Ritz Paris: Haute Cuisine

As an avid collector of cookbooks, I was looking forward to receiving "Ritz Paris: Haute Cuisine." Widely advertised as one of the most beautiful cookbooks ever created, it doesn't disappoint. From the padded hardcover, to beautifully photographed and styled dishes covering appetizers, main courses, and desserts, it is an awe inspiring coffee table book to browse and admire. A perfect gift for any foodie or Francophile on your gift list.The adventurous who forge ahead and buy this book sight unseen will sample an assortment of recipes, published for the first time, that have made Michel Roth the "most decorated chef of his generation", earning him two Michelin stars for his cuisine at L'Espadon, the legendary restaurant of the Ritz Paris, along with numerous awards including the Bocuse d'Or, the Pierre Taittinger International Culinary Prize and the coveted title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France.However, from the point of view of the average home cook, the recipes are often too elaborate and time consuming to prepare. Some ingredients are difficult to find, even if they're often found in restaurant menus - quail, rabbit, nettles and truffles, for example. Granted, this is "haute cuisine" - you really cannot expect anything less.This is probably the reason the book is not searchable online like most cookbooks. For a preview, you'll find an online video of the contents posted on YouTube (under "Ritz Paris Haute Cuisine Recettes de Michel Roth"). Not ideal, but worth looking at before you buy as the book will arrive perfectly presented in plastic shrink-wrap. Meaning, you'll either love it or hate it, but once opened, you won't be able to return it if the content is too high end or complex.

In an era when many first class hotels and restaurants are eschewing even tablecloths and proper staff attire in the interest of economy, it is comforting indeed to know that there are still a few enclaves of civilisation where haute cuisine is served in the manner it merits. Since its inception, the Paris Ritz has been one of these bastions and this magnificent volume celebrates more than a century of glorious tradition.Printed on fine paper with a padded cover, the book itself exudes luxury and is a joy to hold. The material inside is no less impressive. Although the brief history of the hotel and biographies of three of the most important players in the drama, César Ritz, Auguste Escoffier and Michel Roth, the present Directeur des Cuisines, is a bit spotty and seems to suffer from careless translation, the rest of the book is a joy. The photographs of the opulent interiors and, especially, the stunning dishes are extraordinary. I, for one, could rarely manage to get through more than half a dozen pages at a sitting before I was motivated to head to the kitchen to cook something wonderful. Not surprisingly, the recipes themselves are far beyond the casual cook who will lack the requisite resources, chief among them being a large brigade of talented subordinates. No matter - no one but the dullest tyro could fail to be inspired by these marvellous dishes. And, of course, the best way to sample them is to dine at the Ritz.

Thanks.

I love Everything Ritz Paris....This book is wonderful

Better than I expected, thank U Amazon

What a well produced cookbook!

Great book

Another reviewer put it very well when he said "one can pretty much give up on the idea of even attempting to replicate one of these recipes."Whoops, but wait a minute.... then what's the purpose of this book? And why would you buy it?Why have recipes, which imply someone's going to follow them and cook something, if all the book is ever going to do is sit on your coffee table to try to impress your friends that, well, perhaps, that you know there is a hotel in Paris called the Ritz and their restaurant is famous, and that by you having this book, you have some Class by Association, or something.If I want a coffee table book, I'd rather have something like nice pictures of Italy, or gardens, or paintings or something. It seems kind of stupid to have a book of recipes sitting there instead. What do you expect your guests to do, whip out the set of professional chef's knives they brought with them and immediately proceed to take over your kitchen and concoct something from this book? Are they going to study and analyze the list of ingredients? How absurd.Another food book to make money for the authors, and for no other discernable purpose. You'll go through it once, and never refer to it again.

This really is for the serious foodies, food historians or Francophiles,Ritz Paris: Haute Cuisine really does take top marks.This over-sized padded-cover book is a celebration of the grand culinary tradition of the Ritz Paris.Its not only the amazing recipes but it goes into great detail with fascinating histories of Cesar Ritz, Auguste Escoffier and Current Chef De Cuisine Michel Roth.Cesar Ritz was one of history's greatest hoteliers and created the world-renowned restaurant L'Espadon with the help of famed chef Escoffier.Michel Roth is now at the helm of this Michelin two-star restaurant.There are 60 recipes including amazing clear pictures.The chapter headings are Appetizers, Shellfish, Meat and Poultry, Game, Desserts and the Classics.For serious chefs or the food loving adventuring sorts who are fearless when faced with making mousseline or lemon-thyme foam, and have access to ingredients such as tetragonia (exotic spinach), then this is also a working cookbook.Beautifully photographed the food presentations are awe-inspiring and at times unbelievable:Is that really macaroni stuffed with black truffles, sliced into disks, molded inside of an egg, steamed, then gently prodded out to sit upright like some polka-dotted sea creature?This is not a cookbook for your average home cook, but it is a feast for the eyes and fodder for dreams.You will not see this type of tomb in your local W.H.Smiths its incredible..

A beautiful book, the photographs and lay out are superlative. This is the Ritz, its archaic yet cutting edge. Escoffier for the 21st century. Chef Roth has created a cuisine which has taken on-board the heritage of the hotel and then brought it right up to date. There are some clarity issues in the recipes (maybe 2 or 3) if I recall, and many as you imagine are quite ambitious. But think about it and take your time and serving a single course from this book isnt too much of an issue for someone with an oz. of skill.

Very good and nyersting book, well written nice pics and cover. A must for people interested in cusine.

QUALITY,QUALITY< QUALITY, one of the finest cookery books i have ever read., This is a must for anys chefs Library

Dies ist kein Kochbuch.Aber es ist wunderbar und so franzoesisch, so "Paris" und so verrueckt, wie halt nur unsere lieben Nachbarn im Westen Europas es sein koennen. Man muss Ihnen diese Passion danken.Das Werk ist ein "statement".Es ist eine Demonstration, was 127 Koeche in einem Vorzeigehotel als Team bewaeltigen koennen und sehr beeindruckend in dieser Weise. Wer perfekte Hotellerie (samt Kueche) schaetzt, wird es moegen. Kochen? Nein,kochen kann man das nicht, was gezeigt wird. Aber: nichts wie hin ins Ritz, wenn es 2014 wieder aufmacht!