Bistro Laurent Tourondel: New American Bistro Cooking - Laurent Tourondel, Michele Scicolone (Boek)

Review
At his BLT restaurants, chef Laurent Tourondel offers a tempting reinvention of bistro fare. His Bistro Laurent Tourondel presents over 150 recipes from his repertoire--"easier" fare like Adobo Marinated Hanger Steak and Braised Swordfish with Tomatoes, Olives, and Capers; and more "chefy" productions, including Camembert Beignets with Smoked Duck Salad, and Sea Salt-Crusted Pink Snapper with Ice Wine Nage. Sweets, such as Peanut Butter-Chocolate Parfait, Passion Fruit Crêpes Soufflé, and Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler are also on hand, as are sections on ingredients and techniques.
Tourondel's recipes cover the usual menu stops but also include interesting formulas for breads and sandwiches, like one made with spicy soft-shell crabs. Though planned for home cooks, and not difficult to execute in themselves, the recipes often require multiple preparations and, therefore, an ingredient array. Readers may also find the recipe headnotes generic or insufficiently forthcoming on technical and other matters (though there are occasional asides called Chef's Tips). These things said, the book, which includes color photos and wine suggestions, offers an interesting and savory collection that many cooks will want to try. --Arthur Boehm








From Publishers Weekly
With seven outposts and counting in his BLT line, it was only a matter of time before Tourondel (Go Fish: Fresh Ideas for American Seafood) wrote a cookbook to codify his credo of American-style French bistro cooking. Many of the dishes come from Tourondel's restaurant menus, but he makes them accessible to the home cook with unintimidating preparations that showcase the quality and flavors of choice ingredients. The opening chapter discusses choosing and preparing different fish and cuts of meat, while brief introductions to each recipe contribute to the pleasantly informal feeling. The cuisine is well-traveled, including Asian salads, a quintessentially American creamy corn soup, Roman-style gnocchi and a hearty, spicy Chicken-Chorizo Basquaise. BLT patrons will be eager to try menu favorites like Giant Cheese Popovers, Marinated Kobe Skirt Steak and Peanut Butter–Chocolate Parfait. Tourondel includes comments on easily substituted ingredients and wine or beer pairings. Both novices and experienced cooks will welcome this comprehensive education in Tourondel's signature style. 52 color plates (not seen by PW) and 30 b&w photos. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

http://www.amazon.com/Bistro-Laurent-Tourondel-American-Cooking/dp/0471758833/ref=pd_sim_b_4

http://www.foodandwine.com/best_new_chefs/laurent-tourondel