Beginning with an introduction by head judge Tom Colicchio, Top Chef: The Cookbook is a tour of all things Top Chef. Fans of the show will no doubt enjoy the in-depth look at the show's casting, the information on the top chef kitchen, and the details about the show's judges and contestants from the first three seasons. The recipes, though, are not aimed at the average home cook.
Contents: All About Top Chef on Bravo
A good portion of this "cookbook" is dedicated to providing an inside look at the show Top Chef, how it came about, the major players involved, and other details fans would like to know. There is an introduction by head judge Tom Colicchio in which he describes his initial reluctance to do the show and muses on his ultimate decision to be a part of it.
The next section of the book describes elements of the show such as casting the contestants, what is in the top chef kitchen and pantry, and information about how the show is filmed. Following that section is a look at the judges, describing the careers and personalities of the show's "judges' table" panel. Only after 35 pages does the book introduce actual recipes.
Breakfast Recipes
There are eight recipes included in the breakfast section of the book, and this section of recipes is by far the most accessible to the home cook. With recipes such as Steak and Eggs from Hung (Season 3) and Crepes from C.J. (Season 3), the breakfast section of the cookbook contains food regular home cooks can at least recognize, which is not always the case with later sections of this cookbook. Each recipe credits the chef who created it, stating which season, episode, and challenge that particular recipes was featured in. There are also beautiful photos to accompany the recipes, courtesy of Lisa Hubbard.
Top Chef Details: Contestants, Winners, and Episode Guides
After the breakfast section is the "Season 1 Elimination Bracket." For each of the first three seasons, this book has a bracket explaining winners, losers, and other details for each episode. Likewise, there is a brief overview of each episode in the season, as well as information about that season's chefs, focusing on the winners and contestants who made it the furthest in the competition. All of this will be interesting information to fans of the show, though it is more evidence that this is less of a cookbook and more of a companion to the TV show.
Appetizer Recipes
Containing 13 recipes from all three of the first seasons of Top Chef, the "Appetizers and Small Plates" chapter focuses on the food. That being said, most of the fans of top chef who are not experienced chefs will find this chapter more of an interesting look at the hard work the contestants go through than a description of recipes for the home cook to make.
Many of the recipes contain more than fifteen ingredients each, and several of those ingredients are unfamiliar to the average home cook, and/or they are rare or expensive. Some of these recipes include Ilan's Baked Escargot in Their Shells and Morcilla and Squid Lau Lau from Season 2 and Cliff's Hama Hama Oysters with Mango and Split Prawns, Hamachi, and Daikon from Season 2.
Recipes for Entrees: Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Vegetarian
There are four chapters of recipes devoted to entrees, and there are at least 50 different entree recipes total. While there is a variety here, including even vegetarian options, most of the recipes are just as difficult to pull off as the appetizer recipes were. Likewise, with a large number of obscure and expensive ingredients, it is again more about learning the way these experienced chefs cook and less about actually making these recipes.
Most of the recipes in the entree section require numerous ingredients and a rigorous set of steps to complete. Some of the recipes included in the entree chapters are: Howie's Black Truffle Burger, Dale's Seared Elk Loin with Cauliflower and Fingerling Potato Mash, and Pickled Cauliflower, Hung's Sous-Vide Duck with Truffle-Scented Broth and Mushroom Ragout, Tre's Seared Ostrich Fillet with Heirloom Tomato Risotto and Abalone Sauce, Sam's Espresso Shrimp Flambeed with Sambuca with Roasted Hazelnut and Peanut Paste, and Andrea's Quinoa Pilaf with Curried Sweet Potato Mash.
Top Chef Desserts
Ten dessert recipes are provided in the "Dessert" chapter of the cookbook, and they range from tarts to cheesecake. While most are intricate and intimidating for the home cook to pull off, a couple of them are not as seemingly-impossible for the everyday cook, such as Cliff's Marshmallow and Cookie Ice Cream or Brian H.'s Strawberry Apple Crisp with Hazelnut Whipped Cream. Despite the varying levels of intricacy, all of the desserts look beautiful in Hubbard's photos.
The bottom line is that fans of Top Chef will likely enjoy this cookbook for the wealth of information it has on the show. Not only does it give insight into the making of the show, but it also provides a lot of facts about the contestants, judges, and host. So, even thought the recipes are likely to intimidate the average home cook, the book is a great companion to the first three seasons of Top Chef.
Top Chef: The Cookbook
San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2008.
ISBN: 978-0-8118-6430-5
Retail Price: $29.95
Jeris Swanhorst - After earning a Bachelor's degree in English, Literature from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2005, Jeris Swanhorst went on to earn ...
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