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 enlarge | Authors: Alan Murchison, Mark Law, Raymond Blanc (foreword)
Publisher: Alan Murchison Restaurants Ltd
Category: Book
Buy New: £50.00
New (1) Used (1) from £49.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 92419
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 209
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.9
Dimensions (in): 11.7 x 8.4 x 0.8
ISBN: 0955788307
EAN: 9780955788307
ASIN: 0955788307
Publication Date: December 1, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-10 of 10 | | « PREV | | |
awesome book May 31, 2008
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
just recieved this book.let me get the bad points out of the way first.the copy i recieved was not in the best condition(considering this has a price tag of fifty quid).the corners are out of shape and the inside of the back page is not in line with the hard cover so the book dosent close correctly.that said,the content is fantastic,a real work of art that pro chefs will really enjoy.i plan to steal ideas at once thanks alan!
Food For Thought - A real treat March 9, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is a book that you should have in your collection whether it simply graces your coffee table or gets used in anger in your kitchen. It's the presentation that sets it apart; the recipes are doubtless complex but the stunning imagery ensures that you know what you are aiming for. Your dinner party guests will be in for a real treat should you decide to follow any of Murchison's recipes. The question is can you match the presentational excellence that the combination of fine food and photography sets? A real treat; go on, spoil yourself!
Intrigued Amateur March 3, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Having eaten in some of the finest restaurants in London via work, I am yet to experience Alan Murchison's food first hand; however I am aware of his sublime reputation.
Unlike other celebrity chefs it is Alan Murchison's simple elegance and creative food combinations that attracted me to his book. The vibrancy of his recipes are captured perfectly by Mark Law's gorgeous photography; He simply brings Murchison's cooking to life.
The book is beautifully presented and Law's photography flawless; and although Murchison's recipes may deter some amateur cooks at first glance, the recipes are clearly presented and surprisingly easy to follow.
Law's photography enhances the elegance of the book and certainly captures beautifully the way Murchison's food should be presented.
Of the numerous cook books I have picked up over the years, it is 'food for thought' that I will turn to when I want to impress.
Food for Thought Indeed. February 29, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
by Mark Geffryes
As cookery books go Alan Murchison 's first book "Food for Thought" is neither a cook's recipe book nor a `gastro-porn' coffee table book.
Most recipe books either fall into the Delia (and pretty much every other TV chef) camp - the aim is to provide a collection of easy to follow recipes with a picture of the finished dish so you know what to aim for. Or into the multi-starred Michelin, serious chef, camp - where there are recipes of immense complexity that professional kitchens produce day-in day-out, using sophisticated kitchen equipment and techniques, which only the most serious amateur cook would even attempt.
Alan Murchison may not be as well known as chefs who appear on television regularly, cooking or otherwise, and so his book will have a limited appeal. It is most likely to appeal to those who know him by reputation or have sampled his cooking.
At this point I should admit to a vested interest: I have been going to L'Ortolan for more than a decade, since the John Burton-Race days, and have enjoyed many excellent meals cooked by Alan Murchison and his team. I am constantly impressed by the quality, reliability, inventiveness and apparent simplicity of the food that the L'Ortolan kitchen produces.
Murchison's book is a labour of love. He admits it took more than two years to write and together with Mark Law's stunning photography he expects to be able to look back in a few years time and feel it is a book he is proud to have produced. This is a book you are unlikely to find in a best sellers' list or in the `75% off' remnants pile in your local bookshop; this is a self-published work of art.
As I turn the pages admiring the recipe pictures in "Food for Thought" I keep recognising elements, or whole dishes, that I can remember eating and I think this is how most buyers of the book will use it. I hope that having seen the picture and read the recipe the more adventurous will decide to cook some dishes themselves. But this style and level of cooking does not lend itself to a spur of the moment decision to make a meal based on what you have in the house. Murchison's recipes rely on preparation and buying good quality produce. At first glance the recipe can look straight forward with a manageable number of ingredients and not too many steps in the process. But read carefully and you will see the reference to the `Basics' section and this is where the flavours that will carry the dish start. Many recipes have half a dozen `basics' incorporated - which can be stock, herb crust, garnishes or a whole sub-dish. A number of the recipes open with the assumption that you are starting preparation 24 or 72 hours in advance of serving the meal. Theses recipes will reward those willing to accept the challenge.
The book begins with Murchison's background and the influences that brought him to become chef patron at L'Ortolan accompanied, mainly, by black and white photography of the kitchens at work. Then with the `Starters' the brilliant colour photography kicks off: Recipes accompanied by pin sharp pictures and the occasional page featuring the top class ingredients, in various states of preparation, like truffles! The `Mains' continues the visual feast with a mouth-watering array of fish, fowl and flesh. Although I know Alan Murchison can produce splendid vegetarian main courses they don't get a look in here. Next, we are into the `Cheese' course, no cooking just an explanation of some of the best cheeses available and their pairing with wine and food: Epoisses is teamed with Confit Red Onion and Gewurztraminer. The `Desserts' complete the list of photographed recipes. After the acknowledgements, with photographs of suppliers and produce, we are into the no-nonsense heart of Murchison's wonderful recipes - the `Basics'. No colour photography, just 233 basic recipes that underpin the cuisine. These are the building blocks of the great dishes that Alan Murchison produces.
`Passion' is an overused word in many walks of life - I have heard it used by many chefs when describing their motivation and it is used in the foreword, by Raymond Blanc, to describe Alan Murchison . I'd say Murchison's passion really shows through in "Food for Thought" - this is not a book to accompany a television series or a collection of seasonal recipes to be promoted alongside produce in a supermarket. This is Alan Murchison putting a stake in the ground and saying this is me, this is what I do and this is how I do it - passionate about his vocation.
Whether you just enjoy the artistry of Murchison's presentation, you marvel at the effort that goes into producing the dishes, or you decide to take up the challenge to cook some recipes yourself - this is a book you will keep returning to especially if you dine at either L'Ortolan or la Becasse.
In conclusion, I'd like to say I am about to start preparing the Duck Terrine on page 35 to be followed by the glorious Oxtail on page 81 - but after checking what is involved I think I'll take the easy option and just book a table at L'Ortolan and have Alan Murchison cook it for me!
Mouthwatering! January 23, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a delicious book....not only in terms of the recipes but also the wonderful food photography and the revealing and fasinating insights into Alan Murchison's development as a chef. Having eaten at his two restaurants and loved the experience I was delighted to see the book in print and it is a huge pleasure to leaf through it, learn more each time and wonder at the artistry of the flavour combinations and the presentational flair. I doubt I'll ever try to recreate one of the culinary masterpieces presented here, but it is so much more than a cookery book that this doesn't detract at all from the pleasure of the book - it's a delight and I hope others will enjoy it as much as I have.
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