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Review
'I am an unabashed, wet-lipped, tongue-lolling fan of Blumenthal's... What (he) has produced is, in truth, three books in one... the autobiography... the Fat Duck recipes... the science stuff... I can only see it as a very good thing indeed.' --The Observer
Review
'What fun it is to follow in this gastro-wizard's footsteps' Observer Food Monthly
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Larger and more ornate version of the Fat Cookbook, no difference in information contained within the two.
39 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I had been waiting for this book to arrive for some time. When the package arrived, I was stunned by the size. On the outside, it is good looking, but not over the top. As I gingerly opened the book, marvelling at the weight and feel of the book, I felt I was being smacked in the face with flavours and sensations. I ate at the Fat Duck earlier this year and recognisable creations and happy memories stared out at me.
The true value of this book is in the feelings and the enthusiasm that it generates. You need to look to the detail and start with manageable steps. I made the pistachio scrambled egg today. I don't have a 600 pound heatable blender, but inventiveness is a key part of cookery and the feeling of achievement at pulling off a simple part of a dish is an important stepping stone towards achieving something memorable.
Most importantly, every time I look in the book I feel excited and motivated to experiment and push my own limits. So what will you do with this book? If Heston Blumenthal knocked on your door a year from now, do you want him to see it in pristine condition, sitting on the coffee table, or propped up in the kitchen, slightly the worse for wear but obviously loved and used? For me, I choose the latter.
Yes, these recipes require planning, a touch of compromise and some research. But you also feel you achieve something. Now, what shall I try next?
The true value of this book is in the feelings and the enthusiasm that it generates. You need to look to the detail and start with manageable steps. I made the pistachio scrambled egg today. I don't have a 600 pound heatable blender, but inventiveness is a key part of cookery and the feeling of achievement at pulling off a simple part of a dish is an important stepping stone towards achieving something memorable.
Most importantly, every time I look in the book I feel excited and motivated to experiment and push my own limits. So what will you do with this book? If Heston Blumenthal knocked on your door a year from now, do you want him to see it in pristine condition, sitting on the coffee table, or propped up in the kitchen, slightly the worse for wear but obviously loved and used? For me, I choose the latter.
Yes, these recipes require planning, a touch of compromise and some research. But you also feel you achieve something. Now, what shall I try next?
74 of 81 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is simply the most beautiful cookbook on the market.
It is a truely huge volume and comes in a case. As you would expect from Heston in a cook who shows no compromise the book is of an equally high quality. The books hard cover is beautifully finished and embossed in silver with the Fat Duck Restaurant motifs. The pages are the thickest paper bordering on card and embossed with silver. Mutiple bookmarks add to the extravagant feel of this tomb. There are beautiful abstract drawings throughout the book which at times make it feel more like a work of art than a cookbook and perhaps that is the point. There is of course alot of detail about Hestons life and inspiration not just recipes in this book.
The recipes on which he has built his reputation are all here and laid bare in all there frightening complexity. Snail Porridge, Bacon and Egg Ice cream and Gold, Frankisence and Myrrh all lovingly detailed.
The problem with this book of course is that for most home cooks it is a step too far in complexity. I have managed to cook recipes from Essence: Recipes from Le Champignon Sauvage, The French Laundry Cookbook and Recipes from a 3 Star Chef without too much problem but the shear complexity of Hestons recipes is in another league.
The problems are two fold. Firstly obtaining some ingredients will be tricky. Liquid nitrogen for example will not be readily available to most of us.
Ingredients aside however the main problem for me is the number of components to each dish. It is not an exageration to say that most dishes have in excess of 15 components to them. Some as many as 20. That is not ingredients that is parts. i.e. 15 separate bits to make, each of which has multiple ingredients. Clearly it is impossible for 1 or even 2 chefs to do this regardless of skill. A brigade is really needed. If you therefore want to recreate his recipes at home you are going to have to leave some bits out. I am therefore a little disappointed but this is not really disappointment in the book for Heston has told me in fantastic detail how to recreate his recipes I just am unable to faithfully do it!
Despite this I love the book but it has served to make me realise that regardless of skill there are some things which you can't cook at home but as this is the second best restaurant in the world I really shouldn't be surprised!
It is a truely huge volume and comes in a case. As you would expect from Heston in a cook who shows no compromise the book is of an equally high quality. The books hard cover is beautifully finished and embossed in silver with the Fat Duck Restaurant motifs. The pages are the thickest paper bordering on card and embossed with silver. Mutiple bookmarks add to the extravagant feel of this tomb. There are beautiful abstract drawings throughout the book which at times make it feel more like a work of art than a cookbook and perhaps that is the point. There is of course alot of detail about Hestons life and inspiration not just recipes in this book.
The recipes on which he has built his reputation are all here and laid bare in all there frightening complexity. Snail Porridge, Bacon and Egg Ice cream and Gold, Frankisence and Myrrh all lovingly detailed.
The problem with this book of course is that for most home cooks it is a step too far in complexity. I have managed to cook recipes from Essence: Recipes from Le Champignon Sauvage, The French Laundry Cookbook and Recipes from a 3 Star Chef without too much problem but the shear complexity of Hestons recipes is in another league.
The problems are two fold. Firstly obtaining some ingredients will be tricky. Liquid nitrogen for example will not be readily available to most of us.
Ingredients aside however the main problem for me is the number of components to each dish. It is not an exageration to say that most dishes have in excess of 15 components to them. Some as many as 20. That is not ingredients that is parts. i.e. 15 separate bits to make, each of which has multiple ingredients. Clearly it is impossible for 1 or even 2 chefs to do this regardless of skill. A brigade is really needed. If you therefore want to recreate his recipes at home you are going to have to leave some bits out. I am therefore a little disappointed but this is not really disappointment in the book for Heston has told me in fantastic detail how to recreate his recipes I just am unable to faithfully do it!
Despite this I love the book but it has served to make me realise that regardless of skill there are some things which you can't cook at home but as this is the second best restaurant in the world I really shouldn't be surprised!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
I thank my wife for a great 40th birthday present
I love the book and I will not go into the full details of this great publication, I will start with:
The book has three sections. Read more
The book has three sections. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Danny Marbella
My Big Fat Favourite!!!
Wow! Wow! wow! Amazing! Totally amazing! The sheer size, the mad food, the most beautiful photography and seriously cool illustrations. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Wannabe Foody
coffee table book
This book will be joining my other too gorgeous and too hard to cook from books on my coffee table. I can't even lift it up with one hand. Fun book to flip through. Read more
Published on 3 May 2010 by cookbook
Perfect
This book is perfect - it is full of beautiful illustrations and amazing recipes. Not ones that you could even imagine cooking, as all the ingredients and methods are bonkers, but... Read more
Published on 6 Nov 2009 by Ms. Av Carmichael
More coffee-table-book than cookbook
Firstly, this is one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen. It is beautifully presented with a black box-thingy to live inside and it is beautifully illustrated with amazing... Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2009 by Dr. Rich Boden
Amazin book
This book is simply amazing and beautiful. It is not only a cookbook that consists of the most inspiring and delicate dishes it is also an intriguing story about the history behind... Read more
Published on 23 July 2009 by J. Vilgaard
Big Fat Duck Cook Book
This was a gift for my husband on our anniversary. I didn't realise the book was SO big and to be honest, had no idea of the content but having eaten in the restaurant a couple of... Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2009 by E. Green
An outrageously beautiful not-a-cookbook cookbook
This book should not be called a cookbook, though I love it's title.
It is a piece of art, a joke, a collector's item and a coffee table book at the same time. Read more
It is a piece of art, a joke, a collector's item and a coffee table book at the same time. Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2009 by Marnix Kemme
Fat price
A little expensive but an interesting read. Not practical, however nice to see how the genius works. Inspirational to chefs only i would say or really educated foodies.
Published on 10 Feb 2009 by colin nash
Collectors item
This is more than a recipe book it is so beautifully put together it is a conversation piece of a coffee table book. Read more
Published on 17 Dec 2008 by N. J. Cooper
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