Anthony Bourdains Les Halles Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking by Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdains Les Halles Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking Reviews

• 
  Patrick Brown

  If I were allowed to read only one cookbook (that's read, not necessarily make the recipes) this one would be it. Bourdain has that rare ability to condescend to you and motivate you to try something new at the same time. It's a mix found in the finest drill instructors, high school math teachers, and apparently, celebrity chefs.
  
  As a side note, I went to Les Halles in NYC in June of this year, and my meal SUCKED! My steak was tough, the fries, about which he rhapsodizes for page after page in this very book, were underwhelming, and the place had all the ambiance of a Denny's. I hear he isn't around there anymore. Too bad. Still one of the people I'd like to have a meal with.
• 
  Anina

  Lots of swearing at Americans for how we choose our cuts of beef, overcook green beans, etc. All of which I agree with because I am in love with Anthony Bourdain.
  
  My only criticism of this book is that there are not enough pictures of Anthony Bourdain in it.
• 
  Cynthia Paschen

  I love Anthony Bourdain, but I don't think I will cook anything from this collection.
  
  These recipes remind me (once again) why I do not love French cooking. Too much meat, too much meat fat, not enough fresh flavor. Most of the recipes call for homemade stock (veal, chicken, beef, duck, lamb, fish) and a bit of demi-glace. Bourdain devotes several pages to stocks and demi, without mentioning anything of a roasted vegetable stock, which I make and am fond of. I make other stocks, too, mostly not to waste good bones or shrimp shells.
  
  As I should have known before purchasing this book, there are lots of recipes for veal, organ meats and fish that aren't available in Iowa.
  
  Fun to read Bourdain's kitchen stories and cooking philosophies, but not a practical book for me.
• 
  Emma

  This cookbook has served me very well over the few years I've owned it. Love Bourdain's style, and his recipes are unbeatable.
  
  I originally bought this book on the strength of its mushroom soup recipe- simple, tasty, versatile, but the page with all the greasy stains on it which gets pulled out all the time is the Poulet Roti-- the best roast chicken recipe I've ever seen.
  
  Even with all its use, I only recently went back and read the lengthier written portions. He is a truly engaging writer and I love Les Halles even more having read it cover to cover. I don't often look to my cookbooks for a literary experience, but having read The Nasty Bits I wasn't surprised at his talent. He's at his best in Les Halles, he loves French bistro food with an uncommon passion and it's a beautiful thing to read. It earns its stripes as a literary piece and a cookbook, though it may not be a page-turner if you're not into the subject matter of technical culinary skills. At any rate, it's five stars all the way
• 
  Stacy

  probably the funniest cookbook you'll ever read. i may not boil pounds and pounds of bones down over two days in an economy-size cooker that i don't own to make my own demi-glace, but it's not like mssr. bourdain is really standing behind me with a meat cleaver for not doing so.
  
  some recipes are totally approachable and do-able, some require more of you and maybe more than you're able to handle.
  
  one of the more enduring passages has to do with the subject of cooking lobsters, and the probable squeamishness of the cook on the proper way to kill them. i'm paraphrasing, but this was the gist of it:
  
  They're just Big Dumb Fucking Bugs that are too dumb to know when they're dead. Think what you're doing to them isn't fair, humane? You should see what they do to each other given half a chance.
  
  and thus Anthony Bourdain wins the idealogical battle on behalf of the lobster against David Foster Wallace.
• 
  Mir

  "If you're afraid of a little grease on your chin or of eating with your hands, are squeemish about bones, fish heads, and guts, are ambivalent about garlic, are too precious with your food, then put this book down now (you probably didn't get any food on it yet) and return it."
  
  Bourdain has a lively and casual writing style that is a pleasure to read. I enjoyed the text even though I don't much care for French bistro cuisine.
• 
  Kasia

  When I have a serious piece of meat or an ingredient I want to show off and still manage to cook it so I can eat dinner, I reach for Les Halles cookbook by none other than Anthony Bourdain. I don't eat meat too often, I know he does and writes about it a lot, but when I do I like to treat it with respect and use it to its full potential, when I finally do indulge in it, I can think of a few other French cookbooks that I have but this one has spunk, and is so gosh darn entertaining too. It has knowledge and professional cooking instructions that bring a smile to my face whenever I create something out of it, no worries that it's just protein, the sides and veggies are totally covered (dessert too, oh boy!) and I promise, the Graitin Dauphinois recipe towards the back is one of the best, mouth watering, gooey, bubbling hot with a melting crust, the classic flavors that have been studied and paired for centuries..Eating it I feel like I just took a short cut and with luck landed on something that has been perfected for years, and I get to eat it anytime I want. I mean be prepared to scrub the pan you make it in, but it's worth it. The prefect French fry also makes an appearance, the instructions come with pictures so it's really easy. The Fennel and tomato soup in here is heavenly too, it totally made me get into soups again, I forget how healthy and tasty they can be. Basic tart dough, sauce Bechamel, herb butter, Boeuf Bourguignon ( it's a French beef stew one could say, make extra, it's so good that boyfriends decided to eat doubles) also there is a salad that brings me back to my childhood, and I haven't ran across it in books yet, to my delight frisee aux lardons is present, I omit the chicken livers, and the cheese is a new thing in it to me ( as far as the tastes I remember) but yay, it's yummy and finally here for people to see.
  
  To me, a foodie who also loves books, Bourdain is a culinary giant, and I'm lucky to catch all the recipes in my lap, this cookbooks helps! The beginning has lots of tips and tricks in a short, great chapter that should be read a few times - General Principles, for example it's insisted on to have all your ingredients chopped and ready to go, that's something many overlook, but when things start spilling and too many things need attention, peeling and chopping potatoes isn't always fun when another sauce or pasta is screaming for our attention. Processional restaurants have everything set in place, so should we. Shopping and planning, knife knowledge, learning stocks and sauces, it's all here, for those who love food and love cooking. The book has lots of strange sounding French bistro recipes but they are pretty rustic and basic, with really good balance of flavors and with perfect cooking instructions. I think many who enjoy food will find familiar favorites here from Steak au poivre to Vichyssoise, and with a tasty dessert menu, hazelnut torte anyone? This has my whole taste bud topography covered.
  
  The last pages have invaluable info, more reading material recommended by Bourdain, various suppliers and stores that are reachable online and a great glossary, all told form his view, few curse words here and there and the book is totally his. The best way to check this book out is to read it first, I read all my cookbooks before I use them, like a little manual into the chef's psyche, almost as fun as cooking itself.
  
• 
  Steven

  It's well written, but a lousy cookbook.
  
  Does that make sense? It does to me. And I've TRIED to make his food. Pelé help me: I've tried. But some of them are just fricking impossible.
  
  Take rillettes. Wonderful food. Absolutely delicious. His recipe makes them sound as good as they are.
  
  I double dog dare anyone who has no previous experience with charcuterie to figure out what the H he is actually talking about. His steps are so vague as to be almost useless.
  
  My wife's gramma used to give barely coherent recipes. My wife loved her, so she put up with this. Me? It drove me bonkers. I don't dispute that Les Halles has great prototypical French food- it's amazing stuff. Their escargot made me a fan of that dish. But the recipes here are not all created equal.
  
  If you're buying this book to learn how to cook French like the masters, you would be better served by sticking with Mrs. Child. If you are a fan of Bourdain (and who isn't? He's like Kerouac in the kitchen) it's worth a read. He's obscene, funny, and sarcastic. User friendly? Not as much as I would prefer.
• 
  Jean

  Recipes are picky preparations but absolutely worth it. This is the book and the chef that brought me my dearest friends and kicked off our first cookbook club gathering.
  
  Here's what I've tasted and the cookbook club cooks who made them:
  
  Me - boeuf bourguingon: not your corn starch thickened momma's beef stew. Use a good wine and you won't regret it.
  
  Gretchen - moules a la grecque: Nothing could sway my love of mussels. The Fennel bulb was a delightful twist
  
  Molly - petatou: Olives are annoying to pit but this potato dish was so amazing. I've never had anything like it. Love love loved it.
  
  Sheela - chocolate hazelnut tart: Sheela's pastries are always flawless. This was no exception. Awesomely delicious combination.
  
• 
  Sommer

  I fell in love with this book the moment I opened it up to some random spot in the middle and the first sentence I read included the word "fuck." Nothing like one of the naughtier of the four letter words in a cook book. I heart Anthony Bourdain.
  
  
• 
  Jennie Morton

  Why not five stars? Because I can never get enough of Bourdain's commentary. It's a rare cookbook that can make me laugh, after all! Solid, approachable recipes for someone who wants to up their cooking game.
• 
  Ben Stiefel

  this book is what it says it is, it's Tony Bourdain's recipes from Les Halles along with his style of commentary. I like the recipes, if only for the same reasons I like the recipes in the French Laundry Cookbook - I probably won't make most of them, but they're something to aspire to, or adapt to my own abilities (for instance, i'm NOT going to make veal stock any year soon... it's just over the top when you're normally cooking for 2. Demi-glace from D'artagnon however? that I will buy).
  
  I've been reading/watching/enjoying/aurally assaulted by Bourdain's style for about 8 years now, and while I'm not sick of it, it's no longer as edgy or entertaining as it once was... it's certainly not this book's fault, as it was written 6 years ago now, but because i'm reading it this late, i've already been more than exposed, so i'm not finding it as good as i once might have...
  
  That said, the recipes are great, and the instructions are obviously FROM Tony Bourdain, rather than from an editor or test chef, trying to codify what "a handful of herbs" means in ounces or tablespoons, so you can follow them well enough. The Red Wine Butter has already changed my life, for example (it's exactly that, reduce red wine with shallots in a small pot, add to soft butter in a food processor and mix. The result is fantastic, and excellent for melting on just about any grilled/roasted meat you can wave at it...)
• 
  Sara

  As a huge cookbook reader and a Bourdain fan, this one rates top shelf placement in my collection. From the perspective of a plain old, ordinary cookbook, it's great: bright, sexy photographs, clearly printed recipes, nicely organized into sensible (not kitchy) sections. Everything I look for.
  
  The recipes are presented in an unusual fashion. They begin with the standard ingredient list, but the step by step instructions read like prose: he's teaching you how to create the dish the way your mom or dad or whoever taught you how to cook when you first started. What to look for, what it should smell like, how it should sound when it's cooking at the right temperature. Oh yes, and he swears. Often.
  
  It also includes sections on essentials: how to choose, use and care for a good knife, how to find and procure the best ingredients, recommended reading for the curious cook (more than just Le Technique by Jacques Pepin, thank you Tony).
  
  Short review: it's beautiful and ballsy. Just like its author.
  
  PS: Having now used a few od the recipes, I can add that they are as easy to follow as I'd hoped. The roast chicken recipe is now my standard, and the gratin dauphonoise (potatoes) is a creamy, delicious treat!
• 
  Eli

  I cannot rate this cookbook highly enough. Bourdain's personality shows through, but it doesn't detract from the food - much (if not most) of which I tried at Les Halles before the Washington store closed. If this doesn't turn you on to French bistro and peasant food, I'm not sure anything will.
  
  Witness his introduction to Pâté de Campagne:
  
  "You've made meat loaf, right? You've eaten cold meat loaf, yes? Then you're halfway to being an ass-kicking, name-taking charcutier. "Ooooh... pâté, I don't know." Please. Campagne means "country" in French - which means even your country-ass can make it."
• 
  Jess

  Read this one not just for the recipes (which to amateur home cooks can be intimidating at first glance) Reading through the introduction and Bourdain's frank instructions and wisdom will instill you with the confidence you need to continue cooking and learning. But also, he not going to pump up you ego so you'll feel that you too can be a professional cook by the end of it. But I don't really want to be. Learned some great tips and a few more recipes for my tacky recipe box that sits on my counter (a sight that would probably shock Chef Bourdain with its content) Recommended for foodies, causal cooks and anyone who likes humor and food. Now, I have to go make those famous frites.
• 
  Afiq Asyran

  I love the introduction by Bourdain himself in first few pages of Les Halles Cookbook. I enjoy it as much as I enjoy reading Kitchen Confidential over and over again especially the part How to Cook Like Pros. And he elaborate that subject in the beginning of this book, Part A, B and C. From what you need to have in the kitchen, how to prepare your mise en place, stocks, the basic. The recipes (France Cooking) looks nice, easy to cook and most importantly feasible technique in preparing it to make sure you can cook it fast, efficient. -1star for this book becauseof lack of pictures in it.
• 
  Sara

  I will confess, I've not made a single dish from this cookbook since acquiring it months (and months) ago. But Anthony Bourdain writes a pretty entertaining cookbook! Not surprising, since I find his quirky sense of humor very appealing. The book would have gotten 5 stars if I could actually find veal bones (easily) in the market. It might actually drive me to try and make veal stock to use regularly in my cooking.
• 
  Shereen Oca

  This cookbook exudes a bare-boned and unpretentious approach to French cuisine. The classic French bistro recipes (taken from Bourdain's restaurant in New York, Les Halles) are broken down and presented in such an approachable way that anyone can replicate, respect and appreciate. Every recipe I've tried thus far has been phenomenal.
• 
  Trishtator

  Reading his writing is just like walking around behind him through dusty streets of a far-off country. You are instantly drawn in, while he straight-forwardly tells why French food is crap, and you should be certain not to buy strawberries out of season. It's delightfully refreshing, and I loved an afternoon with him.
• 
  Mary Reed

  how do you review a cookbook? this is the most non-traditional, unforgiving, scathing cookbook you can find. He's got insane recipes but just biting commentary, I actually found myself reading it almost as a book. If you're into food, I'd definitely recommend owning a copy.
• 
  Beth Fox

  A good read. Four stars because a) I like Bourdain's no nonsense yet humorous writing style and b) the book gives many helpful tips on running a kitchen. Five stars if and when I ever cook any recipe out of it.
• 
  Eric

  For pure "i don't give a shit" cooking, this is the book. Now you too can walk around with an air of undeserved authority after banging out a few of these recipes. The onglet gascon (p.127) May be the best thing I ever put in my mouth!
• 
  Elizabeth

  Classic French cooking, explained caustically. Lots of good recipes. I plan to try this version of Soupe au Pistou amd a potato appetizer called petatou. Boeuf a la ficelle also looks delicious. Very detailed with lots of helpful hints.
• 
  Jenn

  I love the blunt , honest style this cookbook is written in.