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My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals / Portraits, Interviews, and Recipes
Melanie Dunea meets Heat in this award-winning photographer's stunning celebration of world-famous chefs and their final meals.
Chefs have been playing the "My Last Supper" game among themselves for decades, if not centuries, but it had always been kept within the profession until now. Melanie Dunea came up with the ingenious idea to ask fifty of the world's famous chefs to let her in on this insider's game and tell her what their final meals would be. My Last Supper showcases their fascinating answers alongside stunning Vanity Fair -style portraits. Their responses are surprising, refreshing, and as distinct from each other as the chefs themselves. The portraits--gorgeous, intimate, and playful--are informed by their answers and reveal the passions and personalities of the most respected names in the business. Lastly, one recipe from each landmark meal is included in the back of the book. With My Last Supper , Dunea found a way into the typically harried, hidden minds of the people who have turned preparing food into an art. Who wouldn't want to know where Alain Ducasse would like his supper to be? And who would prepare Daniel Boulud's final meal? What would Anthony Bourdain's guest list look like? As the clock ticked, what album would Gordon Ramsay be listening to? And just what would Mario Batali eat for the last time?
Ferrán Adrià, José Andrés, Dan Barber, Lidia Bastianich, Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Michelle Bernstein, Daniel Boulud, Anthony Bourdain, Scott Conant, Gary Danko, Hélène Darroze, Alain Ducasse, Wylie Dufresne, Suzanne Goin, Gabrielle Hamilton, Fergus Henderson, Thomas Keller, Giorgio Locatelli, Masa Kobayashi, Nobu, Jamie Oliver, Jacques Pepin, Gordon Ramsay, Michel Richard, Eric Ripert, Marcus Samuelsson, Charlie Trotter, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and more…
Chefs have been playing the "My Last Supper" game among themselves for decades, if not centuries, but it had always been kept within the profession until now. Melanie Dunea came up with the ingenious idea to ask fifty of the world's famous chefs to let her in on this insider's game and tell her what their final meals would be. My Last Supper showcases their fascinating answers alongside stunning Vanity Fair -style portraits. Their responses are surprising, refreshing, and as distinct from each other as the chefs themselves. The portraits--gorgeous, intimate, and playful--are informed by their answers and reveal the passions and personalities of the most respected names in the business. Lastly, one recipe from each landmark meal is included in the back of the book. With My Last Supper , Dunea found a way into the typically harried, hidden minds of the people who have turned preparing food into an art. Who wouldn't want to know where Alain Ducasse would like his supper to be? And who would prepare Daniel Boulud's final meal? What would Anthony Bourdain's guest list look like? As the clock ticked, what album would Gordon Ramsay be listening to? And just what would Mario Batali eat for the last time?
Ferrán Adrià, José Andrés, Dan Barber, Lidia Bastianich, Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Michelle Bernstein, Daniel Boulud, Anthony Bourdain, Scott Conant, Gary Danko, Hélène Darroze, Alain Ducasse, Wylie Dufresne, Suzanne Goin, Gabrielle Hamilton, Fergus Henderson, Thomas Keller, Giorgio Locatelli, Masa Kobayashi, Nobu, Jamie Oliver, Jacques Pepin, Gordon Ramsay, Michel Richard, Eric Ripert, Marcus Samuelsson, Charlie Trotter, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and more…
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
February 18, 2022
What an excellent conversation starter…what would you like to eat for your final meal?? Here, 50 legendary chefs answered that question with grace, art, and (for some) all the pretentiousness you might expect. Recipes were included at the end which accented the vignettes nicely although most laymen could never cook them. I cried over Bourdain (obviously still alive and at the top of his game in 2007) hoping he wasn’t as alone as he felt at the end. And, as someone who never ventures far from a diner due to food allergies and laziness, I really am fascinated by chefs who travel, create, and understand the deep magic of food. This book is beautiful; you don’t need it to start the conversation but it would help.
My own answer would have to be:
The best burger ever from Graze in Stowe, VT
Mushroom raviolis from Hershey, PA
A seafood crepe from Stonehedge in my town
Shrimp quesadillas from Green Cactus in Stony Brook
My mom’s shrimp salad
Raspberries from Greg Farm, NY
and
Lots and lots of tequila
My own answer would have to be:
The best burger ever from Graze in Stowe, VT
Mushroom raviolis from Hershey, PA
A seafood crepe from Stonehedge in my town
Shrimp quesadillas from Green Cactus in Stony Brook
My mom’s shrimp salad
Raspberries from Greg Farm, NY
and
Lots and lots of tequila
March 10, 2012
Probably the best true coffee-table book I ever bought. Gorgeous!
The photographs are terrific, the typography faultless, and the choice of chefs only slightly skewed towards Americans. In addition it has recipés at the back, none of which I'll ever attempt, because if anything needs more than five ingredients I surrender.
And anyway, it's too special to keep on a shelf in the kitchen.
I'd add to this that, although a few chefs chose simple 'comfort' food...which incidentally would be my own choice...only one chose to eat at someone else's restaurant: Tony Bourdain wanted Fergus Henderson, at St.John's in London. Shows humility and a generosity of spirit. I'd invite A.B. to my last supper, I think.
I've already re-visited this crit twice. Here I am for a second afterword.
I have become convinced, over the past few years, that every experience is precious. And since food is one of the few individual choices left to us, that our choice of food is paramount. In Singapore, I go for Chilli Stingray, or horribly-expensive Sushi; in London, breakfast at the Dean Street Townhouse, and dinner at Bentleys or Chor Bizarre. At home, heart-stoppingly creamy scrambled eggs with (cheap) caviare, sardines on crusty toast, or Welsh Rarebit.
I just had the latter with a glass of Bad King John dark ale. I could die happy.
Choose every meal as though it were your last.
The photographs are terrific, the typography faultless, and the choice of chefs only slightly skewed towards Americans. In addition it has recipés at the back, none of which I'll ever attempt, because if anything needs more than five ingredients I surrender.
And anyway, it's too special to keep on a shelf in the kitchen.
I'd add to this that, although a few chefs chose simple 'comfort' food...which incidentally would be my own choice...only one chose to eat at someone else's restaurant: Tony Bourdain wanted Fergus Henderson, at St.John's in London. Shows humility and a generosity of spirit. I'd invite A.B. to my last supper, I think.
I've already re-visited this crit twice. Here I am for a second afterword.
I have become convinced, over the past few years, that every experience is precious. And since food is one of the few individual choices left to us, that our choice of food is paramount. In Singapore, I go for Chilli Stingray, or horribly-expensive Sushi; in London, breakfast at the Dean Street Townhouse, and dinner at Bentleys or Chor Bizarre. At home, heart-stoppingly creamy scrambled eggs with (cheap) caviare, sardines on crusty toast, or Welsh Rarebit.
I just had the latter with a glass of Bad King John dark ale. I could die happy.
Choose every meal as though it were your last.
June 9, 2009
Answers ranged from short and sweet (and mouth-watering!) to long-winded and ridiculous. I was surprised by how many chefs would choose to cook their own last meal. I was not surprised that Anthony Bourdain is a much-desired dinner guest. (Note: There's an absolutely priceless portrait of Bourdain - the book is worth a flip-through for that alone.)
Recipes in the back are either absurdly simple (scrambled eggs; toast with shaved truffles) or too hard to attempt. They seem mostly there for atmosphere than for actual cooking instruction.
Recipes in the back are either absurdly simple (scrambled eggs; toast with shaved truffles) or too hard to attempt. They seem mostly there for atmosphere than for actual cooking instruction.
December 18, 2016
A really fun read!
November 10, 2012
If most of the world's top 50 chefs would choose surprisingly simple dishes as their last meals, you have to wonder why some of us even consider selling our cars to dine at one of their fancy restaurants (although I had dinner at El Bulli, in 2008, and the food bill was only around €130 per capita).
Basically, it's the 'Ratatouille" concept: there's nothing to beat a simple dish, a traditional home recipe, made with top quality fresh ingredients by a master.
Great coffee table book/conversation piece too.
Basically, it's the 'Ratatouille" concept: there's nothing to beat a simple dish, a traditional home recipe, made with top quality fresh ingredients by a master.
Great coffee table book/conversation piece too.
September 5, 2010
This big coffee table book is all about a game that chefs play late at night. If you were to have your last meal, what would it be? Big sumptuous portraits, mouthwatering descriptions of extreme, simple, abundant, or fanciful meals, and recipes. Great stuff!
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/6592084-...
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/6592084-...
March 10, 2022
More of a coffee table read than an actual cookbook. That being said, there are beautiful portrait pictures of famous chefs. (Especially of the late, great Anthony Bourdain)
If you are already a knowledgeable cook and want to explore different chef's tastes, then this book may be interesting to you. But most of these recipes have expensive or hard to find ingredients.
If you are already a knowledgeable cook and want to explore different chef's tastes, then this book may be interesting to you. But most of these recipes have expensive or hard to find ingredients.
November 7, 2024
Besvikelse. Författaren hade ställt några frågor som varje kock svarat på skriftligen. Allt är presenterat i formen: fråga, svar, fråga, svar mm.
DNF
DNF
June 8, 2012
Not what I was expecting, and it's disappointing. I first heard about this book during an episode of Top Chef All-Stars, when the author was a guest. I never felt the need to own the book (coffee table books don't entice me), but when I saw it at the library I thought it would be enjoyable to read once. Between the discussion on Top Chef, the dust jacket description, the fact that it was shelved in the cooking section of the library (641.5092: Cooking; History, Geographic Treatment, Biography), and the cover phrasing ("50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals, Portraits, Interviews, and Recipes), I really thought this was a book about the chefs and about food. I had somehow visualized it as a much more personal book. I expected the chefs to be photographed with the meals they selected, maybe with some of the family they'd like to enjoy the meal with. Basically I expected the photographs to serve the content, to give me a window into the chefs. Instead this is a photography book in which the subject matter is little more than a gimmick. They're very arty photographs (Giorgio Locatelli in front of an aluminum wall hung all over with mackerel, Mario Batali with radishes draped over his head, Wylie Dufresne in lounging pin-up pose with a slice of cheese hanging out of his mouth) that, in general, do nothing more than reinforce the public face of the chef. Exceptions to this--positive ones--include Michelle Bernstein, Suzanne Goin, and Tetsuya Wakuda.
Anthony Bourdain's introduction is phrased as if written by someone who has seen the final product, but I can only assume he'd seen only the photographs, because he talks about how chefs have eaten the best foods in the world, but when asked this question, they say they want "poor-people food". "A crust of bread and butter". He discusses how in response to this question, chefs revert to childhood pleasures. Yet most of the chefs in this book say they want caviar, otoro tuna, foie gras, truffles, and very expensive wines or champagne. The introduction set me up to expect a sweet, heartfelt series of responses, when what I read was sheer indulgence in very expensive food.
The other disappointing aspect is how much of a Q&A this book is. Clearly the author sent her list of questions to each chef and they sent back their answers. I thought this would be conversations or small essays, not form questionnaires. Between the art photography and the "answer these 6 questions" format, the meals don't take shape for me. They become just a list of foods, in most cases with no background, and I find that I rarely care about the meal because it's just like reading a menu with no dish descriptors: black type on a white page. Speaking of which, on many pages one answer was printed in large type across the full two-page spread and it got lost in the crease. A book that retails at $40 should have done a better job with layout such that I wouldn't have to break the spine to find the word "it" in Masa Takayama's response.
The recipes clearly aren't intended to be made by the reader. After all, the first listed recipe is Cod Foam, which requires an iSi soda siphon, N2O (nitrous oxide) cartridge, silpats, fondant sugar paste, etc. There's also a recipe for "the huge, almost prehistoric-looking spider crabs of Asturias", a salad that calls for pig's foot, tail, ear, and snout, and a dish calling for cactus salad as one ingredient.
The pros are 1) the chefs selected, these are impressive names to have gotten to participate (and she got 50 more to participate in her follow-up, though that one includes more celebrity cooks than fine chefs). 2) The photos aren't what I'd want from the project but they are at least good quality.
Anthony Bourdain's introduction is phrased as if written by someone who has seen the final product, but I can only assume he'd seen only the photographs, because he talks about how chefs have eaten the best foods in the world, but when asked this question, they say they want "poor-people food". "A crust of bread and butter". He discusses how in response to this question, chefs revert to childhood pleasures. Yet most of the chefs in this book say they want caviar, otoro tuna, foie gras, truffles, and very expensive wines or champagne. The introduction set me up to expect a sweet, heartfelt series of responses, when what I read was sheer indulgence in very expensive food.
The other disappointing aspect is how much of a Q&A this book is. Clearly the author sent her list of questions to each chef and they sent back their answers. I thought this would be conversations or small essays, not form questionnaires. Between the art photography and the "answer these 6 questions" format, the meals don't take shape for me. They become just a list of foods, in most cases with no background, and I find that I rarely care about the meal because it's just like reading a menu with no dish descriptors: black type on a white page. Speaking of which, on many pages one answer was printed in large type across the full two-page spread and it got lost in the crease. A book that retails at $40 should have done a better job with layout such that I wouldn't have to break the spine to find the word "it" in Masa Takayama's response.
The recipes clearly aren't intended to be made by the reader. After all, the first listed recipe is Cod Foam, which requires an iSi soda siphon, N2O (nitrous oxide) cartridge, silpats, fondant sugar paste, etc. There's also a recipe for "the huge, almost prehistoric-looking spider crabs of Asturias", a salad that calls for pig's foot, tail, ear, and snout, and a dish calling for cactus salad as one ingredient.
The pros are 1) the chefs selected, these are impressive names to have gotten to participate (and she got 50 more to participate in her follow-up, though that one includes more celebrity cooks than fine chefs). 2) The photos aren't what I'd want from the project but they are at least good quality.
September 16, 2009
What an interesting thesis! What would be the last supper of a series of fine chefs! Melanie Dunea, the author, notes (page 7): "Chefs have been playing the 'My Last Supper' game, in one version or another, since humans first gathered round the flames to cook. . . . "If you were to die tomorrow, what single dish, what one mouthful of food, would you choose as your last?"
And then, we see the answer to that existential question by 50 chefs.
Anthony Bourdain says that his final dish would be: "Roast bone marrow with parsley and caper salad, with a few toasted slices of baguette and some good sea salt." So far, so good. We see his recipe for the marrow at the end of the book, and it's a bit different!
What about Mario Batali? He'd like his last meal on the Amalfi Coast, with his family and friends such as Emeril Lagasse. The meal itself? Eight to ten courses! Beginning with marinated anchovies, to a Neapolitan version of a grilled cheese sandwich, to . . . And on it goes. He gives us a recipe for one item, Shrimp in Crazy Water--but not the rest. Would have been fun to get the whole picture.
Then, Alain Ducasse. He would begin with a coponata (a Sicilian specialty), then roasted quail in Madiran wine sauce, then smooth celeriac puree with nutmeg, and a finish with apple slices. Again, boy, I'd like to see all of the recipes, although his Melt-in-Your-Mouth Apple Slices, which is included in the volume, looks pretty good.
And on it goes. It's kind of fun to see what these fine chefs would have as their last meal, whom they would like to done with, whom they would like to cook the meal, where they would like the meal to take place. I find this work enchanting. But, again, I'd sure like to see all of the recipes for those final meals, rather than the small selection. Without that, this seems just a bit incomplete. Still and all, this is a neat volume.
And then, we see the answer to that existential question by 50 chefs.
Anthony Bourdain says that his final dish would be: "Roast bone marrow with parsley and caper salad, with a few toasted slices of baguette and some good sea salt." So far, so good. We see his recipe for the marrow at the end of the book, and it's a bit different!
What about Mario Batali? He'd like his last meal on the Amalfi Coast, with his family and friends such as Emeril Lagasse. The meal itself? Eight to ten courses! Beginning with marinated anchovies, to a Neapolitan version of a grilled cheese sandwich, to . . . And on it goes. He gives us a recipe for one item, Shrimp in Crazy Water--but not the rest. Would have been fun to get the whole picture.
Then, Alain Ducasse. He would begin with a coponata (a Sicilian specialty), then roasted quail in Madiran wine sauce, then smooth celeriac puree with nutmeg, and a finish with apple slices. Again, boy, I'd like to see all of the recipes, although his Melt-in-Your-Mouth Apple Slices, which is included in the volume, looks pretty good.
And on it goes. It's kind of fun to see what these fine chefs would have as their last meal, whom they would like to done with, whom they would like to cook the meal, where they would like the meal to take place. I find this work enchanting. But, again, I'd sure like to see all of the recipes for those final meals, rather than the small selection. Without that, this seems just a bit incomplete. Still and all, this is a neat volume.
December 10, 2010
If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would your last meal be? Would you be adventurous and try something new and foreign, or would you stick to something tried and true: a meal you knew well and loved?
For the 50 chefs interviewed in Melanie Dunea’s book, My Last Supper, the infamous question of “The Last Meal” brings many back to the days of growing up in the kitchen, helping mom, grandma, or other family members cook up simple pasta meals, while snacking on bread and butter. While the thought of “The Last Meal” frustrates many chefs (like asking an author what their favorite book is or asking anyone to name their favorite song or food), the responses given in My Last Summer were so beautiful and simple. While many chefs admitted that they would indulge in everything and anything, many said that their last meal would be simple and light…bread and fine olive oil, a light pasta salad, or just an evening filled with fine wine and friends.
Complete with beautiful photographs of every chef interviewed, My Last Supper is a real feast for all the senses. Well known chefs like Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Anthony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver, Jacques Pepin, Gordon Ramsay, Eric Ripert, Charlie Trotter, Jose Andres (my favorite!), Lidia Bastianich, and many more are asked a series of five questions, all having to do with the last meal. The questions include: “What would your last meal be?”, “Who would dine with you?”, and “Who would prepare it?”.
For lovers of food and the people that make it best, My Last Supper is a beautiful coffee table book that will leave you questioning your culinary favorites…and what your epic “Last Meal” might be.
Read more reviews at http://thehobbeehive.wordpress.com
For the 50 chefs interviewed in Melanie Dunea’s book, My Last Supper, the infamous question of “The Last Meal” brings many back to the days of growing up in the kitchen, helping mom, grandma, or other family members cook up simple pasta meals, while snacking on bread and butter. While the thought of “The Last Meal” frustrates many chefs (like asking an author what their favorite book is or asking anyone to name their favorite song or food), the responses given in My Last Summer were so beautiful and simple. While many chefs admitted that they would indulge in everything and anything, many said that their last meal would be simple and light…bread and fine olive oil, a light pasta salad, or just an evening filled with fine wine and friends.
Complete with beautiful photographs of every chef interviewed, My Last Supper is a real feast for all the senses. Well known chefs like Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Anthony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver, Jacques Pepin, Gordon Ramsay, Eric Ripert, Charlie Trotter, Jose Andres (my favorite!), Lidia Bastianich, and many more are asked a series of five questions, all having to do with the last meal. The questions include: “What would your last meal be?”, “Who would dine with you?”, and “Who would prepare it?”.
For lovers of food and the people that make it best, My Last Supper is a beautiful coffee table book that will leave you questioning your culinary favorites…and what your epic “Last Meal” might be.
Read more reviews at http://thehobbeehive.wordpress.com
July 25, 2011
There is a game commonly played by food people of all sorts -- eaters and well as cookers -- called, variously, "Last Meal" or "Last Supper" or something similar. In it, each participant says what he or she would like to eat at their final meal. From this game, Melanie Dunea derived the concept for a book. She asked fifty top chefs six questions: What would be your last meal on earth? What would be the setting for the meal? What would you drink with your meal? Would there be music? Who would be your dining companions? Who would prepare the meal? The responses of Ferran Adria, Lidia Bastianich, Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain, Rick Bayless, Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse, Wylie Dufresne, Thomas Keller, Anita Lo, Jacques Pepin, Gordon Ramsay, Eric Rippert, Marcus Samuelson, Charlie Trotter, Jonathan Waxman and many others appear. The first 150 pages of the book contain the answers along with a photographic portrait on each chef, which photos are absolutely brilliant. The book concludes with 75 pages of recipes, contributed by some of the chefs, for dishes named in their responses.
February 24, 2008
Ok, I didn't actually "read" this book. I simply leafed through it. There isn't much substance to the book. There is a simple questionnaire for each of the 50 chefs included in the book in which they tell their what their last meal would be, with whom they would share it, what music would be playing, etc. At the end of the book they have one recipe from each chef.
The best part of the book (the part I cared about) are the photographs of the chefs. The chefs obviously designed their own photo shoots. Mario Batalli is dressed in chef whites with a giant rutabaga on his head. Gordon Ramsay has a close-up black and white photo of his face from the side. The best of all is Anthony Bourdain. His picture really captures his personality. He is photographed in front of a brick wall with a cigarette in one hand and a large meat bone in the other hand in front of his "nasty bits". Mmmmm.
The best part of the book (the part I cared about) are the photographs of the chefs. The chefs obviously designed their own photo shoots. Mario Batalli is dressed in chef whites with a giant rutabaga on his head. Gordon Ramsay has a close-up black and white photo of his face from the side. The best of all is Anthony Bourdain. His picture really captures his personality. He is photographed in front of a brick wall with a cigarette in one hand and a large meat bone in the other hand in front of his "nasty bits". Mmmmm.
May 12, 2014
This is not a lengthy book, just a coffee table book for foodies. I loved the photography (my favorite is of Helene Darroze, but Anthony Bourdain's near-nude pic is provocative). The interview given to each chef was the same- your last meal: who's there, what is it, where is it, etc.
It shows people who love their craft talking about the thing they love and contemplating the best and greatest possible moment they could have with food. It makes you think of it, too, of course, which is bittersweet.
I enjoyed the range of recipes at the end, too, from the "I could make that" to "where the heck would I buy that in my area?"
I recommend it for a quick read for anyone who loves chefs or food plus photography. It would also be a good coffee table book for making conversation. This is a nice premise, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
It shows people who love their craft talking about the thing they love and contemplating the best and greatest possible moment they could have with food. It makes you think of it, too, of course, which is bittersweet.
I enjoyed the range of recipes at the end, too, from the "I could make that" to "where the heck would I buy that in my area?"
I recommend it for a quick read for anyone who loves chefs or food plus photography. It would also be a good coffee table book for making conversation. This is a nice premise, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
August 8, 2015
This was the most delightful coffee table book!
Some of the greatest chefs of our time relay their answers about their last meal, who would prepare it, the ambiance and the atmosphere of the event. LOVE.. LOVE IT!
I'm surprised by how many chefs would like to make their last meals themselves! I guess it's their art, their craft and they know exactly how they want it done. There's so much that goes into setting up a meal: the art of the table, the drinks, the pairings, the complimentary spices and vegetables. So very inspiring. I think more about the meals I serve these days and how I lay them out...because... it could be.. just could be.. my last supper.
Some of the greatest chefs of our time relay their answers about their last meal, who would prepare it, the ambiance and the atmosphere of the event. LOVE.. LOVE IT!
I'm surprised by how many chefs would like to make their last meals themselves! I guess it's their art, their craft and they know exactly how they want it done. There's so much that goes into setting up a meal: the art of the table, the drinks, the pairings, the complimentary spices and vegetables. So very inspiring. I think more about the meals I serve these days and how I lay them out...because... it could be.. just could be.. my last supper.
March 13, 2012
So the premise of this book is to ask 50 amazing chefs what they would eat for their final meal on earth. Each chef gets a chance to answer the question with a complete story and a beautiful picture of the scene of their final meal. The pictures are absolutely stunning. You will feel as if you are a guest at the table. As you read the book you get a chance to know the chefs better, marvel at the wonderful food pics, and also appreciate the food we get to eat while we are still here. It's a book that has a permanent place on my coffee table.
April 3, 2016
I bought this book because the idea of a last meal intrigued me. I loved reading what each chef would have for their last meal and the setting that they would select. This is a beautifully illustrated book with photographs artistically staged by Melanie Dunea and I loved having this book on my coffee table for people to pick up to browse. It really got me thinking about food and what my favorite last meal would be. While I would not pay full price for a book like this it definitely held my attention and I enjoyed every single page as well as the recipes at the end.
October 16, 2008
I loved this so much. It is a big coffee table sort of book. Great chefs from around the world are asked what they would eat for their last meal. They go into detail about the ingredients, who would prepare the meal, who they would share it with, what music would be playing, etc. Accompanying each entry is a photograph of the chef done in a really artistic way usually containing the ingredients. Right up my alley, this is great!
October 6, 2009
This was a treat for someone who likes to know what well-traveled celebrity-chef palates crave or would want for their last meal. The photos were interesting and fun, though not necessarily artistic. A few of the recipes were a little out of reach for the home cook because of rare and/or expensive ingredients, but I was relieved to see that most of the recipes were doable, not just because I could easily make them at home, but because it proved that celebrity chefs liked to roll homestyle, too!
March 11, 2015
Disappointed! It's just a list of questions and the chefs answered them. I was really excited about this book but it ended up looking like a questionnaire :-/ There was nothing personal or inspiring about what any chef spoke. I was happy to see two Indian chefs included in the 50. The book also has recipes at the end but some recipes are clearly not for home cooks. All in all I think this book is so average.
January 21, 2016
I waited an extensive period of time for the VIRL to get some copies of this book. It was an easy read and yet one that was quite thoughtfully approached. I am copying out three recipes from the book. One by Jamie Oliver, Mario B, and one other.
The portraits range from stellar to rather dull. The chefs in their own words about what they wished as the "last supper" was personal and revealing.
The portraits range from stellar to rather dull. The chefs in their own words about what they wished as the "last supper" was personal and revealing.
February 2, 2008
A lovely coffee table book about what different chef's would eat for their last supper. There are many chefs who I don't recognize profiled in the book but that doesn't make it any less interesting. The photographs can be very funny, my favorite being Anthony Bourdain photographed with only a cigarette and a very large, meaty bone Note how I didn't mention clothes anywhere in that sentence.
June 2, 2008
I love the premise..how could this book not be good? So fun to imagine these dsigned imaginary meals, some so elaborate, some so simple. Every chef I would want to read about is in this book. My only complaint was how over produced it is with big bloated quotes in spaces where I would have rather read more about the chef!
December 7, 2008
Interesting idea.....what would you choose to eat, if you knew it was your last meal on earth? Who would you spend it with, where would it be, would there be music, and who would be cooking the meal? Excellent photography, beautiful descriptions, great coffee table book, but be careful when you open up to page 18 with Anthony Bourdain, lol! That was a surprise!
August 13, 2009
Famous chefs talk about how they would have their final meals. Many of the photographs that accompany the chefs' answers in this coffee table book are surprisingly playful for what could have been a gloomy subject. As a bonus, each chef provides a recipe of one of the items she or he would eat before departing from this world.
March 24, 2011
What would you have for your last meal on earth? Fifty chefs answer that question. Each answers a series of questions: Food? Setting? Music? Companions? Etc. Lovely photos.
Recpies at the end of the book. It's interesting that so many would cook their own last supper.
Most menus were way up-scale for me to make at home, or even for company. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book.
Recpies at the end of the book. It's interesting that so many would cook their own last supper.
Most menus were way up-scale for me to make at home, or even for company. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book.
August 23, 2011
Stunning photos of some of my favorite chefs. I really love the topic of the "last supper" so I flipped through these little essays for hours. I can't wait to try a few more of these recipes. The Thomas Keller roast chicken recipe is the best roast chicken I've ever made. There is such deliciousness in simplicity.
October 1, 2011
Chefs eat well, and they know how to talk about it. And, it turns out, many of them photograph well, too. This is exactly the stripe of food porn I live for (the sort that contains a vicarious living factor), and worth picking up for the picture of Anthony Bourdain being wildly inappropriate with (what I think is) bone marrow alone.
November 7, 2011
Huge coffe table book, 50+ chefs interviewed about what they would eat, drink, listen to, and invite to join them, plus 50+ recipes ...but not one picture of what the food would look like. What the heck...they included a portrait of Anthony Bourdain nude except for a huge bone in front of his crotch. Would it have killed them to give us visual clues about the final meals?
June 15, 2013
Fabulous photography and I loved some of the interviews. A few too many of the chefs would nosh on pate foie gras and Krug brut, which a) made their interviews drag and b) convinced me they are more concerned with image than taste. I didn't get a chance to try any of the recipes, which was a disappointment. Everybody at least picked it up and browsed through it. A fun book.
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