The French Laundry, Per Se (The Thomas Keller Library)

The French Laundry, Per Se is an absolute gem for anyone who loves the world of fine dining and cooking, in general. The book is as beautiful as it is inspiring, with stunning photography that makes it even more special. The recipes are detailed but surprisingly approachable. What really stands out is the philosophy behind it all—Thomas Keller’s deep respect for ingredients and his dedication to creating memorable experiences through food. It’s not just about cooking; it’s about embracing the joy and artistry of the culinary world. Best bday present.

I am a big fan of Thomas and I am an advanced cook and appreciate the vision. This is a wonderful book but his recipes take time so enjoy the experience!

The best part of this book is the tribute to Jean-Louis Palladin who started what I'd call a revolution in the US culinary realm.Thomas's stories are so endearing.The culinary part, including recipes, reads like a roster of classic French cooking, with a contemporary touch, and of my mother's and grandmother's fare, and it makes me feel at home. The rabbit story is so funny: it was in my regular diet, with duck and so many other delicacies of the farm where I was born and raised.Thank Thomas for his dedication to French modern cooking. I remember his days as a chef at Rakel, where I sensed he was a chef with great potential. The rest is history.He truly deserves the Légion d'Honneur the French government honored him with.

I've been a professional chef for 25 years, so this sort of book is interesting to me. I've read his other books, and this one differs in that it's a refined vision of what he's been doing for decades. The recipes are even more precise in their measurements yet less reliant on mysterious methods than earlier books, and in the end the food represents an improvement of earlier methods, combinations and techniques. He and his chefs at both the New York and California locations have created intense versions of dishes like shrimp bisque, French onion soup, and fish and chips, while also providing some weirder and inspirational dishes like caviar with chocolate-hazelnut emulsion. This is a more professionally minded book, aimed at people who have the ambition for learning what the book puts forth. It is also rewarding to those who appreciate the longer "project" types of recipes that many restaurant chefs grapple with on a daily basis.

This is a great book for someone who wants to be in the professional culinary field. It really motivates you. I do recommend before buying this book get The French laundry, not per se. Per se is great after reading TFL.

Beautiful & informative! Delicious recipes

A bit expensive, but realize, this is a very substantial book. Much bigger, and sturdier than I had anticipated. I haven’t read a word of it yet, so will refrain i’m saying much else than the following, which I noticed while thumbing through. The book has an older feeling to it. I was a little surprised by the photography, because as I recall, some of the people said how beautiful the photos were. Actually, by today’s standards, they aren’t that impressive not nearly as clear and vibrant as some I’ve seen. But that’s not why I bought the book and hopefully it’s not your sole reason for wanting to purchase. If it is, you should probably skip this particular volume. It has a retro feel to it like picking up an old textbook and that feeling you get by seeing photos that just aren’t quite the same as today. Perhaps, some would actually enjoy that aspect of the book. It has a built-in antique quality about it.

Really enjoying the history and the recipes.Although I’m tackling the Cream of Broccoli soup and 950g of broccoli are unaccounted for in the recipe!Help!!!Very involved but loving the challenge....I know it’s a professional level book, but I would expect “season to taste” advice at certain steps. It does not mention seasoning in Broccoli soup recipe except for sel in parm mousse.A beautiful book though!