Customer Reviews:
 The Great Gayler August 29, 2008
I love Paul Gayler's cooking. I think he is a rare thing: a masterful chef, with an ability to translate his passion and experience into writing, and a humble regard for his readers. He pays immense respect to his ingredients, and his recipes, while often imaginative, sometimes extravagant, never lose sight of that. I also have his series of 'Passion for..' books, including Cheese, Potato and Vegetables, and each one is an inspiration.
I don't feel that he is particularly precious about his recipes, either, so if one or two might seem more complicated, they are also eminently adaptable. I don't agree with another reviewer that his ingredients require a trip to Borough market or a fat wallet (though those do tend to mean the same thing), since banana shallots, thai fish sauce and cavolo nero can be found in most big-name supermarkets. Granted, one or two of the others might be harder to find, but might be substituted in some way - a little dry white wine for verjuice, for example. But I appreciate the frustration. Don't let such things put you off Gayler's book, though, it is a worthwhile addition to any veggie or vegetable-lover's cookbook collection.
 Don't try this at home February 17, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
You may not have to be a vegetarian to enjoy the recipes in this book, but you'll have to be a chef. And live in a big city. And have money.
The recipes ask for Yuzu juice (a citrus fruit), verjuice (juice of unripe grapes), truffles, fresh porcini, banana shallots (?), cavalo nero (black cabbage, but you can use savoy cabbage instead), nuoc mam chay (Thai vegetarian fish sauce), Vietnamese mint. Even if I knew where to get any of this (Borough Market?), I would probably be very nervous while cooking, in case I ruin these rare and expensive ingredients.
I have doubts about some of the methods as well. Can you, for instance, see yourself slice 4 avocados into 20 very thin slices, then stuff and roll them up? How are they not going to break, go brown, end up with finger prints on them? The picture looks fantastic, but not like something I'd ever be able to make. Even attempting it would be asking for disappointment.
I'd love to eat the dishes from this book, but I'd rather have them put in front of me by somebody else. The pictures look gorgeous, the dishes sound tasty, but it's not for your average home cook.
|
