Chefs A' Field

Rating:
Summary: Chefs Afield cookbook & TV series spectaular
Review: As an avid fan of this PBS televison series I was skeptical that they could pull it off in book form...but they did! This book has fabulous recipes that are easy to make and delicious! Better yet, its editorial content on where our food comes from and advice on shopping with an environmental mind is extremely helpful and interesting. The chefs featured in this book are some of the best in the U.S. - they are "real" chefs running "real" restaurants, not like those found on The Food Network or in that never ending stream of glossy cookbooks. This book is worth twice the price.

Rating:
Summary: AVID COOKBOOK READER
Review: I am an avid cookbook reader and no book in my memory can match this book for content. It quickly has become the most used book on my shelf - for cooking and for reading. I sought out the book after watching the PBS series of the same name. It is a truly OUTSTANDING program that does so much more than teach you how to cook! The book and the TV series feature the biggest names in the culinary world - but the real heroes of the book/TV series are the farmers. The recipes are exquisite - but surprisingly simple. Even the novice chef could tackle these recipes with ease (although be warned - your friends may not believe you could create Patrick O'Connel's Flaming Apple Tart or the Garlic Custard of a famed NYC chef). This book is part travel, part cooking, part gardening, and part environmental action. The content is perfect for gift-giving or just for a special treat for yourself --- worth threes times the measly $15.95 I paid for it!

Rating:
Summary: Great Philosphies, Decent Dishes
Review: The Chefs A'Field series has been important in helping to explain the importance of fresh, local, organically grown, peak of the season produce. It doesn't shy away from discussing sustainable ranching and fishing either. The recipes and dishes are important not necessarily because of their flavor pairings or because they push the envelope, but because they use product at the moment of its perfection. Simple technique is applied to insanely good ingredients.

The idea is awesome in its purpose, design, and goal, but I think it falls somewhat short in execution. I think that's true both for the show and the book. Some of the dishes just aren't that great. Certainly not groundbreaking. The chefs are good, but not outstanding. There are, however, a few stand-out highlights. Anne Quatrano and Rick Moonen are a couple of my favorites, but overall, I'd love to see other chefs that have adopted this important philosophy. It seems Keller and Waters would have fit this bill perfectly, though maybe they're too big for the series.

In all it is a nice cookbook with an important message, but as a collection of recipes, there is a mountain of better choices out there including the entire library of Chez Panisse books which all embrace the culinary values from the Chefs A'Field series.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book is the best cookbook I've seen in 2003. I have about 100 cookbooks and this rates up there with Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen. It only has about 50 recipes, but makes up for it in editorial content. It offers great tips on supporting local farmers, shopping, food & the environment, etc.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book is the best cookbook I've seen in 2003. I have about 100 cookbooks and this rates up there with Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen. It only has about 50 recipes, but makes up for it in editorial content. It offers great tips on supporting local farmers, shopping, food & the environment, etc.

Rating:
Summary: AVID COOKBOOK READER
Review: What a delightful companion to the splendid PBS television series of the same name. The TV show introduces us to passsionate farmers and world-class chefs who share their thoughts on fine food. It's one of the few intelligent programs on television and also a feast for the eyes. The stunning, elegantly composed hi-definition images of food, farmers and fields excite the senses. At the end of each episode I want to race to the kitchen and cook! With this handsome volume, we now have the resource to create the fabulous meals America's best chefs share during the show. But this isn't just a cookbook. Its lavishly illustrated pages feature important commentary on organic farming and sustainable agriculture. It's nice to know that there are still a few people in our fast-food world who know the meaning of the words "fine dining." With this book, now you can too.

Rating:
Summary: Delicious!
Review: What a delightful companion to the splendid PBS television series of the same name. The TV show introduces us to passsionate farmers and world-class chefs who share their thoughts on fine food. It's one of the few intelligent programs on television and also a feast for the eyes. The stunning, elegantly composed hi-definition images of food, farmers and fields excite the senses. At the end of each episode I want to race to the kitchen and cook! With this handsome volume, we now have the resource to create the fabulous meals America's best chefs share during the show. But this isn't just a cookbook. Its lavishly illustrated pages feature important commentary on organic farming and sustainable agriculture. It's nice to know that there are still a few people in our fast-food world who know the meaning of the words "fine dining." With this book, now you can too.