Product Description

"On The Line" is an exciting tale of how a restaurant stays on top for over 25 years - the hard work and fierce discipline, the checklists and systems, the precarious balance between order and chaos, the joy of making irresistible food. We meet everyone at le Bernardin from the chef de cuisine and "sauce whisperer" to a sous chef working the saute station and find out exactly what they do (sometimes down to the minute). Most diners are unaware of what goes on behind those swinging kitchen doors and Eric Ripert gives an insider's look at how excellence in food and service is maintained and made memorable.Curious foodies and diners will find answers to all their restaurant questions: What, and where, is the 'line' or 'pass'? How does one tiny pastry kitchen yield over 500 desserts, 1,500 cookies, and 1,250 petit-fours a day? How much does it really cost to make decadent dishes like Baked Lobster with Wilted Romaine, Squash, and Candied Ginger (GBP 13.97), or organically grown farm raised Osetra caviar (GBP 20.90) - and that doesn't even include labour! After peeking inside every pantry, walk-in, and drawer in the office, readers will be amazed at the miracle that is a four star dining. Informative, illuminating, and a wee bit gossipy, "On The Line" brims with fascinating facts, bold personalities, and all the pleasure of a delicious three-course meal.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86827 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Customer Reviews

Fantastic book from a fantastic chef
Eric Ripert is one of the greatest legends of the food world, and this is a fascinating book about his legendary Le Bernardin restaurant -- its origins, its development, and particularly its existence in the here and now. There are lists for diners and restaurant employees of dos and dont's. There are exhaustive descriptions of what happens in the Le Bernardin kitchen. There are wonderful recipes. It does have to be said that some of the descriptive materials will be repetitive for people who have read a lot about restaurant kitchens and star chefs and, therefore, know what a pass is, what mise en place is, etc. But the book is written with much verve and great self-honesty. I thought it was absolutely wonderful. In addition to being a legendary chef, Mr Ripert is also someone (unlike many other chefs) who obviously revels in his craft and has fun with it. He has appeared on "Top Chef" as a twinkling, kindly kind of person. This is a wonderful book!