Michel Richard's New Cookbook

[cjsadler]

Looking forward to this. Looks like it comes out this month.

[squidsdc]

Looking forward to this. Looks like it comes out this month.

I'm looking forward to this, too. If you click on the bottom of your link, where it says "2 used & new available from $22.50" the next page shows that it is in stock from the strandbookstore, yet amazon says it'll ship in 3-6 weeks. ????

Book Description

Michel Richard is a man giddy with invention. Enamored of crispness, this master chef, who calls himself Captain Crunch, makes a potato gratin that is all crust. He makes his grits with tomato water rather than stock (lighter and fresher). He brûlées chocolate mousse, makes risotto from potatoes, and “salami” out of raspberries and almonds. He’s always looking for the twist that makes good things great—whether it’s his lamburgers, lobster burgers, tuna burgers, turkey “steak” au poivre, or the chocolate reverie Michel calls Le Kit Cat.

Step-by-step photos demonstrate Richard’s innovative technique that makes easy work of dicing, shaping, ruffling, and a plethora of other indispensable hand skills. With recipe titles such as Shrimp “Einstein,” Jackson Pollock Soup, Chicken Faux Gras, Figgy Piggy, and Happy Kid Pudding (made in the microwave), Happy in the Kitchen’s promise is good tastes and good times.

[zoramargolis]

I chatted briefly with Michel Richard when I ate at the Citronelle Bar a few weeks ago. He was VERY excited about this book--more so, it seemed than opening a new restaurant.

[thistle]

I'm looking forward to it, too. I have M. Richard's Home Cooking w/ a French Accent & have picked up alot of tips over the years. I greatly admire his cooking at Citronelle (although I have not experienced it) & I think his new cookbook will be great...(Is that alright to say? I wish I could eat at Citronelle every night, but lacking that, I'm glad I have his cookbooks)...

[ol_ironstomach]

I'm looking forward to this, too. If you click on the bottom of your link, where it says "2 used & new available from $22.50" the next page shows that it is in stock from the strandbookstore, yet amazon says it'll ship in 3-6 weeks. ????

Strand Books ("18 miles of books") has an extraordinary selection downstairs of unused publishers' review copies, including a fair concentration of cookbooks. Their upstairs selection isn't bad either; I picked up a barely-used copy of The Professional Chef last year for maybe half-price. Inconveniently for us, they're located in the publishing capital of the US, New York City.

Happy in the Kitchen also headlines the latest sale flyer from Jessica's Biscuit AKA ecookbooks.com. I think they have it for $27, but shipping adds another $3 or $4. However, they're also offering a one year subscription to Gourmet with any order over $50. I've been happy with past purchases from them, particularly when they were able to ship a Pepin book from stock, after Amazon changed their shipping estimate on my order from two weeks to two months.

On another note, Fabio Trabocchi's long-awaited book "Cucina of Le Marche" is slated for release October 17, with a cover price of $32.50. However, he's including autographed copies with his next class at Casa Italiana on October 30th. It's not so much a cooking class as a presentation (and consumption) of dishes, but the class fee is only $50 in the first place. The vincisgrassi he presented last time has forever altered the way I look at lasagna.

[ctay122]

I just received my copy of Happy in the Kitchen from Jessica's Biscuit ($27 plus free shipping). What a gorgeous book! The pictures will make your mouth water and I cannot wait to make each and every recipe. I am going to start at the beginning of the book and work my way to the end (something like Julie and Julia). Everyone of the recipes sounds (and looks) fabulous. Has anyone else gotten the book and tried any of the recipes yet? Some of the ones that sound especially good to me are the Tomato Trifle, Figgy Piggy with Sweet Spiced Port Sauce and Tuna Napoleon to name a few. And the desserts (i.e. Apple Ice Box Terrine) are out of the ordinary but don't appear to be very complex. The book includes alot of technique also. I can see why Chef Richard calls it "Happy in the Kitchen". I think that Chef's enthusiam for what he creates is going to be very contagious...

[mdt]

I just received my copy of Happy in the Kitchen from Jessica's Biscuit ($27 plus free shipping). What a gorgeous book! The pictures will make your mouth water and I cannot wait to make each and every recipe. I am going to start at the beginning of the book and work my way to the end (something like Julie and Julia). Everyone of the recipes sounds (and looks) fabulous. Has anyone else gotten the book and tried any of the recipes yet? Some of the ones that sound especially good to me are the Tomato Trifle, Figgy Piggy with Sweet Spiced Port Sauce and Tuna Napoleon to name a few. And the desserts (i.e. Apple Ice Box Terrine) are out of the ordinary but don't appear to be very complex. The book includes alot of technique also. I can see why Chef Richard calls it "Happy in the Kitchen". I think that Chef's enthusiam for what he creates is going to be very contagious...

I will be getting my copy soon and will do the same, or as much as my time allows. Should be a fun project. Are there many strange ingredients?

[ctay122]

Nothing strange at all. The most amazing thing...he takes ordinary ingredients and creates dishes that look and I'm sure, taste, extraordinary ....just goes to show why he is a master at what he does and I am only a mere apprentice! The illustrations also purvey the care he takes in presentation. I have his first cookbook also, but I really am excited about this one. I am a cookbook freak and I believe this will be one of my favorites.

[mdt]

Nothing strange at all. The most amazing thing...he takes ordinary ingredients and creates dishes that look and I'm sure, taste, extraordinary ....just goes to show why he is a master at what he does and I am only a mere apprentice! The illustrations also purvey the care he takes in presentation. I have his first cookbook also, but I really am excited about this one. I am a cookbook freak and I believe this will be one of my favorites.

Sounds great!

Maybe a fall/winter dinner get together with some recipes might be fun...

[Heather]

My copy should be delivered soon.

Maybe a fall/winter dinner get together with some recipes might be fun...

That does sound like fun. I'd defintely participate, and might be willing to host.

[ctay122]

My copy should be delivered soon.

That does sound like fun. I'd defintely participate, and might be willing to host.

Some of the technique is a little strange (i.e. using a cucumber as a base to build a potato bowl which you dunk in hot oil to fry). Also uses the madeline alot, as well as the crank style fruit peeler. But I've been looking for an excuse to buy a good madeline.

[ctay122]

I bought one of those expensive ($150+) French, metal ones many years ago. However, the OXO ($60 or so) is supposed to be superior, according to a couple of tests. I'm thinking of getting an OXO because the expensive one is difficult to use.

I thought I could perhaps look on ebay. I've gotten some pretty good deals there.

And to clarify my earlier comment, I guess What I should have said instead of "strange" is "innovative" or "creative". I love that book!

Thanks for the info on the madeline.

[cjsadler]

Sounds great!

Maybe a fall/winter dinner get together with some recipes might be fun...

Sounds like a great idea. My copy just came yesterday. There's some really wild ideas in here, some of which look very complicated and some of which look very simple (there's a few things made in the microwave). There's also plenty of 'why didn't I think of this' tricks, like using fruit preserves (of the same type) in place of sugar when making a fruit sauce/coulis to boost the flavor

The downside is that a number of recipes require a meat slicer (including some of the coolest ones). A mandoline won't work here, as you need to slice things that are frozen (for firmness).

[mdt]

Just got my copy in the mail today. What a beautiful book! Some very good pictures that show technique. I cannot wait to start using this book.

[NotQuickDraw]

AGM made the Low Carb-o-nara the other night and it was pretty darn good! Next time (which will be soon!) he said he'd try to steam the onions a tiny bit longer, but it was really good. I'm thinking it would also go kinda good with pig!

[ctay122]

Email today from Jessica's Biscuit website states that the upcoming Sunday New York Times Book Review Section list of 2006 best cookbooks includes Happy in the Kitchen: [Corbey] Kummer

praises Richard for the "first usable guide for domestic adventurers."

[Joe H]

I made the cream of asparagus soup several weeks ago and it was outstanding. Although the recipe calls for a madeline just repeatedly scraping the corn cob works as well. Over time I'll probably work my way through a dozen or more of his recipes.

[cjsadler]

I made the "Kit-Kat" bars. They looked a little rough, as you can see, but were delicious. A very easy recipe to make (skipped the hazelnut creme anglaise this time, but will definitely add that when I make this again). Didn't seem to suffer at all for having sat in the fridge for two days before eating them, so it's a good thing to make ahead for a dinner party.

[dmwine]

My favorite line in the book - maybe alltime favorite in any cookbook - is in the recipe for "Chicken Faux Gras" -

... add the remaining 14 tablespoons of butter ...

[hgolightly]

Went to Politics and Prose last night. The chef was excellent, and so very enjoyable to watch. He clearly loves his job!!

One question, though as dinner at Comet's made us a tad bit late (surprise! but i can't complain as the food was divine) what were his comments regarding the new restaurant? I think we came in just after he discussed it--all I heard was that the cusine will be american with a touch of french influence.

[mdt]

Went to Politics and Prose last night. The chef was excellent, and so very enjoyable to watch. He clearly loves his job!!

One question, though as dinner at Comet's made us a tad bit late (surprise! but i can't complain as the food was divine) what were his comments regarding the new restaurant? I think we came in just after he discussed it--all I heard was that the cusine will be american with a touch of french influence.

IIRC his quote was "American food with a heavy frech accent." One dish he did mention specifically are some short ribs that are cooked for 72 hours.

He also said that he is hoping for hands-on cooking classes in the future.

Anyone care to guess where he had dinner last night?

[cjsadler]

I tried the Caramelized Carrot Risotto. Essentially, it's finely diced carrots and potatoes (cut using a mandoline, which turned out to be a real pain with smallish carrots and potatoes-- make sure you get big vegetables for this) cooked risotto style, with a bit of cornstarch to thicken it. Maple syrup, cinnamon, and balsamic added some interesting flavors (and an unappealing brown color), but ultimately I thought this was more work than it was worth.

[Heather]

Corby Kummer liked it. NY Times holiday book list.

[mdt]

Made the Almost No Fat Chicken Sausage last weekend. I used white beans (as suggested) versus the eggplant since they are hard to find this time of year. I thought that the flavor was good, but they were a tad dry. Probably from reducing the stock a little too much while cooking the beans, but I was concerned that the mixture would be too liquid when making the sausge.

Pictures to come.

So has anyone else made anything from this book?

[grover]

This question is for whom already cooked anything in the book:

My cooking ability level is intermediate. Do you guys think it won't be difficult for me to prepare?

I read the recipes but most of them doesn't sound easy to make.

[mdt]

This question is for whom already cooked anything in the book:

My cooking ability level is intermediate. Do you guys think it won't be difficult for me to prepare?

I read the recipes but most of them doesn't sound easy to make.

Some recipes are pretty easy, others require a special tool, and some a technique that may not be easy/straightforward for everyone. That said, the book does have some very good pictures and accompanying instructions on how to do things. If you are comfortable in the kitchen and have some patience you should be OK.

[cjsadler]

Made the "Chocolate Grapes", which were very interesting. At first, we weren't sure if we liked them, but they became addictive. (They look a little funky, but about the same as the picture in the book).

[Mark Slater]

Made the "Chocolate Grapes", which were very interesting. At first, we weren't sure if we liked them, but they became addictive. (They look a little funky, but about the same as the picture in the book).

I love these things, but it is entirely dependant on the quality of the grapes. Winter grapes, for me, aren't as good as mid-summer grapes.

[cjsadler]

I also made the "Silky Syrah Short Ribs" over the weekend. The braising liquid is reduced with port and honey, which does a good job of balancing the astringency of the wine (2 bottles of syrah). However, the recipe also calls for adding 1 cup of tomato paste when reducing the sauce. This seemed like an awful lot of tomato paste, so I added only about 1/4 that, which still added a prominent tomato flavor that I thought the sauce could do without. I wonder if the 1 cup was a misprint (perhaps it was 1 Tablespoon)?

[bilrus]

In the edition I recieved for Christmas, there was an inserted sheet that said there was an error in one of the recipes. I don't recall which one, but it did have something to do with a mistaken measurement like that. I'll check tonight.

[mdt]

In the edition I recieved for Christmas, there was an inserted sheet that said there was an error in one of the recipes. I don't recall which one, but it did have something to do with a mistaken measurement like that. I'll check tonight.

It was the tuna burger.

[mdt]

Dinner last night was Figgy Piggy with Sweet Spiced Port Sauce. Basically, pork tenderloin with roasted figs and the sauce. Not a difficult dish to prepare and pretty tasty. Served it with some roasted kale and baked potatoes.

[jparrott]

roasted kale

More information, please .

[mdt]

More information, please .

Not from the cookbook. Wash kale, toss with OO, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Put on a baking sheet and bake in 375F oven for about 10 minutes or so. The kale will get a bit crisp and brown a little. Toss at least once during cooking.

[cjsadler]

Made the 'Tri-Continental Onion Soup', which is essentially French onion soup using miso broth. The soup was pretty salty from the broth (you can read more about this in the miso thread), but the flavor was delicious. White wine and apple provide a nice acidity to it. Also made the 'Crispy and Creamy Onion Tart', which is Tarte Flambe made using a crepe. The crepe batter calls for Wondra in order to crisp it up, but I realized I didn't have any, so used AP flour. Had to pre-bake the crepes on the pizza stone for a bit, as it didn't look like these would get crisp otherwise (Richard says you need a convection oven for the best results). They were pretty good, but I think I prefer a bit thicker base than a crepe.

My trusty pizza stone broke in half in the oven (for seemingly no reason)

[mdt]

Made the 'Tri-Continental Onion Soup', which is essentially French onion soup using miso broth. The soup was pretty salty from the broth (you can read more about this in the miso thread), but the flavor was delicious. White wine and apple provide a nice acidity to it. Also made the 'Crispy and Creamy Onion Tart', which is Tarte Flambe made using a crepe. The crepe batter calls for Wondra in order to crisp it up, but I realized I didn't have any, so used AP flour. Had to pre-bake the crepes on the pizza stone for a bit, as it didn't look like these would get crisp otherwise (Richard says you need a convection oven for the best results). They were pretty good, but I think I prefer a bit thicker base than a crepe.

My trusty pizza stone broke in half in the oven (for seemingly no reason)

Michel also calls for Wondra in his puff pastry and some other things.

Happened to my old pizza stone some months back too. I guess they have some sort of half-life.

[Pat]

Has anyone tried making the Happy Kid Pudding? I found that it required one extra 2 minute burst in the microwave beyond what was called for. Perhaps that depends on the wattage of the oven.

It's not cold enough to eat yet, but it seems to have come out fairly well. I should have whisked a little more thoroughly at the beginning, though.

[paula]

I received both of Michel's cookbooks for Christmas. For New Year's Eve I made the apple and pear tartletts (not sure of the exact name right now) from the new cookbook. They were excellent. I cheated and used store bought puff pastry. I probably used a different variety of apples and pears too which may have led to my overflow of juices. I'd say definitely use a pan with sides on it. Everyone was impressed.

I find most of his recipes do appear fairly simple for someone who knows how to cook. Some might be time consuming.

I was thinking about the Happy Kid Pudding last night while I was watching tv and saw a Jell-O pudding comercial. I may have to try that tonight. Pregnancy is making tv viewing hard...all the food commercials look good and then I want whatever it is. I guess it's harder on Pete (my SO) since he's the one who volunteers to run out to the store. But I've been good so far....it's early.

[DanCole42]

Got mine with a side of dinner at Citronelle on Friday.

I have a standing request to make Le Kit Cat at every conceivable opportunity.

It's amazing how simple this stuff is, especially when you look at my copy of George Perrier's book.

[mdt]

Got mine with a side of dinner at Citronelle on Friday.

I have a standing request to make Le Kit Cat at every conceivable opportunity.

It's amazing how simple this stuff is, especially when you look at my copy of George Perrier's book.

Much of it is rather simple, but some recipes require a bit of skill and dexterity to pull off. Not to mention the need for a meat slicer. Check out the oxtail in the pasta ring one.

[Pat]

I was thinking about the Happy Kid Pudding last night while I was watching tv and saw a Jell-O pudding comercial. I may have to try that tonight. Pregnancy is making tv viewing hard...all the food commercials look good and then I want whatever it is. I guess it's harder on Pete (my SO) since he's the one who volunteers to run out to the store. But I've been good so far....it's early.

I never followed up, but I thought the pudding was quite good. It tasted like the chocolate part of mocha to me (if that makes any sense). It seemed like it might be great with a tiny bit of coffee added, so I put a small amount of kahlua in the last couple of servings, and it was fabulous. (That's not too useful for your cravings now, I'm sure, but just the plain is good too.)

[DanCole42]

Much of it is rather simple, but some recipes require a bit of skill and dexterity to pull off. Not to mention the need for a meat slicer. Check out the oxtail in the pasta ring one.

Relatively speaking, I meant. I expected something much more complex.

[cjsadler]

mdt and I got together this weekend to cook a full meal from the book.

For the appetizers: the Bacon and Onion Tart,

Fluffy Spinach Bites with Fonduta (as you can see, they look crazy, but were pretty tasty),

and the Shrimp Einstein (carrot wrapped shrimp, deep fried and served with a citrus mayo)

Looks like a Benriner is necessary to get look of these in the book, where there is a wild picture in which 1 micrometer carrot strands are flying off the shrimp.

Tri-Continental Onion Soup

Much better this time with a less salty miso (but I still didn't add the soy sauce, as this would have been too much)

Tenderloin with Simple Syrah Sauce

The sauce, which didn't seem all that simple to me, was (for a double recipe) 2 bottles of syrah, 2 cups reduced stock and a lot of different vegetables (beet, potato, garlic, etc). This all was reduced down to an incredibly rich 1 cup of sauce. The beef was served with crisped potatoes in a mushroom sauce. I liked the 'shroom sauce, but didn't see the point of double cooking the potatoes to crisp them up, only to make them soggy with a sauce.

Finally, Carrot Cake and Ice Cream

This was carrot overload, with carrot cake (made mostly of almond flour and maple syrup), carrot cake flavored ice cream (made by grinding up part of the cake into the ice cream base), and a carrot caramel sauce (caramel with reduced carrot and orange juices). Topped off with chocolate covered Cocoa Puffs (these are addictive).

[DLB]

I bought this book yesterday at Costco for $25! I cannot wait to make the lobster burger and the mushroom cigars! I am glad I held out, I think this book retails for around $40.

[mdt]

I bought this book yesterday at Costco for $25! I cannot wait to make the lobster burger and the mushroom cigars! I am glad I held out, I think this book retails for around $40.

FYI, it has been on Amazon.com for that price since it came out and it is available for free shipping too.

[DLB]

FYI, it has been on Amazon.com for that price since it came out and it is available for free shipping too.

I checked Amazon last night and it was priced around $29.

[mdt]

I checked Amazon last night and it was priced around $29.

Ooops, I read the wrong line on my order. Thanks for the correction.

[DanCole42]

http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?s=&am...ost&p=76946

[cjsadler]

Michel Richard has some new dessert recipes in an article in the new issue of Food and Wine, including a crustless Chocolate-Macadamia Tart that looks tasty (and easy to make).