Books
In his own words, James Walt, executive chef of Araxi, recommends a collection of his favourite books on the culinary arts. Our recommendations may be purchased from amazon.ca by following the links below. One easy step with no extra charge.
The French Laundry Cookbook - Thomas Keller
"This is a really great book from a great chef. Well written with stories of some of his purveyors and beautiful presentations and straight forward recipes. All chefs own this book."
To eat at Thomas Keller’s Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry, is to experience a peak culinary experience. In The French Laundry Cookbook, Keller articulates his passions and offers home cooks a means to duplicate the level of perfection that makes him one of the best chefs in the U.S. and, arguably, the world.
Simple Cuisine - Jean-Georges Vongerichten
“I was lucky enough to work with him just as this book was being released. His approach to cooking at the time is well documented in this book. His influence with lighter cuisine, juices, flavored oils and vinaigrettes was a great impact with his first book, and he went onto build an empire.”
Groundbreaking when it was first published in 1990, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Simple Cuisine has since become a classic. Its author, chef-owner of Manhattan’s Vong and the four-star Jean-Georges, pioneered the use of vinaigrettes, juices, flavored oils, and broths to produce light but deeply flavorful dishes with a minimum of fuss. The 1998 paperback version presents 200 recipes for these simple but sophisticated treats. They are based on the building blocks listed above, plus phyllo dough, cunningly employed as a puff-pastry alternative. Vongerichten fans and those seeking easy dishes with an haute cuisine pedigree will be delighted.
Cooking through the Seasons - Joel Robuchon
“The introductions to each featured ingredient is incredibly thorough. His approach to food is very well thought out. The book contains beautiful recipes and classic French foundations. This book was a gift to me by Andrew Richardson, a chef I respect very much.”
Tetsuya - Tetsuya Wakuda
“Complex yet accessible book to fusion cuisine that really works. The use of Eastern techniques on the bounties of Australia’s never ending food products is really special.”
Tetsuya Wakuda is a true artist. Inspired by the ingredients native to his adopted country (Australia), and the techniques and flavours of his birthplace (Japan), Tetsuya combines them to complement and highlight each other in the simplest ways to bring out the most complicated flavours. For those of us unfamiliar with his reputation, Tetsuya comes with a glowing forward by Charlie Trotter that refers to Tetsuya in the same breath as Alain Ducasse, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller, and rightly so.
Marcella Cucina - Marcella Hazan
“The beauty of Italian cuisine explained and documented by a pro. Having spent an extended period of time in Italy and experiencing the foods of Italy, this book sums up all I love about Italian food. I was very fortunate to spend a week with Marcella Hazan when I was a young aspiring chef in school. She is indeed the modern day ‘Godmother of Italian cuisine’."
Marcella Hazan's Marcella Cucina is a jewel: the recipes glow with the diverse flavors of Italian regional dishes, the instructions are precise, and the full-color photographs are a fine complement to Hazan’s writing, which is both clear and alluring. Along with recipes, tested to perfection, Hazan shares warm, personal stories along with snapshots of Italian life and her usual caring advice.
Conran Cookbook - Terence and Caroline Conran
“A great guide for product knowledge and gastronomy. It is not really a recipe book but more for reference. This book was part of my textbooks at chef’s school. I often still refer to this book."
Taking the reader from the market to the plate, this book aims to encompass everything the home cook needs to know; from choosing and preparing over 1000 ingredients, to equipping the kitchen and planning menus. Over 400 recipes include modern interpretations of old favourites such as Steak and Kidney Pudding, Salad Nicoise and Sherry Trifle, along with those at the edge of current tastes reflecting the increasing influence of Oriental, Pacific and Mediterranean flavours.