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| Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking | 
 enlarge | Author: Anthony Bourdain
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Category: Book
List Price: $37.50
Buy New: $19.43
You Save: $18.07 (48%)
New (43) Used (18) Collectible (5) from $16.35
Avg. Customer Rating:  73 reviews
Sales Rank: 2337
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.5
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 7.4 x 1.5
ISBN: 158234180X
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.5944
EAN: 9781582341804
ASIN: 158234180X
Publication Date: October 15, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Full of fun August 21, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
What can you expect from a book written by a chef 'labeled' as stylish and character? It's a book full of fun to read. The front part really gives you most of the in-depth thoughts you need to be a happy cook (yeah, happy - not successful).
For the recipes part - I cook for my family every weekend and this part inspired me a lot. Though some recipes require stuffs which I cannot acquire locally in Hong Kong, you can still make use of the many tricks and wisdom Anthony shared in the books - some literally, some hidden!
Enjoy.
An excellent read; excellent directions; humor to cook with! August 13, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you've read any of Bourdain's books, you know what type of humor I am refering to . His writing style for this book is as if he was standing next to you instructing.....and leting you know when you screwed up. I wished he would have included the French translations of dishes in the Glossary. Some of the recipes require some "difficult to locate ingredients" and while I am a big proponent of making your own stock, continuing on to reduce and make a demi-glace may be a bit too much time-wise for some cooks, especially when you can get it on the Internet....and while it may be pricey....consider your own time in doing it, especially when you are only adding a tablespoon to a receipe. I recommend this if you want to cook bistro type food.
Great Recipes..... easy to make.... In your own language July 9, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The book contains classic recipes from the french cuisine that for us amateurs turns into great dishes.
The language he uses is extremely easy and specially cause he remembers taht none of us is aware of measuring ingredients into the correct ounces or grams etc..
What Do French Bistro Cooking And Ted Nugent Have In Common? June 20, 2007
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I am a longtime fan of Tony Bourdain, and couldn't wait to read his cookbook. Although French food is not my favorite cuisine, I always enjoy learning more about different cultures and their foods. Bourdain is in fine form here, sharing many centuries-old culinary secrets and teaching even the most experienced cooks new techniques. I am a former professional cook, and have worked in several restaurants from the downright dumpy to the exceedingly pretentious. As a result, I have made many of the dishes in this book (albeit in different forms or with different, usually inferior, methods). I like the fact that Bourdain not only gives the "how" of a technique or procedure, but also the "why." I will be the first to admit that I have made many dishes as an automaton, without really putting much thought into them, but this book opened my eyes to the rationale behind some things I didn't know, or had never even thought to ask. His safety tips are also extremely well placed (take it from a victim of the sugar-vinegar napalm inferno he discusses in his duck a l'orange recipe). All of the dishes are separated into "deep prep," "prep," and "preparation" phases, a helpful methodology. Also helpful is the ingredients and required equipment lists for every recipe.
There are many great recipes in this book and even if they aren't all to your taste, they are all worth reviewing for important concepts. Of course, this being a cookbook by Tony Bourdain, expect audacity and wit in abundance: my favorite example is in his recipe for cote de boeuf, which has an equipment list featuring "novelty apron or vintage Ted Nugent T-shirt," among other things.
This book is not for everyone: most people will not want to make one of these dishes on a daily basis (for that I like Alton Brown's books). Bourdain is an old school "hooves and snouts" guy who extols the virtues of not only things like tripe in general, but different kinds of tripe, honeycomb and feathered. He is fond of all organs, an excellent example of which is the recipe for coeur de porc a l'armagnac, which features a pig's heart. One step in the prep process reads "Season the heart with salt and pepper and stuff the arteries with the onion-herb mixture." I can honestly say that if served this, I would try it, but I'm not curious enough to make it myself. Nonetheless, I am delighted to see a true master recording the brilliant things that can be done with pig's ears, duck fat, and wild boar shoulder.
Bourdain helpfully provides a very insightful introduction where the important concepts of French cuisine are explained, as well as a glossary and supplier list (some of these ingredients are very esoteric). Although Bourdain can be abrasive and opinionated (I think his opinions on immigration are beyond the fringe) he is an excellent writer, and a chef with few peers. This book is well worth reading even if you never make a single recipe in it (although I recommend that you do) for the simple reason that nobody writes about food better than Tony Bourdain.
Outstanding! June 8, 2007
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book is awesome. Anthony Bourdain is informative, humorous, and his recipes are delicious and very unique.
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