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Pierre Gagnaire
cookbook reviewsreflections on culinary artistry
Pierre Gagnaire Reflections on Culinary Artistry
By Pierre Gagnaire
Photography by Jean-Louis Bloch-Lainé

List Price: $50.00
Price With Walmart.com: $31.50
You Save: $18.50 (37%)

Reviewed by Jeremy Emmerson

Click Here to Buy It On Line!
Review

April 2004
Many cookbooks seek mass market appeal. They aim to lure and thrill or at least interest the masses - and why not publishers and authors are in business to sell books and make a few pennies. However the French three Michelin star super chef, Pierre Gagnaire has ideas all of his own. Within the pages of Reflections on Culinary Artistry you will discover a new breed of chef written "cookbook".

Reflections is in fact not a cookbook, it is a collection of 170 dazzling images that more celebrate his culinary artistry than showcase his cooking. Each page offers a beautiful picture of the chef's cuisine, accompanied by brief philosophical text - no recipes, just ideals. Gagnaire's philosophies are deep, only suited to the (culinarily) converted - this is not a book for foodie newbies (folks new to the world of cooking). And neither is the price - $50.

This may sound like a price tag that's heavier than a 1970's béchamel sauce, but upon inspection you will discover a volume created with the same care as a Bentley. Not targeted to the masses but to a discerning breed of food professionals and epicureans.

I do not believe that you would get enough use from Reflections to justify buying it, but I do know that it would make an outstanding gift and would sit pride of place on any serious food lovers' coffee table, so put it on your birthday list and cross your fingers!

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