It’s been some time since we’ve had a book review here – well overdue as the shelf continues to pile high with new knowledge and so many fascinating new books that I have yet to really sit down and digest. I love buying books, having books, seeing books, knowing that they are there but I don’t read nearly enough. I could use my childhood dyslexia as an excuse but it would simply be that. I have a small goal of reading more cookbooks and following more recipes this year – I tend to be “inspired” by a recipe but lose valuable lessons from others by always interpreting it my way.
COCO is very much about learning off of each other. I think it’s one of the most fascinating “cookbooks” of the last few years even though it’s publicity has been relatively quiet compared to others (such as Momofuko which I also will get my hands on). It’s not that it didn’t get a reasonable amount of press – it’s just that much of that was limited to chefs and many foodie types indoctrinated into food culture – many more casual (yet passionate) cooks missed this treasure.
The premise is simple. The publisher (Phaidon) selected 10 world-class chefs and challenges each of them to identify 10 contemporary chefs that they would feature. The result is 100 profiles of chefs – profiles created and oozing with the personalities of the 10 world-class leaders. For people who watch television like Top Chef or Chef Masters, these profiles may prove extremely interesting and introduce all of us to some potentially new names. Photos of their dishes and many recipes are included as well.
The 10 masters are:
- Ferran Adria (Spain). Owned of El Bulli – named the Best Restaurant in the World more times than any other restaurant.
- Alain Ducasse (France). Monster French chef owning restaurants in Paris, Monte Carlo and others.
- Alice Waters (USA). Credited with starting the buzz of local, organic food in restaurants in the early 1970s.
- Rene Redzepi (Norway). Renowned for reinventing Nordic cuisine and recognized for his innovation and approach.
- Jacky Yu (Hong Kong). One of China’s biggest chefs with his own line of cookbooks, tv show, restaurants and food products.
- Yoshihiro Maurata (Japan). Recognized worldwide for his interpretation and impact on what is considered to be modern Japanese cuisine.
- Fergus Henderson (UK). Nose to Tail eating took off worldwide – many credit this eccentric British chef (we featured him here). Essentially recognized as a top chef for chefs to dine at.
- Shannon Bennet (Australia). Fine French dining in the heart of Australia where her restaurant is recognized as one of the best in the country.
- Mario Batali (USA). Beyond Food Network appearances, Mario Batali has more than a dozen well-respected restaurants in the US and is a past winner of the James Beard Outstanding Chef Award.
- Gordon Ramsay (UK/USA). International acclaim including a 3-Michelin star restaurant in London.
Each star profiles 10 of their favourites, presents a small sample menu, photos, a biography and, often, recipes to go along. It’s a fascinating read to see why each made their selections as they did and provides culinary sleuths with enough leads to investigate (a la Google) to last a lifetime.
What further separates this book from others is it’s design. Each Master is given a colour on the cover – these colours correspond to 10 coloured bookmarks and each section uses the colour of the Chef to further convey which one is delivering the message. It’s a stunning collection and a wonderful attention to detail.
There was some controversy in Canada over the picks. The Canadian Culinary scene created a petition to protest that no Canadian chefs were chosen and a New York blog fired back that two of the picks were born or started their careers here. Toronto Life ran the story here if you want more detail. I don’t find myself offended – I didn’t interpret this as the definitive Top 100 and imagine all would want to add more than 10 simple selections after all.
Regardless of ego, it’s well worth investigating and worthy of a Sunday afternoon and a blanket – which is my play this afternoon!
