enjoy about this book is that it features restaurant management advice as well as the fabulous dishes. The book has many pictures that highlight fresh ingredients and bring out the color in the dishes. I would probably not recommend this for at home cooks but for professionals it gets *****.
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post #2 of 12
10/20/08 at 6:01pm
I have it, and I do enjoy the book... but I was surprised at how comparatively "simpler" the procedures outlined in it are vastly less "fussy" than recipes outlined in a fellow 3 Michelin Star restauant book, the French Laundry cookbook. OF course, as a cook I'm curious as to when the prospect of marginal returns occurs when cooking food... whether a parchment paper lid for braising is better than using a sheet of aluminum foil, or straining a sauce 30 times with a chinois will give a better result in the end. This book shows, in my opinion how two (or more) different takes to cuisine and food can still yield great product worthy of 3 stars.
"If it's chicken, chicken a la king. If it's fish, fish a la king. If it's turkey, fish a la king." -Bender
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post #3 of 12
10/21/08 at 5:29pm
It's a silly way to put it, considering what whack jobs, great cooks, and great chefs they both are, but Keller is ridiculously obsessive compared to Ramsay. Ramsay seems to feel that if it makes a positive difference, it should be done. Keller that if there is some best way -- whether or not it actually makes a noticeable difference and no matter how much trouble it is -- it ought to be done, on the theory that if everything is right and best, nothing is wrong or second best and the end result will be that much better for it.

They both cook better than me, and develop better recipes for that matter. So, who's to say?

BDL
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post #4 of 12
10/22/08 at 12:03pm
Keller's "quick sauces" be damned haha.

I enjoy both cookbooks.
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post #5 of 12
10/23/08 at 4:21am
I have both books and even though I'm not a pro I can see that Keller is unecessarily fussy.

Not denying he's one of the world's best cooks, but geez....why bother taking 12 steps to do something that achieves the same end result as something that takes 4 steps (and doesn't need 9 passes through a horse-hair tamis).

Ramsay is a lot more no-nonsense in the way his food is prepared. And also very classic with the way his dishes are served as starter/main/dessert. Most of Keller's recipes are for dishes that are about the size of your thumb, because he believes that food is better experienced with less bites and more courses.

Not meaning to be critical of Keller...just observations.
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post #6 of 12
10/23/08 at 4:59am
I don't mind a steady stream of small courses, yum.

I love Gordon, but I stil prefer Jamie Oliver's cooking style. It's not the least bit fussy even though when assembling his dishes he becomes very complicated right at the end. Do you know what I mean?

I wish those little asteriks weren't there, what's the name of the book?
In a nutshell
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post #7 of 12
10/23/08 at 6:31am
Three Star Chef by Gordon Ramsay
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post #8 of 12
10/23/08 at 11:06am
Ha and here I thought Gordon was starting to put curse words in the titles of his books! Well it wouldn't have surprised me.
In a nutshell
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post #9 of 12
10/23/08 at 1:13pm
Well, the cover of the book literally has 3 stars, followed by the word chef... which is why I presume the post *** chef as the title.
"If it's chicken, chicken a la king. If it's fish, fish a la king. If it's turkey, fish a la king." -Bender
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post #10 of 12
10/23/08 at 1:19pm
A chef friend of mine likened Oliver's plating to resemble a food fight on a plate (I took huge liberties with that quote). Apparently the judges on Iron Chef America thought so as well (nothing wrong with it, just an observation)
"If it's chicken, chicken a la king. If it's fish, fish a la king. If it's turkey, fish a la king." -Bender
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post #11 of 12
10/23/08 at 2:57pm
I like to think of it as "rustic"
In a nutshell
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post #12 of 12
10/23/08 at 4:37pm
Thread Starter 
Yes the book is called ***(three star) Chef. The three stars refer to the Michelin Guide which rates restaurants as:

* A very good restaurant in its category
**Excellent cooking worth a detour
***Exceptional cuisine worth a special journey
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