Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate: A Cookbook

by Richard Blais, Tom Colicchio (Foreword)

From Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars winner Richard Blais comes his very cool debut cookbook for home cooks looking to up their game with more excitement in the kitchen. This is accessible and fun, and includes the signature recipes, flavor combinations, and cooking techniques that have made him such a popular chef.

A new way to make a dish is always on Richard Blais’s mind. He has a wildly creative approach—whether it’s adding coffee to his butter, which he serves with pancakes; incorporating the flavors of pastrami into mustard; making cannelloni out of squid; microwaving apple sauce for his pork chops; or cooking lamb shanks in root beer. In his debut cookbook, with equal degrees of enthusiasm and humor, he shares 125 delicious recipes that are full of surprise and flavor. Plus there are 25 variations to add more adventure to your cooking—such as making cheese foam for your burger or mashed sous vide peas to serve alongside your entrée. Dive into an exploration of your kitchen for both creativity and enjoyment. Now try this at home!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Reference, Nonfiction, Culinary

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I don't own a sous vide machine, nor am I interested in trying to acquire liquid nitrogen. But I do appreciate getting a peek at how the creative pros do things - and,hey, there are some really great, relatively normal recipes here for the less adventurous (though I have to wonder why someone without an adventurous palate would pick this cookbook up to begin with).

I haven't tried these yet, but will be starting with some of the less intimidating recipes - parsley pasta, fresh ravioli, candied pecans, onion rings, Mac and headcheese, etc. And if I'm feeling confident and/or crazy, then I might give Richard's 2.0 versions a try. Because, after all, that's what he's known for.

If nothing else,this book gives some interesting insight into Richard's mind and how his creative process works. He's obviously an outside-the-box thinker with a passion for his craft, and it's been interesting and exciting following his exploits post-Top Chef.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Modernist" cuisine for normal people. Sure, he's a little obsessed with liquid Nitrogen, but other than that he only uses so call Molecular Gastronomy when it makes sense. I've always loved Richard Blais, even during his slightly neurotic second season on Top Chef where he ultimately won. He has the same no nonsense, nice guy approach to his recipes here. He even talks about cooking for his daughter and how she doesn't care for all of his fancy cooking.

I've already used several of his methods including Sous Vide scrambled eggs which are amazing. This is the kind of book I can see giving to my non-cooking friends as a gift and actually having them use it rather than politiely smiling and then putting it in their re-gift drawer.

[Dona · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I enjoyed about this book: Richard’s observations and insights into his career and passion for cooking.

What I didn’t enjoy: His recipes. I couldn’t find one recipe that was something I would select and prepare myself. Either the ingredient list was so off the wall it would have required massive online ordering or they were things that didn’t sound even remotely good to me.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am bewildered.

Ranch caviar? Bleu cheese foam? Candied onions? Clarified butter? Pickled strawberries? Potato chip omelete? Malt vinegar jelly? English muffin pizza? Corned tongue? Shaved licorice? Black garlic? Macaroni and headcheese? Sweetbread nuggets? Fish sauce caramel? Corn bread with sweet tea ice cream? Black olive chocolate cake?

I mean, what? (Clarified butter: you will need butter, melt the butter over heat.)

But there is cream cheese ice cream!

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Olive Chocolate Cake
Omelete with potato chips
Pickled Strawberries
Pickled Celery
Violet Mustard (worth an extra star i think)
Blue Cheese Foam
Barbequed Broiled Oysters with Chorizo and Green Apples
Yorkshire Pudding with Licorice
Moroccan Tuna Bolognese
Prawns and Polenta


this one makes me soooo queasy
Macaroni and Headcheese

umami ketchup, might get someone shot
visions of Accent MSG crystals and worcestershire sauce through into ketchup with a blue plastic funnel

some people try too hard to be innovative
like that whole 80s 90s clash of fusion food which is only like 15% successful

hopefully there's no wasabi in mashed potatoes
(cider syrup though)

but he does disgust me with using a pressure cooker

NO ONE does veal bolognese in a pressure cooker, no way, never

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The most innovative chef on Top Chef, Richard Blais brings us creative, thought-provoking recipes for the home cook. Let him make you look like a rock star.
Grant Achatz

(shoot the next person who says rock star)

Of all the contestants on Top Chef, Richard Blais was easily the most fascinating to watch. His food pays solid respect to the past while looking fearlessly to the future. Try This at Home takes Richard’s years of thinking, experimenting, trying and failing, and trying and succeeding, and brings it all home in thrilling and decidedly useful ways. This is the fast, accessible route to looking like a genius at your next dinner.
Anthony Bourdain

---

it's amusing that after

Meatballs, Spaghetti and Meatballs

Mouthwash is next in the index!

caveat emptor!

[Karen Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently binged all 19 seasons of Top Chef (over the course of a month or so) and by chance looked to see what Richard Blais was up to. I saw he had a cookbook, for home cooks. I wondered what that might look like. Turns out, it's a lot more elaborate than anything I'd actually cook (with the possible exception of sweet potato gnocchi) but there's great photography, and a home-cook view of fancy techniques like agar and liquid nitrogen.
FMI see my blog post at A Just Recompense.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun cookbook, and most recipes are imminently do-able at home. Even though the home cook isn't necessarily likely to do the 2.0 options he offers unless they have the means, I thought they were fun to read anyway. Glad to read a book by Chef Blais, who we have lived since watching him on Top Chef and Food Network shows.

[Robert Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

great introduction to sous Vide...

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't "try this at home" when he calls for using liquid nitrogen, a sous vide machine or a siphon (to make foam). I also don't have a smoking gun. While I like Chef Blais, I can't make a lot of his recipes as these are not standard home kitchen pieces of equipment. And everything but the smoking gun is expensive. The book is good if you're interested in learning his cooking style. He explains how and why he cooks various dishes. I really enjoyed reading this cookbook, just not sure how much I can actually cook from it. (A lot of the ingredients I can't find in the rural Midwest. And while I can order spices online, I'm not ordering marrow bones online.)

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blais was one of my favorite contestants over the various years of Top Chef, and I really like his approach to combining elements of modernist cooking with classic flavors and dishes. At times, yeah, he goes over the top and deconstructs or reconstructs or reimagines in a way that doesn't strike me as appetizing, but for the most part, he restrains those wilder impulses. And in the book, he really pulls back, and makes his ideas completely accessible for the home cook. In particular I like that when he has a very modernist, i.e., molecular gastronomy, type of method or component of a dish, he not only talks you through it, but then offers up an alternative way to make the dish that doesn't involve anything other than the usual pots and pans and kitchen equipment that almost anyone who cooks has at home.

He can be a little long-winded, and there were moments when I found myself skimming over things just to get to his point. But that seems to be his personality, and so it feels very much like you're sitting there listening to him talk directly to you the way he would anyway. Overall, a really great read!

[Leslie S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excited to try the recipes in this cookbook - the review is just for my initial read of the book (which I received as a birthday present). The book is a lot of fun just to page through - the pictures are entertaining, and Richard Blais manages to be a bit high brow while still feeling approachable and encouraging people to experiment but still eat what they love. I also really like the product recommendations at the beginning of the book, since I'd never know what to look for in a sous vide machine without advice! Once I try out some recipes I'll come back and update, but til then, I'm happy to have this book added to our stash of cookbooks.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this one a five for the book layout, the inspiration value of the cookbook and for how it's just beautiful and interesting. That said, I'm not as sure that my cooking style is much like Richard's and while I've definitely bookmarked several recipes to revisit at a later date (I'm particularly interested in the mustard seed caviar), I doubt that things like jellied malt vinegar sheets are likely to spend much time on my table. Although the longer I think about it, the more it feels like the kind of thing I might want to make just once, just to see.

[Minneapolani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A more approachable take on molecular gastronomy than say, Modernist Cuisine at home. Blais has some interesting ideas, but I would read it more like a scribble idea pad and less like a cookbook- most home cooks do not have the tools to complete many of the recipes. That being said, some of the ideas are great, and things I absolutely would not have thought of, even as a chef. Dude may be annoying as hell, but he's got real ideas.

[Amuse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting ideas. I was impressed by the ice cream flavours and the desserts. Ricotta pancakes and the braised squid caught my attention. I learned reading this book although I choose not to follow most of what Blais presented.

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh Richie Blais. You and your weird gastro food. I liked looking at the pictures until I came across the one with the **SPOILER ALERT** bird foot sticking up out of a pot pie. Mmm. Tasty. Sorry, I don't think I'll try any of these recipes at home.

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

More like what not to try at home. Who in the world uses liquid nitrogen or makes blue cheese foam for home cooking? While these recipes may turn out wonderfully, I have zero desire to make anything in this book. I was not inspired at all, sorry.

[Stephen Grubb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculously impractical recipes for home use. I'm gonna pass on the cooking with liquid nitrogen thing, thanks.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will probably not make anything in this book, but it was a great peek into this type of "modern" cooking.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cookbook. I totally read it too, so not cheating.

[Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not typical... so I probably won't use anything from it. But still fun to read cookbooks!!

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and well written. He really brings molecular gastronomy to a an attainable level for home cooks.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must make Black Olive Chocolate Cake!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting abstract recipes with fun commentary.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good cook book, great recipes and some fun ideas