Now also Paul Bocuse. Since the "Kann-nix-schiefgehen" cookbooks by Jamie Oliver, Tim Mälzer and Ralf Zacherl have been selling like hot cakes, celebrity chefs like Johann Lafer and Frank Buchholz have also discovered the commercial appeal of simple recipes for occasional cooks in colourfully designed works. And now also Paul Bocuse, gastronomic millionaire, chef of the century, inventor of nouvelle cuisine: "Bocuse in your kitchen -
220 dishes by the chef of the century to prepare yourself at home" is the name of the finely designed work that is supposed to bring a little
star glamour into Ikea kitchens. The 82-year-old master has put together an excellent
selection of uncomplicated, affordable dishes full of
French nonchalance: The best bistro cuisine from fresh ingredients - with scallops, but without truffles and caviar.
Twelve pages are devoted in advance to choosing the right wine and how to handle it expertly, written in a way that is worth reading and suitable for beginners by top Burgundian winemaker
George Duboeuf. A few pages on weights and measures, basic food equipment and the necessary kitchen utensils are also plain and useful. But in doing so, he somewhat overtaxes the average hobby cook: 11 different pots, 6 pans, 10 casserole dishes and various other utensils necessary for him are probably well beyond the capacity of average German kitchens.
The recipes themselves, in their simplicity, offer surprising combinations of ingredients that whet the appetite. In the otherwise rather boring chicken salad, he combines the tender meat with endive and lettuce, tomatoes, olives, Gruyere, olives and walnuts. Side dishes such as Provençal-style tomatoes or chicory with ham are as simple as they are conclusively prepared. And the cherries, pickled sweet and sour, also have zing. Voilá! In this way, the individual chapters can be used to put together beautiful little menus that work without letter scales, nitrogen containers or special grills
Incidentally, the book is the revised new edition of the work published under the same name in 1982. At that time, Jamie Oliver was seven years old and the funny Lichter-Kerner cuisine had not yet been invented; fast food and Asian style were the big gastronomic hits. Now the book, renitent and old-fashioned at the time, fits seamlessly back into the fresh-simple-flavourful trend
Bocuse writes in his foreword that he tried out all the dishes himself in his home kitchen. However, he admitted in an interview years ago that he practically never puts on an apron at home. Be that as it may, the recipes work without pandering to the readers. Just as they did 25 years ago
This book at Amazon Paul Bocuse: Bocuse in your kitchen, 220 dishes by the chef of the century to prepare at home, 304 pages with 60 colour photos, ISBN 978-2-08-020064-8, 29.90 (D) / 30.80 (A) / SFr 49.90, February 2008
"All about bread" - A whole new look at the baguette 
What you can do with plain bread! Eric Kayser's book "Rund ums Brot" offers 60 recipes that take a completely new look at the number one staple food. "60 unusual creations" is the subtitle of the book beautifully photographed by Clay McLachlan.
Whether it's curcuma bread with grilled vegetables, baked goat cheese with wholemeal sticks or fig bread with fresh fruit and raspberry coulis - the recipes let you marvel at what bread can become. They are rounded off with little tips at the end - sometimes the right wine, sometimes on ingredients or preparation
Kayser is
French, the owner of a global bakery chain and grew up in the bakery. That's why there is also a chapter with instructions on how to bake bread properly: the individual steps are described simply and nicely set in pictures
The recipes themselves, however, would have fit on a few A4 pages. A little more information about the products and varieties would have done well - Kayser devotes only three pages to this topic. The photos that fill the remaining space, however, are good enough to justify the
opulent format. Nice to leaf through, little to read, much to try out: "Rund ums Brot" is a book that is fun to read. But not much more.
This book at Amazon Éric Kayser: All about bread - 60 delicacies from the master baker, 160 pages with over 100 colour photos, ISBN 978-2-08-020-063-1, 29,90 (D) / 30,80 (A) / SFr 49,90, February 2008
