Paul Bocuse: The Complete Recipes

There are few books I would buy a second copy of just for archival purposes, books that are so phenomenal that you know an extra copy would make a great last minute gift to someone or well just to satiate the obsession the original provoked.In recent years Bocuse, Roux and Robuchon all wrote books in which they try to translate their experience with haute cuisine into the context of a home kitchen. I own all three as well as works of modern chefs like Thomas Keller and Blumenthal. Honestly of the traditionalists as well as the the modernists' works combined, this still stands stridently above all of them.The recipes are well constructed, they take from not only classical and modern French but to a degree they incorporate global cuisine (Spanish, Turkish etc). The balance of seasoning in the recipes that I have made is great but the fact that it allows you to make excellent food should not come as a surprise.The fact that it allows you to do this easily, reducing the chances of making errors but not being text heavy or condescending is a fundamentally miraculous feat.The tome is divided into 2 major sections, savoury (12 chapters, some of which include Meat, Vegetables, Fish, Crustaceans, Game, Poultry etc) and sweet (dessert, doughs and batters, choux etc).Each chapter has colour coded tabs on the pages so it is easy to move through the book without any issues or (after one is a bit more familiar with the text) looking at the table of contents. Almost every third recipe has stunning photography and by stunning I mean Thomas Keller and Michel Roux quality. Flammarion doesnt really cheap out on the quality of their prints and by in large make really good books.This book is a marriage between Joy of Cooking and French laundry - all the basic knowledge to succeed is there and practical, palatable yet still very sophisticated food is made accessible to the home cook. I really have enjoyed making the 30-40 or so recipes from the book and look forward to plenty more.

This is by far the best cookbook among my collection now, worth far more than what I paid. Nearly 800 pages of the finest French recipes, made feasable for the home cook. They are guaranteed to be the best food that will come out of my kitchen!

This is simply one awesome book. Paul Bocuse and James Beard opened American eyes to true French cooking. I was trained classic French in culinary school and always wanted a French collection of books in my arsenal, this one is great. I have all Thomas Keller, Pepin, Julia Child, James Beard, and this one is one of my favorites.People need to understand this book is French, not Americanized like so many othe books and cuisines found today. You may not like all you see in this book, but this is French cooking at its best. I travelled all over Europe while in the Army and found a love and appreciation for European fare at an early age. This book takes me back to my travels in France and Germany, just easy French food.The roasted chicken recipe is just one example of a great dish that even seasoned chefs have a hard time pulling off, and he gives us this great example. I have been cooking for over 30 years, 20 of which a trained chef and I still pull this book of the shelf for inspiration and ideas. Probably not the best book for the average home cook, as noted by some other reviews, but a book any working cook or chef should have on the shelf!

I bought this book for my father on his birthday, and he loves it. Even as someone with a natural love of, and gift for, cooking, he'd never heard of Paul Bocuse before, but once he read the back cover and started looking through the book, he was impressed. And once he started reading about him online, he was only more impressed.I bought this book after seeing Anthony Bourdain mention Bocuse on his program and I went looking for it. This book is in English and I think anyone who prides themselves on their cooking would be a fool not to appreciate it. The cover is done in gold and there's a long gold pagemarking tassel sewn into the book that definitely gives it that extra heirloom quality. I highly recommend it.

Need to go to gym and workout before trying to pick up book!

You won't believe it when you get it, but this book is THICK -- 2 1/2" thick (that's about the thickness of 2-3 other cookbooks) -- there's A LOT of good stuff in here, especially since it purportedly compiles all of Chef Bocuse's recipes from his other books and beyond into this one. That's a super value, especially considering its author was named Chef of the Century by the Culinary Institute of America in 2011.The range of what's covered is impressive too, and beyond that, scanning through it looks like most recipes are easy to follow and fit on a single page. Some have photos, others not. Versions of all the French classics seem to be here as well.This is nothing like the intricate (and exhausting) detail of Julia Child, but just about anyone interested in cooking, regardless of experience level, can follow these recipes and get good results.

Great images, recipes, anecdotes.Great for any culinary inclined individuals.

MY WIFE PREPARED A MEAL FROM THIS RECIPE JUST LAST NIGHT AND IT WAS EXTREMELY GOOD. WE ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH AND WILL NO DOUBT HAVE IT AGAIN. I AM SURE SHE WILL BE PREPARING OTHER MEALS AFTER BOCUSE. MAITRE POINT FROM THE PYRAMID IN VIENNE IS WIDELY CONSIDERED THE CREATOR OF NOUVELLE CUISINE AND THE INSPIRATION FOR BOCUSE AND OTHER RENOWNED FRENCH CHEFS. I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF EATING AT THE PYRAMID ON TWO OCCASIONS, BOTH QUITE FABULOUS. ON THE SECOND OCCASION I WAS RETURNING FROM NICE ON A BUSINESS TRIP AND STOPPED FOR LUNCH WHICH TOOK A FULL THREE HOURS EVEN THOUGH I WAS EATING ALONE.. IT WAS A MARVELOUS EXPERIENCE.