Product Description

The Hotel Crillon is one of the most exceptional palace hotels in Paris, and its two-Michelin star restaurant Les Ambassadeurs is one of the best in France. Jean-François Piège is the dynamic young chef at the helm, serving up an elaborate cuisine—driven by products that are in season and at their best—that has forged his reputation worldwide. In this original book, Piège takes us behind closed doors to reveal the secrets of the Crillon’s kitchen, then invites us into his home where he shares his informal recipes that he dishes up to friends and family. This book contains over eighty recipes for both special occasions and simpler dishes for every day. This beautiful volume offers a wealth of ideas for both the amateur and seasoned chef.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #111385 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-30
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 200 pages

Review
"I'm drawn to this book for its fresh presentation." ~Southern Accents

"...featuring 80-plus stunningly photographed dishes." ~France Magazine

"Jean-Francois Piege...takes us home with him to share in the more casual fare he dishes up to friends and family in his debut cookbook, At the Crillon and at Home. More than 80 recipes and 334 color illustrations may get you into the kitchen or just enhance your epicurean reveries." ~BookPage

About the Author
Jean-François Piège became chef of Les Ambassadeurs in 2004 after several years at upscale restaurants including Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenée. Alain Ducasse is a star of French cuisine and the only chef in the world to hold three Michelin stars in three different countries. Thomas Keller is an award-winning American chef whose restaurants Per Se in New York and The French Laundry in California each hold 3 Michelin stars. Patrick Mikanowski, international food development and advertising consultant, and Grant Symon, photographer, collaborated to publish Uncooked, Vegetables by Forty Great French Chefs, and Egg.

Customer Reviews

You must get this!!!
I had the esteemed pleasure of dining at "Le Ambassadeurs" in 2006 and I came away with the most memorable dining experiences of my life to date. I also came away with the picture of me posing with chef Piege as well as a signed menu which I cherish (and a receipt for a $500 lunch for four) This book is absolutely amazing, fully engaging with beautiful photography and unique and refreshing food styling which really showcases Chef Piege's style and obvious talent. The first half of the book is Piege's food as you would find it at Le Ambassadeurs to the T (I had the sweetbreads, asparagus with crawfish and shelless egg, and the vacherin which blew me away when it was first presented to me) The second half is a more approachable style meant to be prepared at home (although what American home, I'm not sure. Obvoulsly "home" in this case is somewhere on Rue Respail in Paris) even here the pictures and styling are fantastic and the creativity Piege displays even for home cooking is spectacular and still smacks of his Michelin star training. Unique techniques like cooking dried penne like a risotto so it absorbs much more flavor while still retaining that all important "al dente" (also saves on energy since you don't have to bring a big pot of water to boil) and a recipe for homemade canned tuna and eggs cocotte cooked in glass "le parfait" dishes. Flavor pairings too, even in the home section flourish with the kind of sensibilty only a chef of Jean-Francois' talent can only conjure up, like carrot juice and mustard sauce for brill fillets and a take on Carbonara using lobster and tomato. Overall an excellent and inspiring book which also has a laundry list of French purveyors (including Robert Blanc's asparagus) Specialty shops in and around France and a list of old and new books the chef recommends as resources for further reading. Considring the reasonable price for such in depth content, even if you havn't had the pleasure of dining at Le Ambassadeurs, a couple minutes immersed in this book will transport you there in no time.

Excellent, comprehensive volume full of creative cooking
The first half of this book will undoubtedly excite professional cooks. The photography and the food are both dazzling. Many of the recipes cannot be replicated at some, mostly because of ingredient sourcing. However, it is a great way to glean ideas and simply marvel at real talent and technique. The second half is quite a bit more accessible, as they are recipes from Piege's home life. They are still far more difficult than Rachel Ray's schlock, but far tastier as well. For refined yet casual home cooking, these recipes are perfect. So in essence, this book has something for every serious cook, home or professional.

Stylish. Refined. Delightful.
Once again, it is plainly obvious to me that I should move to Paris (with a little country place in Italy-accessible by train, of course) and be done with it. The constant and intelligent attention to stylish and refined living, to getting it right, as featured in this book is very very appealing. This book is full of insights and sophisticated suggestions. Absolutely delightful book. Great combinations and techniques. Really good pictures, the kind that make you gently pine. A few years ago, I had some fabulous chickens that laid aqua blue eggs but one of the neighbors made a snidely remark about their occasional cooing (even though he has two barking dogs) so I got rid of them. But in European cities people can keep a few chickens in the garden for fun. I like that way of life. This book reminds me of that philosophy and creates a tiny heartache for a consistent grounded understanding of life, the well-done rustic and the brilliantly-executed refined.

Fortunately, recipes can be replicated and inspiration copied. Piege is inspired and gives exquisite instruction. I always notice the equipment; he has superb equipment... Quelle suprise. By the by, speaking of equipment, for anyone interested in making tarte tatin, the upside-down apple pie of French cuisine, forget the flashy copper sets and get yourself an Emile Henry glazed clay tarte tatin set (ceramic pan and platter) for a perfect dessert every-single-time. Williams Sonoma carries it and it will set you back about a hundred rocks but, after all, we are talking about perfect here.