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`A thing of beauty ... for anyone fascinated by the provenance, chemistry and appearance of food, it's a virtual feast' -- Independent
Product Description
In this beautiful, smaller format edition of the award-winning Big Fat Duck Cookbook, we hear the full story of the meteoric rise of Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck, birthplace of snail porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream, and encounter the passion, perfection and weird science behind the man and the restaurant. Heston Blumenthal is widely acknowledged to be a genius, and The Fat Duck has twice been voted the Best Restaurant in the World by a peer group of top chefs. But he is entirely self-taught, and the story of his restaurant has broken every rule in the book. His success has been borne out of his pure obsession, endless invention and a childish curiosity into how things work - whether it's how smell affects taste, what different flavours mean to us on a biological level, or how temperature is distributed in the centre of a souffle. In the first section of The Fat Duck Cookbook, we learn the history of the restaurant, from its humble beginnings to its third Michelin star (the day Heston received the news of this he had been wondering how exactly he would be able to pay his staff that month). Next we meet 50 of his signature recipes - sardine on toast sorbet, salmon poached with liquorice, hot and iced tea, chocolate wine - which, while challenging for anyone not equipped with ice baths, dehydrators, vacuum pumps and nitrogen on tap, will inspire home cooks and chefs alike. Finally, we hear from the experts whose scientific know-how has contributed to Heston's topsy-turvy world. With an introduction by Harold McGee, incredible colour photographs throughout and illustrations by Dave McKean, The Fat Duck Cookbook is not only the nearest thing to an autobiography from the world's most fascinating chef, but also a stunning, colourful and joyous work of art.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
72 of 76 people found the following review helpful
Format: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...!
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...!
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
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 ;-)
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 ;-)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Is this a practical cookbook for the aspiring home chef? Not even slightly, but there's plenty of those on the market. Is it a glorious celebration of one man's all-absorbing enthusiasm for food, yes, yes, yes. The autobiography that forms the first section of the book shows how, although self-taught, Heston's techniques are firmly rooted in the classics. He sees his ideas, not as cullinary iconoclasm, but taking the art a step forward, like all great cooks. The recipe section is not a practical set of cooking instructions, but a deep insight into what it takes to get 3 Michelin stars, and get voted the world's greatest restaraunt. The last section, cooking techniques and equipment, does provide some practical knowledge, especially on cooking meat. However, it's the insights, more than practicality that comes across. I cannot recommend this book too highly. You may not use anything in it directly, but I bet that if you want it to, it will make you a better cook. Apart from that, it is a cracking good read for anyone who eats food. Now, let's drop hints that a really cool Valentine's Day present would be a sous-vide machine and a precision waterbath...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
This is How Heston Cooks! Not For Mortals!
I wish people would stop complaining that they can't make these recipes at home. This is not a cookbook, it is compilation of everything that makes The Fat Duck amazing. Read more
Published 1 month ago by T. Young
total waste of money
if you wish to buy a cookbook you should choose another book, one with recipes that you can find the ingredients to make the dishes, also you may wish to purchase a book that does... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Susanne
Work of art
This book is just amazing. I am a huge Gordon ramsay fan, but after reading this book Ramsay went down to nr2. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Chrissss
cookbook with too much Heston
I bought that book for studying purpose (I study Culinary Arts) and I found it interesting to see maticulously detailed descriptions of Mr Blumenthal's recipes. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Anna
Possibly the best book i've ever read...
I was bought this as a gift as have been wanting to go to the Fat Duck for ages and my brother thought this was a much cheaper option than taking me! Read more
Published 2 months ago by LB
The Fat Duck Cookbook
This is a fantastic book - as we had visited the restaurant celebrating a family birthday - this gives as real insight into his food which was an amazing experience worth £840 for... Read more
Published 4 months ago by gapone
Inferior binding
My husband bought The Fat Duck Cookbook for me for my birthday. When it arrived the cover had come apart from the book. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Hugh Stringleman
The Fat Duck Cookbook
This is not a cookbook for anyone who enjoys cooking in an average equipped kitchen. If you do not have enough equipment to stock a chemistry laboratory, then this book is not for... Read more
Published 5 months ago by tarkaboy
Fat Duck isn't a cookbook.
This book is so big it is worth every penny just for the amount of pages you get.
The wife and I wen and visited this great restaurant and wanted the cookbook to go with our... Read more
The wife and I wen and visited this great restaurant and wanted the cookbook to go with our... Read more
Published 12 months ago by SausPud
For foodies and engineers!
The recipies in here are interesting to say the least. The first issue would be getting the ingredients - I'm not sure my local Waitrose stocks Leather Essence! Read more
Published 14 months ago by Rob Luscombe
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