ad hoc at home: thomas keller
Posted: August 3rd, 2010 | Author: allison | Filed under: cookbook, recipe | Tags: cookbook, dinner, french, recipe | No Comments »from french laundry to bouchon, thomas keller has been one of the most acclaimed french chefs for years. (one day, i vow i will use my life savings to go to french laundry.) but who can really cook anything that complex at home? that’s where his latest book, ad hoc at home, on sale 11/6/2009, comes into play.
ad hoc at home shows the average kitchen cook how to create some of thomas keller’s most spectacular and impressive dishes at home, without any of the fuss. packed with illustrations and step-by-step photo instructions, this book is a perfect companion to any cook, beginner or advanced. keller teaches us to how master the basics (piece cutting a whole chicken, frying chicken, roasting ribs, making homeade chicken stock) in an easy, friendly and fun way. my friends and i gathered last night to test out some of the recipes from the book (while watching the finale of an undisclosed and embarassingly bad reality show). here’s what we tried:
summer vegetable gratin:
this baked medley of eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, onions and tomatoes was easily the healthiest dish of the evening. bread crumbs and parmesan on top added bite and additional flavor, but the terrific essence of fresh summer vegetables certainly emerged in this dish. and it was so easy!
scallion potato pancakes:
http://eatingla.blogspot.com/2009/11/win-thomas-kellers-ad-hoc-at-home.html
as a huge fan of scallions, i knew i was going to love this dish, and i did. the long strands of crispy potatoes and green scallions fried into perfection were the ideal brunch dish, lunchtime snack, or dinner compliment. in fact, i could go for one right now…
leek bread pudding:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/dining/282krex.html?ref=dining
i think if i had to name one, this might be my winning recipe of the evening. we toasted the challah bread first, before baking the crisped bread, sauteed leeks, eggs and cream for almost an hour and a half. decadent, filling, and so satisfying, this was the ultimate comfort dish.
cream of cauliflower soup with red beet chips:
http://www.akitcheninbrooklyn.com/2010/04/sashas-kitchen-ad-hocs-cream-of.html
this soup, was bar-none, one of the best soups i have ever tasted. the perfect mouthful, with the salty, sweet and crispy red beet chips, garlic croutons, and creamy, flavorful soup was absoulutely dream-like.
chocolate chip cookies:
i had read a cookie-off blog post that named keller’s chocolate chip cookies the best in existence. while that might not be so, these were pretty freaking good. they had two types of dark chocolate in them, along with a decent amount of salt and brown sugar. crispy on the outside, chewy all the way through, just the way i like them.
photos © anita aguilar
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