The Fat Duck Cookbook [Hardcover]

Having hesitated with the first deluxe edition (The Big Fat Duck Cookbook) due to the heavy pricetag, I was all too eager to buy this copy at a lower price. To be honest, it feels like I've stolen it when you compare the quality and price to other 'normal' cookbooks on the market. The book is divided into three parts; History, Recipes and Science.

It is this thoroughness and attention to detail which I think is often overlooked in the reviews of the other edition which proclaim it as a 'coffee table' book, which at least appreciates the artistry! Sure enough, it would be very eye catching and enjoyable as a read for guests and at this price I suppose this could be enough, but for those interested in more, it certainly has it.

The history section is an autobiography by Heston on his career with contributions such as the Foreword. It is littered throughout with custom illustrations which I personally find well contrasted and unlike some other books you do not feel like the pages are wasted when there is no text.

The largest section is the recipes which are mostly illustrated with a photo, further intensely colourful illustrations and a full commentary on any details not in the recipe such as its origin, technical intricacies and further anecdotal spiel, all of which I personally find complimentary to the whole book. Many have complained that the dishes require a team of people and extravagant equipment to cook, which is true for all of them if you wish to do it in a day. However, I think a small number of the recipes would be possible in the home as in some cases components can be set aside for considerable time leaving the core until just before serving. That being said, I have yet to cook from it but I have my eye on a few of the simpler ones to start. Unfortunately, some would ultimately be impossible to recreate fully without thousands of pounds worth of specialist chemical equipment.

The last section on science is more like an appendix of the 'equipments, ingredients and techniques' used at Heston's restaurant. Following this is a comprehensive watered down contribution from various academics associated with the field on subject areas such as taste perception, ingredient properties and flavour release.

Even if someone somehow mistakenly bought this cookbook at this price thinking it would have classic recipes for the kitchen, I cannot see how they would be disappointed with what they had bought instead. Time to find a liquid nitrogen home delivery service...!

I bought this book for two reasons:

(a) I ate at the Fat Duck recently and I really wanted to learn a bit more about Heston Blumentahal's methods and madness.
(b) I'm a fan of Dave McKean.

It's a great book one of my favourites, most of the recipes you'd need a team of scientists to complete but that's not the point really. You come away with a better understanding of food, appreciate what's going on in your own humble kitchen and how amazing your sense of taste is. Plus it reads and looks like a graphic novel in some parts with Heston as the superhero.

The Fat Duck Cookbook is a magnificent book in every respect. It is a big book, beautifully produced with truly superb photography and a delightful, slightly quirky, layout, (where else would you find the index as a spreadsheet in the middle of the book and the dedication right at the back?).
It is so much more than just a cookbook; it is Heston Blumenthal's story.
Part one is History (his story?), part two is Recipes and part three is Science. It is entertaining and easy to read; it is informative to the point of education and, to use Jay Raynor's comment, the wonderfully enticing pictures of food are "pure Gastro-porn".
I am a simple soul. I am a reasonable cook in the sense that guests seem to appreciate my efforts and I have sufficent skill to survive without starving. The idea of taking food preparation and presentation to the heights of celebrity chefdom has been a bit of a lazy aspiration. I suspect that the chance of me ever actually dining at the Fat Duck is pure fantasy - I probably will not live long enough for a table to become vacant nor find a banker prepared to give me a sufficent mortgage - but that is what dreams are for.
The Fat Duck Cookbook affords me the opportunity to dabble in the shadow of a Master but more than that I predict that it has a place in history as popular and as topical as Mrs Beetons Cookbook but on a par with Escoffier. I hope to keep my 'first edition' in pristine condition as it will surely increase in value. I wonder if I can get HB to sign it ;-)