Rating: 
Summary: Utterly dazzling
Review: "Visionary" is not a word I tend to use for chefs, but there is no other term for Trotter's achievements. What boggles the mind isn't the full recipes themselves, necessarily (although they are quite mindblowing), but the little discoveries throughout, like poaching garlic in milk before roasting (!). Be warned: committing to preparing any one of these recipes is opening a VERY LARGE can of worms. Be warned further: it's definitely worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Food porn
Review: Beautiful pictures, sure to make you hungry and sure to make you run to the nearest specialty food shop. Truly insane recipes that can only be made on a large budget, by a patient cook, in a city with sufficient culinary resources, and on the second try.The food is glorious once made, but I honestly doubt that many people will actually make more than one or two of these items. And then, with only even odds of success. Instead, the book will be gazed at with lustful eyes. Perhaps on your coffee table rather than your kitchen table.
Rating: 
Summary: The demented creation of a madman
Review: Do you enjoy assembling 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzles blindfolded? Or have you ever built a fully-detailed model of the cathedral at Chartres with toothpicks? Then, my obsessive-compulsive friend, you have found your cookbook. Are you a food pervert? (You can be honest. It's just the two of us here.) Do your most sordid and lascivious fantasies revolve around duck breasts rather than human ones? Then bring this book home, lock the doors, and go nuts. (Just stay out of my neighborhood.) Are you a normal human being looking for some tasty recipes to prepare? Run away! Quickly!
Rating:
Summary: Food to Die For
Review: First, the photos are worthy of the term "food porn", and if all you ever do is drool over them, you'll be more than satisfied. Trotter's innovative cuisine is not for the beginner; either to eat or prepare. If you are a beginner, get one of Trotter's other books "Gourmet Cooking for Dummies". The recipes in this book will inspire you to change your view of cooking at home. Frankly, no one wakes up and thinks of pickled lambs tongue as a "basic item" in their home. However, once this book is taken to heart, you will find yourself squirreling away that tongue, stocks, infused oils, etc. It is possible to re-create anything in this book at home, but in going through the process, you realize the substitutions you can make, and in so doing, make the creation your own. To me, that's exactly what makes this book so special.
Rating:
Summary: Don't try this at home...
Review: Have you ever traveled cross-country to Chicago just to dine at Charlie Trotter's? I have, and it was one of the best meals of my life. This book and the others in the series are great at giving you a feel of what the real thing is like. The pictures are outstanding and the combinations just wow you. But if you think for a moment that any cookbook would allow you to duplicate what Charlie does, you are mistaken. Some cookbooks are for those who want to follow a recipe and duplicate it. This is not one of those. This is for people who want to understand the Chef's unique cuisine and appreciate it for the art that it is.
Rating:
Summary: Were these tested?
Review: If the recipes don't work, it's the book and not you.
Rating:
Summary: I can not believe..........
Review: No one has reviewed this book? It is truly reflective of the style and peculiarity of a great chef. Charlie Trotter does not ever hold back in giving the customer great presentation, flavorful food, and the freshest ingredients you will find this side of Alain Ducasse. You can see and feel the influences of Joel Robuchon in this spectacular assemblage of what most chefs agree to be the worlds sexiest foods
Rating:
Summary: for passionate cooks only
Review: This book gave me the push I needed four years ago, and helped me develop my own style of cooking. Charlie Trotter is culinary hero, and as a working chef I can say that this book inspired my cooking more than any other. It is definately a must have for any chef or serious cook.
Rating:
Summary: Proceed at your own risk ...
Review: This book invaded my life and my home for well over two years. Trotter is mad, of course -- try getting that peekytoe crab or salsify at Ralph's -- and he will insist that you use every pot and pan you own. The recipes always work, if you have eight hours or so -- they will taste great and you can actually make them look just like the beautiful photographs. The great thing is Trotter teaches you so much technique and gives you so many building blocks as you struggle through his epic recipes. Hardly a week goes by that I do not use something I learned from this book.
Rating:
Summary: incredible chef and book
Review: this book is an incredible source for techniquues and motivation. Trotter is of cousre a perfectionist and his passion for cooking is seen through this book. Each component is carefully balanced so that a full and maximum flavor is achieved. Also, don't be afraid of the book, you don't have to follow each recipe step by step-let it inspire you.
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