"What's one of your most favorite cookbooks?"

I was asked this by a friend of mine today, and thought it would be a great topic to blog about. The book is French Laundry, and the man is Thomas Keller.He is the culinary genius that chefs everywhere proverbially bow to in their mind, just at the sound of his name. Why? Because we all know there are only a handful of people that have the power and creativity to revolutionize not only the way we eat, but how we consider food. Yes, I said "consider food." The book is has been rumored to have taken a lifetime to write. In fact, it won the top award at International Association of Culinary Professionals cookbook awards many years ago. It's still relevant in today's world.

"The French Laundry Cookbook" by Thomas Keller, the chef/proprietor of the restaurant by the same name in California's Napa Valley, is no small read. It's $50 large and in charge. It contains 150 recipes and full page color photos. It goes beyond recipes to tell the history of the restaurant and the historic building in which it resides. Thomas Keller won the James Beard Award for Outstanding American Chef in 1997, has become known for his menu of many small flavorful courses.

I was given this book by my old assistant from Sur La Table and now very close friend, Ashley. It's THE BEST "chef" present I've ever gotten and I often turn to it for inspiration. He inspires me to do my own thing and let my imagination run wild. One day I hope to eat at his restaurant in Napa. I can not wait for that day to come!

Quote from Keller below on his book:

"It's a lifelong experience," Keller said. "A book should be inspiring, it should have a certain amount of legacy to it. This is it, this is the book I wanted to write."