• Culinaryhermit on February 13, 2024

  signed copy from 2010 chance meeting at Bouchon

• ellabee on March 27, 2013

  Everything I hate about a cookbook in one package. First and worst, way bigger and heavier than it needs to be: obscene amounts of white space on heavy paper -- 5.5lb vs outer-limit Madison Veg Literacy 4lb, and just enough bigger along each dimension to move out of the manageable zone. [Have to grant that the composition of many photos is outstanding.] BUT: teeny page numbers IN THE CENTER OF THESE HUGE HEAVY PAGES, And no overall or chapter ToC, so have to use the [decent to good] index to find recipes. Go straight to hell, Artisan Books (and Level Design of Calistoga, California). I'm unloading this overblown production as soon as chow's April Cookbook of the Month is over.

• ericam on February 13, 2011

  I agree with slowfoodie, I made the wedge salad one night and found that I for this recipe alone, I had to make oven-dried tomatoes, make the croutons, crisp the bacon and make the dressing, so about an hour for a salad. This happens with a lot of recipes I've encountered though, not just in this book. I'd recommend if you need one of pre-made recipes, check for other recipes in the book using those items, make the make-ahead items on your day off and use them throughout the week. But this book is pretty great for comfort food and is 10x easier than the French Laundry cookbook.

• slowfoodie on August 21, 2010

  Excellent recipes. The only drawbacks with this book are that many of the recipes call for pre-made condiments (recipes given), specialty ingredients and/or things to do a day ahead. If you have the time to deal with those requirements this is a top-notch book and the results are worth the effort.

• memagee on January 14, 2010

  As usual Thomas is very thorough.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Apricot-currant compote

  • ellabee on March 30, 2013

    p.243 AND p.246. The designers of this book should be condemned to cook with it for six months straight.

• Asparagus and tomato-bacon stew

  • ksg518 on April 21, 2026

    This recipe is a variation of the southern dish of beans stewed in a tomato sauce. I wasn’t convinced that it would work with asparagus but it was actually very tasty. I used center cut bacon instead of applewood bacon which meant I didn’t have enough bacon grease to cook the asparagus so used olive oil instead. At least that made it healthier. I also opted not to blend the sauce.

• Asparagus coins

  • mharriman on July 30, 2019

    This was a good rather than awesome side dish. We liked the coins with a few tips as a different way to eat asparagus, but for all the work (including making the parsley water), it wasn’t anything super special. Still, it was good and an interesting way to make and serve asparagus. Served with the cod and carrot recipe in the same cookbook (photograph of this on cod recipe page).

• Beef stroganoff

  • Breadcrumbs on September 10, 2011

    p. 42 - While I'd never turn down an opportunity to dine as any of TK's restaurants, I've come to the conclusion I'm not a huge fan of his cookbooks. Every time an enticing recipe appears in an EYB search, inevitably I pull the book from the shelf only to read the recipe and get totally frustrated by overly-complex process to make it. This recipe is no exception. While the ingredient list was relatively short and, seemed promising, I pulled the book only to find that before you can even make this dish, you first must prepare TK's Braised Beef Short Ribs recipe that spans pgs 41 and 42. Thanks but no thanks TK. While we do love beef stroganoff, we'll be living vicariously through others experiences in making this version!!

  • Trackypup on December 03, 2011

    Unbelievably good. Definitely a day off or weekend meal as it does take time but I can't imagine a better Beef Stroganoff recipe. I braised a bunch of beef so the rest will be used for meat pies in the week with the braising liquid. Highly recommend.

  • ellabee on March 21, 2013

    Recipe online: http://momofukufor2.com/2010/04/thomas-kellers-ad-hoc-beef-stroganoff-recipe/

  • jodies on May 09, 2015

    This was good but I didn't love it. Seemed more like a pasta with creamy mushroom sauce than anything at all resembling beef stroganoff (at least if you're looking for it in the more traditional sense). I did not do the whole short ribs procedure, but rather used seared and sliced prime fillet mignon.

• Blowtorch prime rib roast

  • Cheri on December 25, 2013

    Didn't use his method for the roast, but the horseradish sauce was perfect.

• Blue cheese dressing

  • okcook on August 31, 2010

    This dressing has a very nice balance of flavours. I made it with my homemade mayonnaise.

  • smtucker on April 01, 2012

    To date, this is the best blue cheese dressing we have tried. Used homemade mayonnaise and had to do a yogurt/sour cream mix to sub for the creme fraiche. The creme fraiche would have been even better, just have to remember to make some two days earlier.

  • Lucylew on September 23, 2019

    Very good. Followed recipe with the exception of adding chives since I didn't have any. Added Trader Joe's allium powder instead.

• Blueberry cobbler

  • bwhip on September 03, 2020

    Probably the simplest Thomas Keller recipe I've ever made! :) This turned out great. I loved how the topping turned out very light and tender, not heavy like other cobblers I've had.

  • Lynnette on February 07, 2026

    This is such a simple & delicious cobbler! I halved the recipe and made a wee pan. The only other difference was I grabbed the small amount of sugar called for from my vanilla bean infused tea set up. It didn’t detract.

• Brownies

  • usingSpoons on September 04, 2011

    This recipe calls for 61 to 64% dark chocolate, not milk couverture chocolate as it says in the tags to this entry. This is cut up for chips, and cocoa is used for the brownie batter.

  • NJChicaa on January 24, 2018

    Absolutely outrageous brownies. Must try!!!

  • hlange on March 03, 2024

    These have a souffle-like light texture. They are neither too sweet nor too bitter from the dark chocolate. Absolutely outstanding restaurant-quality brownies! They did need a lot longer in the oven than the recipe specified (I used a 9x9" pan)

• Buttered farro

  • bgood on November 08, 2010

    Depending on farro you'll probably need to cook it longer than the recipe

  • meggan on April 04, 2012

    I thought this was pretty bland.

• Buttermilk biscuits

  • britt on September 24, 2010

    These are good and, this may be blasphemy, remind me of Popeyes' biscuits. They didn't keep past the first day.

  • twoyolks on April 02, 2012

    The original recipe calls for too much salt for my taste. I cut the salt by half and end up with a much better biscuit. It also works well to replace both the all purpose and cake flour with white lily flour.

  • chef_ub on April 15, 2012

    Why would you expect anything from a restaurant cookbook to KEEP past the first day? And then, what biscuit recipe was EVER meant to last past the completion of the meal? This guy crafts world class food and is recognized by world class critics.

  • sturlington on March 25, 2013

    Made previously and liked but not as much as Foster's Mkt biscuits.

  • MichiganTrumpet on December 28, 2020

    Way too salty. Recipe calls for four teaspoons of salt for 18 biscuits. (One tablespoon plus one teaspoon.) My yield was actually twelve biscuits. Checked the cookbook and internet versions thinking there might be a typo in one or the other. Both the same. Wish I had seen twoyolks’ comment before making. Will be looking for another biscuit recipe.

• Buttermilk dressing

  • bgood on November 26, 2011

    The aioli base is fantastic Converts to a blue cheese dressing just great for his Waldorf variation

• Buttermilk fried chicken

  • slowfoodie on August 23, 2010

    Brine makes the chicken salty. It's seasoned perfectly, but has a little too much salt when trying to restrict salt intake. Try slightly less salt in the brine.

  • mceuen on February 11, 2012

    I made this for friends and we all thought it was delicious. I made the brine ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a day before I added the chicken. I strained out most of the solids before adding the brine to the chicken, and it only sat in the brine for 8 hours instead of the recommended 12. The quality of the final result didn't seem to suffer because of this.

  • Kitchenangel on August 28, 2014

    This was such a tricky dish to fry. Hard to maintain temperature (was using a wok), and also not burn the chicken. The result was slightly undercooked. I nearly cried as it had required a bit of organization, what with the brining too. Haven't quite given up as spotted similar recipe in 'Smashing Plates' where chicken is finished off in the oven, hopefully producing an easier to control cook.

• Candied pecans

  • et12 on May 04, 2025

    I made a smaller batch than called for and I should have removed them from the oven a half hour earlier. They were just slightly over baked but still ok. The honey gives a nice flavour tot the pecans

• Caramelized fennel

  • ellabee on April 02, 2013

    p.194. Possibly the simplest recipe in this book: blanch quarter-inch wedges 3 min, let cool (can be stored at this stage for later caramelizing) then pan-fry a few minutes on each side until well colored.

  • southerncooker on March 11, 2019

    I had a fennel bulb I needed to use up before it ruined so I searched my books on here and found this recipe. Since I only had one bulb I made a half recipe. It was a quick, easy, and tasty recipe.

• Caramelized savoy cabbage

  • Drmiggy on March 27, 2015

    page 197

• Caramelized sea scallops

  • twoyolks on March 20, 2016

    The scallops get very well caramelized. If you're using any smaller scallops, decrease the brining time so they don't become too salty.

  • southerncooker on February 23, 2019

    I did this with bay scallops. They were delicious with that optional squeeze of lemon juice at the end but not as pretty as the ones in the book. I also made the clarified butter from the book to sear them in.

• Catalan beef stew

  • ellabee on March 30, 2013

    p.46. Requires substantial advance prep: uses as ingredients soffrito (5 hours) and already braised beef short ribs (3 hours).

• Chanterelle mushrooms with pea shoots

  • clkandel on December 17, 2020

    The pea shoots and chanterelles are a great flavor combo. Served this with the suggested halibut for a fast, delicious dinner.

• Cherry pie

  • metacritic on July 06, 2021

    This is phenomenal. Certainly the best cherry pie I've ever had. Arguably the best pie. Other cherry pies seem like a shadow of this, the real thing.

• Chicken mar i muntanya with shrimp, mussels, green beans, piquillo peppers, and chorizo

  • tekobo on February 11, 2017

    This is going to be a firm favourite. Delicious!

• Chicken potpie

  • Miquette on January 12, 2013

    This potpie is worth the effort, homemade crust is a must! I add sautéed shiitake mushrooms.

  • Jeshaprekop on March 23, 2025

    Wow this recipe does take some time!! Phew! The Béchamel did not take 40 mins. I think it was over 90 mins of constant stirring on an induction cooktop which was able to keep it pretty low without risking burning the sauce and was finally reduce it down to 2 cups. And yes use three sauce pans to simmer the potato’s, carrots and onions (instead of all in the same pot). This recipe does take some effort BUT!! It’s SO good!!! For the pie dough, I follow Keller’s ingredients quantity but used another technique by “Carla Makes Pie Crust” on Bon Appétit’s YouTube video published in 2016. Carla rolled the butter flat and fold into the dough. The resulting pie crust was incredibly flaky and tender.

• Chicken soup with dumplings

  • NJChicaa on January 24, 2018

    This recipe took like 4 hours for me to make. Maybe longer. It was ridiculous.

• Curried cauliflower-chickpea salad

  • nickdavis on June 23, 2010

    I had to substitute romaine for the endive, as I needed to scale the recipe for 80 and could not find a good local source. Very good recipe.

  • okcook on June 23, 2012

    This salad has very interesting textures and flavours. If it was on a buffet table it would probably get passed by because it doesn't have a lot eye appeal. But it is well worthwhile making.

  • ellabee on April 02, 2013

    p.152-153. Advance prep required: red onions pickled in vinegar and sugar at least 24 hours ahead, dried chickpeas soaked for 12 hours.

  • tekobo on April 14, 2017

    It seemed like there were a million extra things to make before you could complete this salad - madras vinaigrette, pickled red onions, wine soaked raisins, cooked chickpeas - ok, four. It is sooo delicious that it is worth it though. Going to make it again soon but will cut the cauliflower florets down so that they are closer in size to the chickpeas.

  • anya_sf on May 23, 2024

    This recipe has lots of sub-recipes which require advance preparation, but nothing difficult or time-consuming. The flavors worked very nicely together. I had to sub green manzanilla olives - good, but black oil-cured olives would have been better. I added 2 extra endives and did not bother frying the parsley. 1/4 of the curry vinaigrette was just right.

• Garlic confit and oil

  • okcook on August 31, 2010

    Oh my goodness, are these ever good. I have a jar in the fridge and use them all the time. Used them for a garlic mayonnaise to go on our hamburger, yummy.

  • Dannausc on December 27, 2020

    Good and easy but I let the garlic get a little too dark which made them less tender than I would have liked.

  • Totallywired on September 24, 2018

    Staple recipe, very low heat essential. Keeps forever.

• Duck confit

  • okcook on August 31, 2010

    Very easy to make and the herbs add a nice touch. To clarify the duck fat after use, heat to 250 and let it bubble until you hear no more sizzling. This means you have driven off all the moisture. Strain and save the drippings in the bottom the pot.

• Chocolate chip cookies

  • okcook on August 31, 2010

    The different types of chocolate is interesting

  • DKennedy on June 21, 2013

    Made these for Father's day 2013 and would describe them as unremarkable. Good, but nothing special.

  • Melanie on March 28, 2014

    I thought these had a great taste. I didn't remove the chocolate 'dust' as suggested though as it felt like a waste of flavour for aesthetics.

  • chezjoey74 on January 19, 2026

    On a quest to find my ideal chocolate chip cookie. These were just okay for me. They flattened quite a bit.

• Pan-roasted halibut

  • owaint on May 20, 2011

    With good quality fish this is truly delicious. A very simple recipe but the timings used give a beautiful golden crust with perfectly cooked inner meat. It works just as well with skin-on fillets as it does with the skinless ones shown in the book. In fact, using the skin side for most of the cooking gives a great textural/flavour boost. For nice thick pieces of fish, plenty of salt before cooking is a good idea. The recipe doesn't mention it but DON'T use a non-stick pan, plain steel is perfect and will give a much better crust. Just be patient and, when it's time to turn the fish, gently loosen it first by shaking the pan while supporting the fish - it will come away nicely and have deep golden crust that you'd never get in a Teflon pan. The Mushroom and peashoot side is perfect with it (though both benefit from a little acid - lemon for the fish and a good vinegar for the mushrooms - to pep them up).

  • Eydie on July 05, 2011

    Thomas Keller is a great teacher, and the technique he uses to cook the halibut is genius. I've used the exact same technique on many types of fish, just decreasing the amount of searing depending on the thickness of the fish. I loved the Chanterelles and pea shoots as a side, as well as the asparagus with tomato bacon stew.

  • lorloff on September 20, 2020

    I could not agree more with the other reviewers. A perfect and simple technique that browns the fish marvelously without over cooking it for perfect halibut. I used a cast iron pan and it worked perfectly. the Avocado-Lime Sauce from Jay Harlow’s west coast seafood makes a great sauce to serve with this dish — 1 avocado+ juice 1 ½ limes + 1 small green chile + salt.

  • clkandel on December 17, 2020

    Excellent crust on this. Love the technique. I think this would be good with a dab of compound butter or small amount of other sauce on top.

  • anya_sf on July 11, 2021

    Agree that this method produces a great crust. However, with local (California) Pacific halibut, which is leaner than Alaskan, one must still be very careful not to overcook the fish. Despite cutting my fish larger (2 thick 8-oz pieces), cooking on medium-high 4 min, then low for 1 min, then oven 2 minutes, the fish still ended up kind of dry and underseasoned. That's more about the fish than the technique. Topping the fish with avocado-lime sauce (lorloff's suggestion) helped quite a bit, but I had leftovers the next day with vinaigrette and that actually added the most moisture and flavor.

  • Resip on March 21, 2026

    Although good without any sauce, the fish is meaty enough to be served with one.

  • Totallywired on July 10, 2019

    Masterclass method for perfect halibut.

• Fig and balsamic jam

  • vinochic on August 23, 2011

    Easy to make and delicious. Great with cheese!

• Farro and black rice with roasted autumn squash

  • Jane on December 06, 2011

    This discovery was one of those times "I have these ingredients for Sunday night supper and what recipe can I find". Although I didn't have everything in Keller's ingredient list - only one type of squash (delicata), no dandelion greens and pancetta rather than applewood smoked bacon - it worked really well. It looked pretty with the brown farro, black rice and orange squash. The mix of texture and flavors was good, the mustard dressing gave it some zing.

• Creamed baby spinach

  • DJM on January 13, 2012

    Unlike any other creamed spinach. Onions, shallots, Comte cheese. Exceptional recipe.

  • ellabee on March 30, 2013

    p.206.

• Cream of cauliflower soup with red beet chips

  • smtucker on April 02, 2012

    Note, Keller's medium heat during the initial covered cooking time is either too hot for our stove or our vegetables didn't have as much moisture. A layer of veggies burned, but not so much that we needed take out. Subbed a very light homemade chicken stock for the cream. Served with garlic croutons and pepitas. No beet chips. NOTE: this recipe also has onions.

  • fprincess on April 02, 2012

    This is really delicious. I followed the recipe as is and didn't have any problem with the cooking temperature/time. My only shortcut was to use store-bought beet chips for the garnish. The soup was quite thick and very flavorful. Picture here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/88017382@N00/4177008457/

• Crispy braised chicken thighs with olives, lemon, and fennel

  • C5D on July 28, 2012

    Great recipe and technique. Crisping technique and timing useful for other recipes

  • biondanonima on October 11, 2012

    This was fine but I'm not wild about the texture of braised fennel. The overall flavor was good though, with nice crisp skin on the chicken.

  • lorloff on October 17, 2015

    A fabulous braised chicken finished by roasting and then broiling. This is a keeper. This will become my go to technique for chicken thighs. It was amazing. I added fresh farmers market celery to the fennel. I did not have fresh lemons which was unsual so I substitued 1 preserved lemon which worked really well it was fanstatic. I made this also at the end of my herb growing season so I increased the parsley and added pineapple sage and a bit of cilantro. I increased the herbs to a cup and added 3/4 a cup when the olives were added and then saved the 1/4 to add at the end. I added a bit more garlic. The fresh thyme is perfect adding a subtle flavor that would not be possible with dried. I threw them in during the broiling stage. I cannot say enough about how great the technique was. I strongly recommend you try this.

  • Avocet on August 05, 2016

    We found this a bit bland, though the technique was very good. I think Lorloff's additions would have sparked it up quite a bit, particularly the preserved lemon. Four strips of lemon zest just didn't give much lemon flavor.

  • adelina on March 09, 2015

    Loved the technique and flavors. I used a whole chicken cut into pieces along with 2 more thighs and drumsticks. Short of not having a fennel I substituted fennel seeds along with celery. I served it with roasted buttered scallop potatoes.

  • Dannausc on December 27, 2020

    I didn’t have any fennel, so I used 3 cups celery and 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds. It was quite good.

  • pattyatbryce on January 09, 2022

    Very good recipe - easy to follow and came out perfectly. I like the idea of preserved lemon and wish I'd read that note prior to making. Somehow I ended up with 3/4 of the lemon zest strips in my first portion and when you got a bite of them, the dish went from good to great.

  • anya_sf on May 18, 2024

    I just cooked 6 thighs but kept everything else the same. My thighs were probably larger, as they needed 30 minutes in the oven. They mostly sat on top of the vegetables so they roasted, rather than braised. The sauce was delicious; we enjoyed it over couscous with peas.

• Nantes carrot stew

  • adrienneyoung on October 19, 2012

    Keeper. Easy, delicious. Not as fast, in our case, as recipe describes. Would be a great addition to a turkey dinner.

  • okcook on October 29, 2012

    Fantastic!

  • bching on July 25, 2014

    Use vadouvan instead of madras curry.

  • mharriman on July 30, 2019

    Very tasty and went well with the cod recipe in the same cookbook. I used Bolthouse carrot juice (didn’t make my own). This would make a wonderful family or holiday dinner side since it can be made ahead and reheated.

  • Skamper on May 14, 2021

    Delicious even with regular ol' carrots, though I had to saute them quite a bit longer to get tender. I made carrot juice in a blender in advance, which was a bit of a pain. Next time I'll just buy it.

• Creamed summer corn

  • ellabee on December 03, 2012

    page 189. Made from a version on a food blog, before acquiring the book. Unbelievably great. Perfect for that third or fourth batch of corn, when the pure excitement of fresh sweet corn has passed, but the corn is still coming. Especially good with black bean fritters.

• Lentil and sweet potato soup

  • ellabee on March 29, 2013

    p.121. Make half. Uses two 'sachets' (bouquets garnis) and parchment lid.

• Peach puree

  • Jane on September 22, 2019

    This was lovely - good peach flavor with a hint of spice. I don't know why you would need to strain it - the Vitamix makes it so smooth already.

  • Jehensle on July 19, 2019

    Great recipe! This turned out so flavorful! I cut the recipe in half and followed directions as directed (though I did not strain the purée before cooking). 1 lb of peaches made about 2 cups of cooked purée, though it should have only made 1 cup. Maybe I didn’t cook it long enough, but either way, it is delicious, especially on vanilla ice cream!

• Split pea soup with ham hock, fresh peas, and mint

  • Cheri on December 18, 2010

    this was good. Took much longer to cook - 2+ hours after split peas were added. Used frozen green peas. Mint is very nice touch. Richard was not crazy about this one

• Summer vegetable gratin

  • Cheri on September 05, 2010

    Skipped the eggplant. Made in oval cassarole dish. 1st sauted onions and garlic, then layer of squash (green and yellow), then layer of tomatoes (romas) then one more layer of squash, finish with bread crumbs. Guests LOVED it. Nice flavor balance. Does take 1.5 hours to bake.

  • twoyolks on August 24, 2014

    The tart is really pretty but the flavor of the various vegetables doesn't really meld together.

• Sautéed lamb loin chops

  • JoanN on June 10, 2013

    Good, but probably won't make again. Prefer my loin chops simply broiled. See online recipe for reducing servings from 6 to 2.

• Roasted spring leg of lamb

  • Ladyberd on November 22, 2013

    Once again, Keller gets it just right. This lamb came out pink, juicy and perfect. My husband claims it was the best leg of lamb he's ever had so I have a new go-to lamb roast.

• Sautéed shrimp with garlic

  • hbroad on June 11, 2010

    Delicious, fast and easy.

  • jodies on August 14, 2021

    Really delicious and easy.

  • bching on March 27, 2019

    This is a good quick way to prepare shrimp. The saline brine is a good idea although I will brine for a slightly shorter time in the future; it was a little saltier than I would have liked.

  • mharriman on June 30, 2018

    Tasty. My husband and I like shrimp and eat it nearly every week. I made this for a family tapas dinner and everyone loved it. The 10 minute quick salt brining adds depth to an otherwise typical shrimp sautée.

• Sautéed chicken breasts with tarragon

  • DJM on January 07, 2013

    Tarragon and chicken are a match made in heavenand the touch of curry and paprika enhance it. I have also made this with bone-in, skin on chicken breasts-saute briefly, then into a moderate oven until done, then continue with the sauce.

  • ellabee on April 01, 2013

    p.27. A perfect way to make use of fresh tarragon, whenever it's available to you. Dead easy for two, a bit more work for six as written, because both the pounding and sauteeing of the chicken breasts can only be done a few at a time. Use written quantity for sauce even if cutting down on chicken servings. Equally good with veal scallopini and veal stock.

  • mr.paul on March 02, 2015

    Extremely good, with fairly light work. The tastes are quite balanced. The flavour profile and work is most certainly not what you expect from Keller, so that might have influenced my rating; it was such a surprise because it was dead easy and somewhat an exotic flavour for him. Will make again lots of times. We made it with only two breasts, but used the same amount of ingredients for sauce as mentioned by another Noter, as that seemed to be dictated by pan size, which would be the same either way.

  • sheepishjen on April 19, 2017

    quite tasty and simple. Great treatment for skinless boneless chicken breasts. Would make again.

  • Trackypup on December 19, 2011

    Very good. You wouldn't in a million years think the chicken had been marinated in curry. I mixed the breasts in the curry/paprika mix in the am for dinner that night. Nice quick, easy meal.

  • ksg518 on April 08, 2021

    Very good! I wouldn't have thought of combining tarragon, curry and paprika but the combination was delicious. I didn't pound the chicken thin enough so it took a little longer to cook. Like others I had less chicken than the recipe calls for but used the full amount for the sauce (including a little more shallot than required).

  • Pamsy on February 04, 2019

    My first recipe from this book. Lovely flavour and really simple. I used 1 large breast, sliced horizontally which was fine for 2 of us. Didn't pound the chicken as it was thin enough. Will definitely make again, would be good for a dinner party.

  • Dcampos on October 17, 2016

    This was delicious!

  • QuiteLucid on June 16, 2020

    https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/08/thomas-kellers-chicken-breasts-with-tarragon.html

  • QuiteLucid on June 28, 2020

    https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/08/thomas-kellers-chicken-breasts-with-tarragon.html

• Green bean and potato salad with mission figs and Ibérico ham

  • SheilaS on August 10, 2022

    This is a fun salad to eat with lots of different flavors and textures. The recipe calls for 1.5 lbs beans to 1 lb potatoes, I'd prefer equal parts. Per the recipe notes, I subbed prosciutto for the Iberico ham and cut it up in the salad instead of serving it on a separate plate.

• Yellow curry powder

  • ellabee on March 29, 2013

    p.336. Surprisingly, does not call for toasting the whole spices before grinding. This is the curry powder called for in many of the recipes in the book, referred to in those ingredient lists as Madras curry powder. I adapted, based on what I had on hand and the proportions of spices in other recipes, and toasted the whole spices until some of the mustard seeds popped before grinding in mortar.

• Scallion potato cakes

  • ellabee on March 29, 2013

    p.230. Recipe specifies Russet potatoes. Try with 1 lb potatoes (resulting in one pan cake to be fried) rather than 3, especially since I'll be grating by hand rather than with food processor.

  • kateiscoooking on August 29, 2020

    These were delicious but not a five in our book. The directions were perfect. We put smoked salmon on top and used his horseradish cream. Now, that was a five!

  • sosayi on February 14, 2019

    Absolutely delicious and easy. Directions were spot on, although I did need a bit more time per side than indicated (but maybe my pan was just on a lower heat). I added blue cheese to the middle of two of the cakes, to pair with the dinner I had planned, and that worked out really well. I agree with Ellabee that I would probably pare down to 1# of potatoes for future endeavors, but I'm not sad about the leftover cakes in my freezer. No sir.

• Tomato-basil marmalade

  • ellabee on April 02, 2013

    p.248. Good for early fall, as it specifies slightly under-ripe tomatoes and fennel and leeks along with basil. Especially recommended with lamb.

• Waldorf salad

  • ellabee on April 02, 2013

    p.136 ...sort of. An example of sub-recipes gone wild: blue cheese dressing p.182 made with aioli p.333 which is made with oil from garlic confit p.266.

• Pan-roasted duck breasts

  • okcook on February 17, 2014

    A very easy recipe to make pretty much perfect duck breasts. The orange zest adds a nice note to the dish. We had them with a blackberry risotto. This is my go to duck recipe.

  • Zosia on February 07, 2019

    This method is different from the one I usually follow with more time stove top, less in the oven and the results were very good: crisp skin, good flavour, moist meat and more of the fat rendered out than I've experienced before. I will make it this way again.

  • pattyatbryce on January 09, 2022

    Perfect way to cook a duck breast.

• Porterhouse steak with herb and shallot butter

  • okcook on August 31, 2010

    The herb and shallot butter is very good. Keep it in the freezer for your next steak.

• Sautéed red and green cabbage

  • okcook on August 31, 2010

    It tasted good but the presentation was not very appealing.

  • TinyCitiKitchen on March 30, 2025

    Extremely simple preparation. I made it to serve with duck confit, as recommended by the book (though I didn’t confit my own!) Instead of serving the duck legs on a bed of cabbage, I cut the meat off the bone in 1” bits and tossed it into the cabbage. It was a homey, satisfying meal. I was surprised that I enjoyed it even more, barely warmed up, the next day.

• Sun gold tomato gazpacho

  • bgood on September 02, 2010

    Very bright, alive flavours

  • jodies on September 07, 2021

    Best gazpacho ever. Really flavorful and meaty cherry tomatoes are a must. Garden or farmer’s market. Supermarket doesn’t cut it.

• Fresh tuna salad

  • lorloff on April 27, 2026

    We made this with fresh sushi grade tuna from the farmer’s market. We cooked it so very pink but not totally raw inside and made the recommended vinaigrette. For the vinaigrette we used banyules vinegar (for the red wine vinegar) and Edmund fallot tarragon mustard for the Dijon. We also added fresh tarragon and chervil that Tomas Keller recommended by added to the salad and instead blended it into the dressing. We also added one small clove of garlic. The dressing with the fresh tuna and baby romaine was a total success. Highly recommended! Instead

  • lorloff on April 28, 2026

    Update the dressing was amazing this time we made it with fresh tarragon and chervil and it was fantastic. Add the herbs to the dressing not the salad

  • sturlington on October 16, 2013

    Served with bacon vinaigrette from the same cookbook.

  • anya_sf on September 09, 2024

    We had this as a dinner main for 2 people, slightly adjusting ingredient quantities. I couldn't find tuna loin, so just cooked a tuna steak so it was still rare in the center. Didn't have tarragon or chervil - used mint and parsley instead. Very good!

• Court bouillon

  • lorloff on July 18, 2020

    This is a great recipe comes out really well every time. I make some minor modifications. I cook the vegetables and the herbs for 20 minutes and add 1 T Kosher Salt and then add the wine and vinegar and finish cooking the stock. I also add a medium beet and two stalks of celery with the vegetables and if I have it on hand add parsley and dill with thyme and bay, particularly when I am making the bouillon to poach salmon.

• Poached salmon

  • lorloff on October 01, 2017

    I combined this recipe with the one in Jeremiah Tower's book. The ingredients for the court bouillon were great. I added two celery stalks + 1 finely sliced beet as per Jamie Oliver's suggestion. I also added garlic to the sachet. The court bouillon came out really delicious. I cooked the salmon in a poacher directly in the stock. Then let it cool in the poaching liquid. I served it with a salsa verde peche from Roden's The Book of Jewish Food. When I cooked the stock I used the approach from Jeremiah Tower's book in terms of timing. I followed Thomas Keller's instructions for cooking exactly and the salmon came out moist and perfect.

• Puree of garlic potatoes

  • jodies on November 19, 2023

    Excellent! Even without the garlic confit.

  • Dannausc on December 27, 2020

    I mashed the potatoes because I prefer mine lumpy. Good but I probably should have cooked the potatoes a little more as a couple of the potatoes weren’t quite tender enough. I used russet potatoes, because that’s what I had on hand.

• Tomato and handmade mozzarella salad

  • cafrin629 on October 09, 2010

    I'll admit I didn't make the mozzarella, bought burrata, but this was a wonderful salad to make at the peak of tomato season.

  • et12 on October 14, 2024

    We were gifted a really good quality buffalo mozzarella and I wanted to use it in a recipe that allowed us to highlight and taste the cheese. This was a really good way of doing so. All simple ingredients and easy to put together. I didn’t make the basil cream but used basil olive oil that I had instead. Really tasty dish and looks good too!

• Leek bread pudding

  • JulietTaylor on July 04, 2013

    This is a heavenly! Great for parties and a wonderful dish for the holidays, goes with all the traditional holiday fare.

  • metacritic on September 29, 2024

    This is a dazzling dish. I would gladly swap out our much-beloved stuffing on Thanksgiving for this dish. I expect to make it annually, perhaps for the holidays.

  • Baxter850 on December 29, 2022

    Made for rib roast side dish. Don’t be tempted to add extra cheese less is more here. Very rich. Mine came out more like a custard than the drier version in the picture in the book (maybe because I didn’t toast the bread long enough). Would make again.

  • Totallywired on September 24, 2018

    Make this every Christmas as a side to prime rib. Perfect and indulgent.

• Clarified butter

  • southerncooker on February 23, 2019

    I just did one stick of butter since I wanted some to sear the scallops from this book in.

• Flatbread

  • Melanie on March 28, 2014

    This is a great recipe - rolls out to be super thin and crisp with use of a pasta machine.

• Pear with vanilla bean compote

  • Trackypup on December 12, 2025

    Delicious and easy. Used Star Anise (small amount) in place of cloves. Beautiful with cheese.

• Whole roasted chicken on a bed of root vegetables

  • RuthGo on March 10, 2015

    This has become my go to way to roast a chicken. The trick is to steam some of the veggies before hand to make sure that they get cooked all the way through.

  • Totallywired on October 22, 2018

    I am not partial to bed of vegetable chicken recipes. The veg releases steam which reduces browning on the chicken, plus I find the aromatics (particularly onions) detract from the flavour of the chicken. You can solve the latter by sweating the aromatics before you add them, but then why bother.

• Glazed sweet potatoes

  • twoyolks on February 17, 2014

    The instructions for this are not particularly clear as to what orientation the cut sweet potatoes should be cooked at. Also, there is a large amount of butter used that mostly seems to melt and disperse around the sweet potatoes.

• Roasted pork short ribs

  • twoyolks on February 17, 2014

    I made this with spare ribs cut into 3 rib sections instead of short ribs and they were very good.

• Wild cod in persillade

  • twoyolks on December 18, 2017

    The cod was well cooked but the persillade didn't adhere to the fish so most of it came off. It also didn't brown particularly well. It looked nothing like the picture in the book.

  • mharriman on July 30, 2019

    Great tasting but baking directions are strange to me. After browning the cod on the stove, I moved it - breadcrumb side down - as directed, to the oven, even though I thought it made no sense. The parsley and breadcrumb topping came off in pieces when I flipped them to serve, and as a previous cook noted, the cod looked nothing like the photo. I served this with the recommended carrot and asparagus side, reviewed separately.

• Slow-cooker apple butter

  • sturlington on October 23, 2013

    This is a reasonable recipe for apple butter. I actually made the apple sauce earlier and then started the slow cooker recipe after the point of pureeing the apples. It takes a long time and is not quite as thick as I would like, but it is all done in the slow cooker rather than the oven, a big bonus.

  • tarae1204 on September 15, 2023

    This has been my go-to for apple butter. Still happy with it, but I did swap cider vinegar for the specified champagne vinegar and that made it too vinegary. Stick to the recipe!

• Fall salad

  • Miquette on November 03, 2013

    Really nice combination of flavors.

• Vanilla ice cream

  • Rachaelsb on October 30, 2013

    I think this could be vanilla icecream perfection! I added oreos--beyond yummy. Keeping in fridge overnite is essential.

• Soffritto

  • Zosia on September 09, 2014

    Excellent flavour but lacking a diffuser, it required frequent stirring, something of a chore with a 5 hour cooking time. I did cheat and raise the heat so it was done in 2 hours. This is not something I see myself making again.

  • Dannausc on December 27, 2020

    Good and easy but takes quite a long time. I used 1/2 a can of diced tomatoes and didn’t purée them. Still turned out fine.

• Meatballs with pappardelle

  • Zosia on November 22, 2013

    Simple (especially if the butcher grinds the meat for you) but tasty meatball recipe that I decided to try based on cooking method: baking. Worked beautifully; I'll never fry another meatball again. I made them half the size but the baking time was the same as for the large size.

• Grilled asparagus with prosciutto, fried bread, poached egg, and aged balsamic vinegar

  • Zosia on June 21, 2014

    Grilling the asparagus and adding croutons, prosciutto and a drizzle of balsamic to the plate updates this classic dish nicely.

• Peperonata rustica

  • Zosia on September 09, 2014

    Delicious variation of peperonta which unfortunately relies on the soffritto recipe with a 5 hour cook time for much of its flavour. The method for roasting the peppers didn't work very well for me since I found it impossible to bake the cut peppers for over 30 minutes without browning the edges. I'll stick to broiling them in future.

  • foodgloriousfood on May 07, 2021

    We really enjoyed this and although it takes a while with the soffritto needing to be made first, the soffritto does keep on the fridge for a week so it doesn’t need to be made at the same time. Would make this again.

• Pan-roasted chicken with sweet sausage and peppers

  • Zosia on September 09, 2014

    Really quite delicious but not sure it's worth the time and effort; not only is brining the chicken required but one must also make peperonta rustica and soffritto, the latter with a 5 hour cook time, to complete the dish. I did appreciate the technique of cooking the chicken that created and maintained a crisp skin but was just as happy with the pieces of chicken I'd skinned before cooking which, though not quite as attractive, were moist and flavourful. I used only chicken thighs.

  • Dannausc on December 27, 2020

    Good and hearty. I agree that it’s quite time consuming with all the prep steps/recipes. I skipped the brining, and it was still quite delicious.

• Marinated feta with olives

  • mharriman on June 30, 2018

    Easy to put together and handsome dish because of the contrasting colors of feta and mixed olives. I don’t think this is all that much better tasting than what I can buy in a Wegman’s or Whole Foods olive bar, but it looks better because it’s freshly prepared.

• Rubbed and glazed pork spareribs

  • metacritic on July 18, 2024

    A very, very good rub. I don't miss commercial sauces whatsoever when using this. Makes enough for a few recipes worth.

• Clam chowder with bacon

  • Dannausc on December 27, 2020

    I used ham instead of bacon and russet potatoes instead of Yukon gold potatoes, because that’s what I had on hand. I used 4 cups of onions and omitted the leeks, because I didn’t have leeks. I used a container of chopped raw clams for the clams so I skipped most of the clam steps. (Substitutions due to pandemic/pantry cooking) I added a couple of splashes of white vinegar and a pinch of cayenne pepper. One of the first times I’ve made clam chowder. It turned out quite good. My wife really liked it and said it was one of the best clam chowders she’s ever had.

• Coconut cake

  • ripleypickles on October 24, 2024

    This recipe was very labor-intensive and had very little coconut flavor. The cake was also extremely dense despite measuring everything. Very disappointing.

• Coleslaw

  • psarrett on February 11, 2024

    Simple to make, light, and terrific. My go-to coleslaw recipe now.

• Corn on the cob with lime salt

  • jessica_8s3n6x on January 01, 2026

    Nice for a change up and brighter side

  • et12 on July 11, 2021

    Something a little different to just butter on corn. The taste of lime didn’t really jump out at you so I would put more zest next time. Is very easy to make while the corn is cooking.

• Curry vinaigrette

  • anya_sf on May 23, 2024

    This was good on the cauliflower-chickpea salad. 1/4 recipe was enough for that salad, and I didn't want to make more since I wouldn't use this dressing on many salads. The curry powder became fragrant almost immediately while toasting; I probably only toasted it for 8 min or so.

• Grapefruit cake

  • breakthroughc on April 22, 2023

    This cake was a disaster. I did sub oat milk for the whole milk, so it is partially my fault, but there were issues I think other than that. First you need an extra large loaf pan. A standard one will overflow. I think there is too much syrup for the cake. The top turned just to complete mush and it would not come out of the pan. If you are willing to eat it out of the pan it has a lovely grapefruit flavor.

• Herb-crusted rack of lamb with honey mustard glaze

  • kysia_xjs3fi on June 01, 2026

    Easy to prep. Simple ingredients. Flyover when it all came together was incredible. The lamb melted in the mouth.

• Honey vinaigrette

  • anya_sf on May 23, 2024

    This went very well with the little gem citrus salad, as the sweetness of the honey balanced the tartness of the grapefruit. Note that that salad calls for sprinkling with salt, so if making this vinaigrette for another purpose, you'll want to add salt and pepper to taste.

• Honey-glazed cipollini onions

  • Smithe731 on March 27, 2022

    Pg 203; east and excellent!!

• Horseradish cream

  • kateiscoooking on August 29, 2020

    This was fabulous. An absolute five. My hubby was the one whisking the cream and he was a bit frustrated by the time it took. But, the effort was worth it!

• Lamb meatballs

  • foodgloriousfood on April 01, 2022

    We had these with Tzatziki and Harissa on the side with a variety of salads. Loved the meatballs and would make again. I think they really need the sauces.

• Linzer cookies

  • psarrett on February 11, 2024

    These cookies are fabulous and tender, with a brightness from the lemon that sets them apart (but doesn't make the cookies lemony).

• Little gem lettuce salad with citrus, pomegranate, and honey vinaigrette

  • anya_sf on May 23, 2024

    Lovely, refreshing salad. The pops of tarragon were really nice, so definitely use it if you have it. It's easy to adjust proportions here to what you have on hand - in my case, 3 little gems, 1 grapefruit, 2 small blood oranges, 2 small clementines, maybe 1/4 cup (frozen, thawed) pomegranate seeds. 1/4 vinaigrette was enough.

• Maine lobster rolls

  • foodgloriousfood on May 07, 2021

    I once had a Lobster Roll on hot buttered brioche at The Canteen in Provincetown at sunset with my daughter at the end of a wonderful ten day road trip and it was so epic that years later I still dreamt about it. This lobster roll is as good as that one. The only lobster roll I will ever make because once you have had the best how do you shoot for less?

  • Totallywired on March 25, 2019

    The platonic ideal of lobster rolls.

  • jessica_8s3n6x on December 30, 2025

    Used shrimp instead but really loved this recipe, especially the tarragon

• Marinated skirt steak

  • et12 on December 26, 2022

    The marinade was easy to do and I used it for a leaner steak which I then pan fried in butter. The steak was good but I didn’t get much if any flavour from the marinade.

• Melted leek rounds

  • Totallywired on October 26, 2018

    Made from memory, my favorite method to slow cook leeks.

• Mustard vinaigrette

  • fred_twbdh5 on March 23, 2026

    Easy.

• Pecan-walnut bars

  • Dannausc on January 09, 2021

    Made with all walnuts. I used grape molasses for the molasses. I baked the filling for about twenty minutes, but it still didn’t quite set and had a slight burnt taste. Even though it didn’t set, it still tasted quite good. It tasted really good warmed up and served over vanilla ice cream.

• Peppercorn-crusted beef tenderloin

  • dosojosazules on March 12, 2023

    Meat cooked perfectly per directions but was SO peppery. Would crust with maybe half as much pepper next time.

• Pickled radishes

  • Skamper on October 28, 2024

    This was too sweet for my tastes.

• Pickled red onions

  • anya_sf on May 23, 2024

    Sweeter and milder than many picked onion recipes, which I appreciated. I made 1/2 recipe in a 28-oz jar, which didn't quite fit initially, but did after softening for a bit.

  • kemgcodice on June 27, 2020

    Simple and perfect

• Pineapple upside-down cake

  • breakthroughc on November 10, 2023

    This is the best Pineapple Cake I have eaten much less baked. Excellent! I don't own silicone baking pans and a buttered metal pan worked just fine. The batter is very thick (there is no pouring as indicated in the instructions) and I barely had enough to cover the fruit. It is a nice ratio of fruit to cake, about half and half. The schmear is delicious, but makes about 4 times as much as you need. The recipe header says it is hard to downsize??? I guess Thomas Keller is lacking basic math skills....I would make half next time and that still might be enough for two cakes.

• Preparing lobsters

  • Totallywired on March 25, 2019

    Indispensible method, the court bouillon is another step but totally worth it.

• Rainbow chard with raisins, pine nuts, and serrano ham

  • foodgloriousfood on May 07, 2021

    I love this recipe and make it for the holidays every year. The wine soaked raisins really elevate the chard and these can be made up to 1 month ahead, the chard can be cooked a day ahead before a quick sauté with the ham, pine nuts and raisins before serving.

• Sachet

  • Dannausc on December 27, 2020

    Super easy. It was a different rolling/tying method than I’ve used in the past.

  • anya_sf on May 23, 2024

    Hard to believe there is a "recipe" for this, but I guess it makes sense, rather than repeating these directions multiple times. Like Dannausc, I'd never used this rolling/tying method before, but will use it again as it worked really well.

• Smashed roasted marble potatoes

  • psarrett on January 15, 2024

    This recipe was amazing, and the chives-- something I normally don't bother with-- are essential. Without them the potatoes are still good, but the chives add freshness, bite, and a welcome counterpoint to the creamy potatoes. Honestly worth the entire book just for this one recipe.

• Soup crackers

  • et12 on October 22, 2022

    I couldn’t find any dry yeast that wasn’t fast-acting but the recipe worked well nonetheless. I used the recommended sized 3/4” cutters and the crackers were the right texture and taste for soup crackers. Fairly easy and quick to make as well.

• The grilled cheese sandwich

  • crystal_gv0ewa on January 27, 2026

    Christmas decorating tradition is to make Ad Hoc grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch. Pairs well with bourbon.

• White cupcakes

  • patrick_qrpwvs on March 10, 2026

    I’ve made these cupcakes several times and they always come out incredibly good! The extra steps and attention to detail definitely add time and complexity, but deliver results that no other recipe I’ve tried comes close to. I’ve never gotten a full 24 cupcakes out of the recipe though — usually it’s 20 or 21. Both the vanilla and chocolate versions of the butter cream are also totally spot on (use the highest quality unsalted butter you can find and definitely follow the directions and let it come to room temp before starting). 10/10.

• Wine-steeped golden raisins

  • anya_sf on May 23, 2024

    I only steeped 1/4 cup raisins - all I needed for the cauliflower-chickpea salad - but in the full amount of wine, since it wasn't much. The raisins got very soft and winey after 24 hours; I don't think I'd want to keep them too much longer. They tasted a little alcoholic on their own, but were quite delicious in the salad.

• Eat Me Daily

  Best Cookbooks of 2009: Because the recipes here aren't as intimidating as those in Keller's other books. Because every single individual, persnickety step is worth it.

  Full review

• Los Angeles Times

  Many of the recipes in the chapters titled "basics" and "life savers" represent the "extra step" that makes a dish outstanding... They're the chapters that I keep turning back to.

  Full review

• NPR

  Interview on Morning Edition.

  Full review

• Food52 by Grace Parisi

  The 2010 Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks vs. The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

  Full review

• Fine Cooking

  Please don’t park this handsome hardcover on your coffee table... This is real, uncomplicated home cooking based on the food served at Ad Hoc... He offers everything you could want...

  Full review

• Kate Cooks the Books

  Almost every recipe in this book called out to me to be made, and that is why I will buy the book and why I’m recommending it. A cookbook that leaves you wanting more is a keeper.

  Full review