Product Description

Heston Blumenthal's TV series, "In Search of Perfection", shown on BBC2 in autumn 2006, was so popular and successful that he has been commissioned for a second series this autumn. This book will accompany the series in the same way that Heston's first book, "In Search of Perfection", complemented the original programme. It will examine a further eight classic dishes to find out how to cook them to perfection, as well as exploring the culture and history behind the food we eat. The list of dishes to be featured is: Trifle, Baked Alaska, Fish Pie, Hamburger, Peking Duck, Chicken Tikka Masala, Risotto and Chilli Con Carne. This will be another fascinating, original and inspiring look at kitchen classics.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13861 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
Praise for IN SEARCH OF PERFECTION: 'What fun it is to follow in this gastro-wizard's footsteps as he fastidiously traces the cultural history of the ingredients ... [this] doesn't detract from the reader's pleasure in exploring the byways of Blumenthal's capacious brain.' Paul Levy, OBSERVER Food Books for Christmas 'The approach is always fascinating with interesting info and idiosyncratic twists abounding. At heart Blumenthal simply believes in good food, and the bonus is that he can write very well - in places almost poetically - about it.' WHAT'S ON IN LONDON 'While science is Blumenthal's forte, it is a background theme to his preoccupation with flavour and texture and the best means to capture these. The style is matter of fact, the narrative dynamic ... Along the way he gives so many facts that a reading can't fail to improve the quality of life.' Tom Jaine, GUARDIAN Books of the Year

About the Author
Self-taught chef Heston Blumenthal has been described as a culinary alchemist for his innovative style of cuisine. His work researches the molecular compounds of dishes so as to enable a greater understanding of taste and flavour. The Fat Duck (Heston's restaurant in Bray, Berkshire) was awarded three Michelin stars in 2004, and voted the Best Restaurant in the World by an international panel of 500 culinary experts in Restaurant Magazine's The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2005. He also owns the Hind's Head Hotel, a village pub in Bray. Heston Blumenthal lives in Berkshire with his wife and three children.

Customer Reviews

He's back, as inventive as ever
There's a point when every TV chef is at the pinnacle of his (or HER, Nigella) career. Has Heston Blumenthal any further to go? Only time will tell, but right now he's having a ball.

He may not be as well-known as Gordon Ramsay, but his restaurant, The Fat Duck, is always voted better than Ramsay's, which must get Gordon's goat, knowing how competitive he is. There is a difference between the two: Gordon does good food tremendously well, but there's a sense of tradition, of conservative, solid predictability about him. Heston is on another planet. If perfection meant using a NASA lunar module and the Crown Jewels in the Tower, he would gladly employ them. The chances are that you can't get hold of the equipment he can, but there is still lots here that can be adapted.

I love his fascination with every aspect of food: not just taste, smell and texture but even what you call it and how it sounds when you eat it (see the fish pie recipe for the latter).

The formula is the same - old favourites cooked in extraordinary ways. But what a formula! What a chef!

Bizarre - but it hits the spot
In all honesty, I bought this book because (pretentiously)I thought it would look great on our kitchen shelf. However it's great. The history, and background to well known foods is fascinating as is Heston's take on how to construct them. Don't be under any illusion though, it's much more a 'reader' (or browser) than a 'proper' cook book as much of what Heston suggests to obtain perfection is totally impractical for most of us. It's still tremendous fun though!

Stunning
The book is absolutely fascinating, with the history and background to the recipes. A must for any cook that wants to delve deeper into the science of cookery