Modernist Cuisine

I don' see the value for the price. Probably not a home food kind of thing. I'd read it from the library though.

I like the idea of the book and it looks like it be an interesting read... but at $500+ for the collection, who did they actually expect to market this to? It seems like a lot of work to compile for the what 100's of Chefs with the bankroll to splurge on it.

I'll probably get it eventually... or we'll pull for it at the restaurant.

$10,004?!

 

Edited by TheUnknownCook - 3/31/11 at 2:02pm

No, $462 currently.

At that price I'm happy to wait until the library acquires it and I have a feeling it will be a very long wait as their budget is only so much...

Looks like I'm getting mine since hubby ordered it from amazon for me as a gift. Not sure how many recipes we'll actually cook but I'm sure its a good read. 

 

I'll be sure to do that once it arrives. Not exactly sure when it'll get over to me in Australia though.

Elitist.  Pure and simple.  Not only will you need to purchase the books, but almost all of the recipes call for chamber vacs, immersion circulators, rotary vaps, and a whole pantry of chemical additives that were previously relegated to industrial food prep factories.  And the ridiculous use of plastic bags for absolutely everything.  I thought we were supposed to reduce our use of that stuff?!  Regardless, that's a butt-load of money without even figuring food or labor costs.  Leaf through it for their pressure cooker recipes and spice section (curries, spice rubs, etc).  Like all modernist cuisine, it's a carnival of food and it's currently only affordable for rich people with time on their hands.  Give it ten more years and circulators will be considerably cheaper.  Maybe then we'll talk.

I dont think these books were really written for the home cook although they certainly are a nice addition to any bookshelf.  There is a lot more to these books than just the recipes, there is a lot of science in them.   If that's not your thing then these books arent for you, this was never intended to be a cookbook.       As for chamber vacs and circulators, this book is targeted more towards professionals, and LOTS of  professional kitchens have this equipment by now.  

Just looking through the table of contents the book does not seem to cover much not well explored in Pauli's book or Haroled McGuee's.  

 

Who are the 3 guys who wrote Modernist Cuisine any way?  I never heard of them.  Does any chef on this site see the problem with the picture on the front cover?  Would any one here actully cook broccoli that way? $400 for a book on technique and the front cover is bad technique... Humph.

You mean aside from the fact that the pot is cut in half? Literally. Well, most of the photos aren't illustrating technique so much as intended to illustrate the science of the cooking.

And I suppose I'm missing your technique mistake. Sure looks like a steamer basket with brocolli and boiling water in a covered pot to me. Steaming.

Dr. Myhrvold is the money behind the book (they spent MILLIONS developing this thing), he was a microsoft bigwig and is a scientist.
Chris Young and Maxime Bilet are from the Fat Duck (voted worlds best restaurant several times, always in the top 5)

 

 

 

You probably need to look through the books then as they have very little in common with the volumes you listed.

 

 

 

 

Modernist Cuisine is easily the most important kitchen manual in at least the last decade.   Critics seem to think the book is all about molecular gastronomy etc, but the book also extensively covers ALL cooking techniques.    Whether you want to roast something with a stick over a fire, or cook it sous vide and serve it with some crazy sauce you put through a centrifuge, modernist cuisine can help you do it better.  Has anyone who has disparaging remarks for these books in this thread actually looked though them, or are they judging a book by, well you know.

Ill stick with Harold Mcgee. 

This book is strickly for commercial production and not for anyones house or even average restaurant. Great for a large commissary operation.,operating satelites.

 

I agree, as most people in the entire cooking world have very positive comments about this monumental set of books.

 

The book has been a big seller, was out of print a few times.

 

BTW, Dr. Myhrvold is also a professionally trained cook.

 

dcarch

I think you'd be surprised.  Theres a VERY long thread (1600 posts) on another forum (im sure if you google  the phrase cooking with modernist cuisine you will see it in the top 5 results) filled with home users who are replicating the food in their home kitchens with great success. 

If the book was not so expensive I would buy it, if anything for  learning about the science of food, the techniques.....

 

Petals.

Can you send me a link to this thread? thanks

Sent in a PM as I dont want to link another food forum here

I read a lot of those reviews, some talk like it's the next major advancement in culinary. I wonder if you pull out the Sous Vide and Centrifuge, and other commercial applications, how much is left being applicable to a home cook?

 

The serveral thousand posts, and several hundred thousands of views in the other forum, most are home cooks.

 

dcarch

Personally I think it is fantastic. I spent several months saving my money as an apprentice chef because I am interested in knowing why things work the way they do. Foams and gels etc are probably just a fad...maybe only time will tell. However the principle behind a lot of the recipes and techniques can be translated into recipes for the everyday restaurant. As an apprentice I was very much self taught as the chefs I worked with we're very average and in my opinion couldn't cook. So I have found this resource very handy. 2 days after I qualified as a chef I left and became head chef of another restaurant. Whenever I'm not quite sure of something this book always has the answer. I don't use it for recipes though.