Product Description

Alain Ducasse, the charismatic, innovative and demanding master chef, invites us to enter the prestigious world of French haute gastronomie.

Brilliantly guided by the distinguished author, Jean–François Revel of the Académie Française, we follow this champion of the highest standards in food and its preparation as he creates new recipes, continues his constant search for the finest ingredients, and discovers new techniques and new domains in which to practice his art.

Hervé Amiard′s photographs illustrate all four sections of the book, providing the backdrop to this fascinating journey.

L′Atelier, where we witness the creative process and catch the spontaneous gestures and glances of the master chef and his pupils as they exercise their skills. Here too, we meet Alain Ducasse′s five star pupils: Franck Cerutti, Jean–Louis Nomicos, Jean–François Piège, Sylvain Portay and Alessandro Stratta.

Products and Producers, in which Bénédict Beaugé visits Alain Ducasse′s suppliers and hears from the master chef why olives, asparagus, wheat, white Alba truffles, sea bass, turbot, lamb and Menton lemons are his favorite ingredients.

Vegetables, where we learn why these products play such a crucial role in Alain Ducasse′s culinary vision.

Recipes, where the master and his students create delicious, stylish dishes from the eight chosen ingredients.

Ceaselessly striving to achieve perfection, Alain Ducasse offers the reader a magnificent lesson in gastronomy. For the first time, Alain Ducasse gives gourmets the opportunity to put themselves in the place of his brilliant pupils. A privilege to be enjoyed to the fullest!

Alain Ducasse Famous from Paris to New York, from Turin to Tokyo, the renowned master chef is at the helm of two of France′s most prestigious restaurants: the Louis XV–Alain Ducasse in Monaco and the Restaurant Alain Ducasse in Paris. Both these temples of French gastronomy have achieved the exceptional honor of receiving three stars from the Michelin Guide. This accomplished gastronome has developed two contrasting and complementary culinary styles: relaxed, spontaneous Mediterranean cookery and the rigorously classic cuisine of the French capital.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #512454 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-27
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 248 pages

Synopsis
Alain Ducasse, the charismatic, innovative and demanding master chef, invites us to enter the prestigious world of French haute gastronomie. Brilliantly guided by the distinguished author, Jean--Francois Revel of the Academie Francaise, we follow this champion of the highest standards in food and its preparation as he creates new recipes, continues his constant search for the finest ingredients, and discovers new techniques and new domains in which to practice his art. Herve Amiard's photographs illustrate all four sections of the book, providing the backdrop to this fascinating journey. L'Atelier, where we witness the creative process and catch the spontaneous gestures and glances of the master chef and his pupils as they exercise their skills. Here too, we meet Alain Ducasse's five star pupils: Franck Cerutti, Jean--Louis Nomicos, Jean--Francois Piege, Sylvain Portay and Alessandro Stratta. Products and Producers, in which Benedict Beauge visits Alain Ducasse's suppliers and hears from the master chef why olives, asparagus, wheat, white Alba truffles, sea bass, turbot, lamb and Menton lemons are his favorite ingredients.

Vegetables, where we learn why these products play such a crucial role in Alain Ducasse's culinary vision. Recipes, where the master and his students create delicious, stylish dishes from the eight chosen ingredients. Ceaselessly striving to achieve perfection, Alain Ducasse offers the reader a magnificent lesson in gastronomy. For the first time, Alain Ducasse gives gourmets the opportunity to put themselves in the place of his brilliant pupils. A privilege to be enjoyed to the fullest! Alain Ducasse Famous from Paris to New York, from Turin to Tokyo, the renowned master chef is at the helm of two of France's most prestigious restaurants: the Louis XV--Alain Ducasse in Monaco and the Restaurant Alain Ducasse in Paris. Both these temples of French gastronomy have achieved the exceptional honor of receiving three stars from the Michelin Guide. This accomplished gastronome has developed two contrasting and complementary culinary styles: relaxed, spontaneous Mediterranean cookery and the rigorously classic cuisine of the French capital.

From the Back Cover
L’Atelier of Alain Ducasse The Artistry of a Master Chef and His Protégés Alain Ducasse, the charismatic, innovative and demanding master chef, invites us to enter the prestigious world of French haute gastronomie. Brilliantly guided by the distinguished author, Jean–François Revel of the Académie Française, we follow this champion of the highest standards in food and its preparation as he creates new recipes, continues his constant search for the finest ingredients, and discovers new techniques and new domains in which to practice his art. Hervé Amiard’s photographs illustrate all four sections of the book, providing the backdrop to this fascinating journey. L’Atelier, where we witness the creative process and catch the spontaneous gestures and glances of the master chef and his pupils as they exercise their skills. Here too, we meet Alain Ducasse’s five star pupils : Franck Cerutti, Jean–Louis Nomicos, Jean–François Piège, Sylvain Portay and Alessandro Stratta. Products and Producers, in which Bénédict Beaugé visits Alain Ducasse’s suppliers and hears from the master chef why olives, asparagus, wheat, white Alba truffles, sea bass, turbot, lamb and Menton lemons are his favorite ingredients. Vegetables, where we learn why these products play such a crucial role in Alain Ducasse’s culinary vision. Recipes, where the master and his students create delicious, stylish dishes from the eight chosen ingredients. Ceaselessy striving to achieve perfection, Alain Ducasse offers the reader a magnificent lesson in gastronomy. For the first time, Alain Ducasse gives gourmets the opportunity to put themselves in the place of his brilliant pupils. A privilege to be enjoyed to the fullest!

About the Author
ALAIN DUCASSE Famous from Paris to New York, from Turin to Tokyo, the renowned master chef is at the helm of two of France’s most prestigious restaurants : the Louis XV–Alain Ducasse in Monaco and the Restaurant Alain Ducasse in Paris. Both these temples of French gastronomy have achieved the exceptional honor of receiving three stars from the Michelin Guide. This accomplished gastronome has developed two contrasting and complementary culinary styles : relaxed, spontaneous Mediterranean cookery and rigorously classic cuisine of the French capital. He has already published La Riviera d’Alain Ducasse (Albin Michel) and Mediterranées, cuisine de l’essentiel, published by Hachette. JEAN–FRANÇOIS REVEL A graduate of the prestigious École normale supérieure, professor of philosophy, writer and journalist, Jean–François Revel has written numerous philosophical and political works. Formerly literary advisor to several publishing houses and editor of L’Express, he is now a columnist for Le Point and a contributor to RTL. A member of the Club des Cent, the celebrated gastronomic society, he contributed to Les Français à table, published by Hachette in 1997. Revel was awarded the Prix Châteaubriand for his lifetime’s work and admitted to the Académie Française. HERVÉ AMIARD Specializing in the art of living and gastronomy, Hervé Amiard’s publications include Portrait de chefs (Éditions Contrejour), Les Dimanches de Joël Robuchon, Les Dimanches de Bernard Loiseau (Éditions du Chêne) and L’art de vivre de Joël Robuchon, published in Japan. He also mounted the first food photography exhibition in 1991 for the American Society of Professional Photographers in Paris. His black–and–white photo–reportages were displayed at the eighth Visa pour l’image exhibition in Perpignan. He was awarded the James Beard Foundation prize for Best Photography for Joël Robuchon’s Cooking through the Seasons.

Customer Reviews

Everyone should have a book like this in their kitchen
This cookbook certainly falls into the coffee table category, but it is also a valuable book for keeping in the kitchen. It has 250-pages and probably around 100 absolutely top-class recipes. The first 50 pages talks about the approach of Ducasse to cooking, the second 50 pages looks at the role of quality ingredients, and the last 150 pages describes the recipes. As such this book is as much a statement as a cookbook. Reading about olives, white Alba truffles, and Menton lemons underlines not only the use of fine quality ingredients but also the need to support those who still produce them. The recipes are not easy, but they are very well described. Each is a masterpiece, from Asperges glacées, fricassee de ris de veau au vinaigre de xérès through to Agneau de lait rôti aau plat, fenouil poudré de parmesan, cébettes et févettes à la sarriette (sorry I have the French edition). This book is worth having even if you never try to cook even one of the recipes. If you do try use it to impress your mother-in-law, it might take a couple of test runs, but the pleasure of eating even a failed Ducasse recipe is better than any trip to your usual cookbook.