Art of Aureole

Rating:
Summary: Not really a cookbook
Review: I will agree with the other reviewers that this is not, by any means, a great cookbook. Really, I've seen this as a 'coffee table cookbook' since the day I first saw it. I think the layout of this book is absolutely gorgeous and it's well worth just flipping through to see the wide array of beautiful food inside. While I doubt I'd ever try the recipies in it, I do think one could glean lots of fun tidbits of information to try in one's own way.

Rating:
Summary: Try to read this book
Review: Long awaited, "The Art of Aureole" has a most beautiful cover of ethereal food. Inside, it has to be the worst designed cookbook I've ever seen. The type is mish-mash of white on a dark grey background and has been set in four different directions on every page. This is for "artistic" effect, no doubt. To make matters worse for the home chef who might be making a dish for the first time, they are impossible to follow. The graphic designers need to go back to school (if they ever went in the first place) and be taught to remember that no matter how slick they can design something, it has to serve a purpose. And the purpose of a cookbook is to make the food look great and the recipes that can be followed. The design of the book serves no purpose except to salve their probably quite large egos.

That said, the recipes look as though they would be perfect for our annual "Insane Chefs" dinner. For this dinner, we choose an annual cookbook as a theme specifically because the recipes are difficult and/or the ingredients are tough to find. We like a challenge. In the past few years, we've used the books from the French Laundry (try finding Morello cherries on-line three years ago!), Terra, Lumiere (this had teeny baby bok choy), and Le Bec Fin, to name a few. The common thread was that all the cookbooks have a high degree of difficulty and take some solid previous kitchen experience, especially to get around the inevitable errors. This book compounds the issue with its goofy layout and text. At least we can follow the others.

Designers, take it as a mantra. You can make the restaurant look as glitzy whacko as you want, that's an environment. You CAN'T make a cookbook look insane. People who actually use it need to follow the recipes inside.

The recipes in the book look stupendous, but I can't recommend it to our group. Maybe the designers will foot the bill to print a small book with plain recipies so they can be followed in the kitchen without standing on your head.

One other thing, and for us this is a biggie...THERE ARE NO DESSERTS. None. Nary a one. I might have given "The Art of Aureole: two stars if there had been some desserts included. But nooooooooooo, they evidently didn't think desserts were worth including. Charlie Palmer should check out what was included in all the books mentioned above, especially what Thomas Keller had included in the French Laundry Cookbook. Stellar.

I'm more disappointed in the quality of this cookbook than I have been in any book in years. It should have been as spectacular to match the quality of the restaurant. Instead, it's a work of vain crud that never should have had trees killed to produce it. It should have come out next year with better forethought to the recipes included (or not) and design. The designer should be lashed with some raw skate. Or at the very least made to take Graphic Design 101.

Rating:
Summary: A Chef's opinion
Review: This cookbook, in my opinion is a great book for any chef or aspiring chefs out their. This is a great inspirational book for plate presentations due to the buitiful full colored pictures throughout the book. Also some great ideas such as "Pan-Roasted Sea Scallops and Truffle-Braised Pork Cheeks with WatercressCoulis." The only thing I will agree on with the other reviews is that the format of the writing is on a angle so it makes it a little harder to read, but yet still easy to follow. Some people forgot that their is a art to culinary and this book shows that perfectly. In my words i would have to simply say "Inovative."

Rating:
Summary: Are they kidding?!!!!!
Review: This is possibly, no I take that back, this is the worst cookbook I have ever seen. I couldn't tell you if the recipes worked, because the type is so difficult to read, never mind the fact that it runs in different directions, that i couldn't and wouldn't begin to try and cook from it. Too frustrating and insulting. I realize that some people purchase chefs' cookbooks for the art, and never really intend to cook from them. Even for these people, this book would be a waste of money. I was stunned when I opened it up. I actually thought it was a gag. Whoever thought the design up should be fired. I'm not even certain that I would take this book if someone gave it to me. I've got limited shelf space, considering my weakness for cookbooks, and there are many, many, many, other books that deserve that valuable space because they take their audience seriously, and know the difference between real art and creativity and a sad attempt to grab attention in a crowded market. If I could give it a negative number of stars I would. The one star I did give is for spelling the chef's name properly ( and right side up) on the cover!

What a shame for Charlie Palmer!

Rating:
Summary: Are they kidding?!!!!!
Review: This is possibly, no I take that back, this is the worst cookbook I have ever seen. I couldn't tell you if the recipes worked, because the type is so difficult to read, never mind the fact that it runs in different directions, that i couldn't and wouldn't begin to try and cook from it. Too frustrating and insulting. I realize that some people purchase chefs' cookbooks for the art, and never really intend to cook from them. Even for these people, this book would be a waste of money. I was stunned when I opened it up. I actually thought it was a gag. Whoever thought the design up should be fired. I'm not even certain that I would take this book if someone gave it to me. I've got limited shelf space, considering my weakness for cookbooks, and there are many, many, many, other books that deserve that valuable space because they take their audience seriously, and know the difference between real art and creativity and a sad attempt to grab attention in a crowded market. If I could give it a negative number of stars I would. The one star I did give is for spelling the chef's name properly ( and right side up) on the cover!

What a shame for Charlie Palmer!

Rating:
Summary: WORST COOKBOOK EVER
Review: This is the worst cookbook I've ever seen. Don't be fooled into thinking it's an inspiring art book, either. Not only would it be useless in the kitchen, it would never end up on my coffee table, either. This is bad art, too.

The photos are totally unappetizing. The design is lame. It's like a display of how horrific you can make food look. It's disgusting. I'm surprised at Charlie Palmer and Ten Speed Press. His other books and his cooking are awesome.

Even if these recipes are fabulous, I'll never know it because the book is not useable -- with stark type going in many different directions on each page -- it's impossible to cook from it.

Design professors! You can use this book as an example of how function should never follow form. Or in this case, how function can actually cease to exist because of irresponsible use of design.