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To the Bone
What defines a chef?
Despite the glamour attached to the profession today, a successful life in the kitchen is determined more by sacrifice than stardom, demanding a dedication bordering on obsession, all in pursuit of The Food. In this meditation on the culinary life that blends elements of memoir and cookbook, Paul Liebrandt shares the story of his own struggle to become a chef and define his personal style.
"To the Bone "is Liebrandt's exploration of his culinary roots and creative development. At fifteen, he began his foray into the restaurant world and soon found himself cooking in the finest dining temples of London, Paris, and ultimately, New York. Taking inspiration from the methods and menus of Marco Pierre White, Raymond Blanc, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Pierre Gagnaire, Liebrandt dedicated himself to learning his craft for close to a decade. Then, at New York City's Atlas, he announced himself as a worldclass talent, putting his hard-earned technique to the test with a startlingly personal cuisine. He continued to further his reputation at restaurants such as Gilt, Corton, and now the Elm, becoming known for a singular, graphic style that has captured the public's imagination and earned him the respect of his peers.
Punctuated throughout with dishes that mark the stages of his personal and professional life, all of them captured in breathtaking color photography, this is Liebrandt's literary tasting menu, a portrait of a chef putting it together and constantly pushing himself to challenge the way he, and we, think about the possibilities of food. "From the Hardcover edition."
Despite the glamour attached to the profession today, a successful life in the kitchen is determined more by sacrifice than stardom, demanding a dedication bordering on obsession, all in pursuit of The Food. In this meditation on the culinary life that blends elements of memoir and cookbook, Paul Liebrandt shares the story of his own struggle to become a chef and define his personal style.
"To the Bone "is Liebrandt's exploration of his culinary roots and creative development. At fifteen, he began his foray into the restaurant world and soon found himself cooking in the finest dining temples of London, Paris, and ultimately, New York. Taking inspiration from the methods and menus of Marco Pierre White, Raymond Blanc, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Pierre Gagnaire, Liebrandt dedicated himself to learning his craft for close to a decade. Then, at New York City's Atlas, he announced himself as a worldclass talent, putting his hard-earned technique to the test with a startlingly personal cuisine. He continued to further his reputation at restaurants such as Gilt, Corton, and now the Elm, becoming known for a singular, graphic style that has captured the public's imagination and earned him the respect of his peers.
Punctuated throughout with dishes that mark the stages of his personal and professional life, all of them captured in breathtaking color photography, this is Liebrandt's literary tasting menu, a portrait of a chef putting it together and constantly pushing himself to challenge the way he, and we, think about the possibilities of food. "From the Hardcover edition."
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First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 16, 2014
A very beautiful food related book to browse. Beautiful pictures of food...
But either you'll browse the pictures, or try to read the story, or try to look for recipes... and the book seems a bit disjointed.
And some (well, all) of the food that come with the recipes just don't seem like food. With a book that has this gorgeous photos, the fact that there was zero desire to try any of the recipes left me a bit surprised.
Photos: 5 stars.
Story: 3 - 3.5 *
Recipes and the rest: ...
A beautiful book for the photos though. A sofa table book...
But either you'll browse the pictures, or try to read the story, or try to look for recipes... and the book seems a bit disjointed.
And some (well, all) of the food that come with the recipes just don't seem like food. With a book that has this gorgeous photos, the fact that there was zero desire to try any of the recipes left me a bit surprised.
Photos: 5 stars.
Story: 3 - 3.5 *
Recipes and the rest: ...
A beautiful book for the photos though. A sofa table book...
December 6, 2013
I’m not a chef and can’t comment on the quality or appeal of the food items included TO THE BONE by the author, Paul Liebrandt. But I know someone who can. My grandson is a chef in a Vancouver, Washington restaurant and I’ll be passing the book to him for comment. I’ll add his opinion to this review later – if he gives me one.
As for what I know about books in general – here’s my take. I read the author’s back story and found it to be interesting but not fascinating. When I looked at some of the photographs of his dishes, I found that I didn’t recognize them as being platefuls of food that I could dig into. In fact, if I was served some of these dishes at no doubt exorbitant prices, I’d be asking for the manager to register a complaint. I’m of the opinion that we’re looking at artistic display rather than an actual plate of food. The recipes were similarly distressing. Although I’m a good cook, I’d be hard-pressed to prepare any of them.
It’s an attractive book with the exception of the cover photo of the chef displaying a bloody fish impaled on his hand. The color photographs are attractive, the binding is sound, and the arrangement of the contents is eye catching. I thought it was a very handsome Chinese produced book.
I’ll rate it 3-stars for now based on a layman’s appraisal. That may change after my grandson gives me his professional opinion of the culinary aspects. This book might be better for professional chefs.
As for what I know about books in general – here’s my take. I read the author’s back story and found it to be interesting but not fascinating. When I looked at some of the photographs of his dishes, I found that I didn’t recognize them as being platefuls of food that I could dig into. In fact, if I was served some of these dishes at no doubt exorbitant prices, I’d be asking for the manager to register a complaint. I’m of the opinion that we’re looking at artistic display rather than an actual plate of food. The recipes were similarly distressing. Although I’m a good cook, I’d be hard-pressed to prepare any of them.
It’s an attractive book with the exception of the cover photo of the chef displaying a bloody fish impaled on his hand. The color photographs are attractive, the binding is sound, and the arrangement of the contents is eye catching. I thought it was a very handsome Chinese produced book.
I’ll rate it 3-stars for now based on a layman’s appraisal. That may change after my grandson gives me his professional opinion of the culinary aspects. This book might be better for professional chefs.
February 15, 2014
Let me start by saying that I highly recommend this book if you are familiar with Paul Liebrandt (there's a really good documentary film about him on Netflix) and his dazzling style of plating presentation. I say this because this book is mostly an autobiography (the recipes comprise around the last 15% of the book) and covers the entirety of his career to date recollecting his early interest in food and entry into the professional culinary world via London to Paris to his current locale of New York. While this backstory is mostly mundane in the vein of 'Tales of a young chef' those familiar with his signature dishes will really appreciate Liebrandt's generous personal details on the genesis and inspiration for his standout creations.
The highlight feature of this book is its physical presentation. By all means, purchase the hardcover versus the ebook if possible. The volume has a sturdy construction that perfectly complements the layouts and stunning photography. Overall, the contextual balance is done very well with a 65/35% split on text versus photography and from a visual standpoint this volume is truly food-porn at its glossy best.
The highlight feature of this book is its physical presentation. By all means, purchase the hardcover versus the ebook if possible. The volume has a sturdy construction that perfectly complements the layouts and stunning photography. Overall, the contextual balance is done very well with a 65/35% split on text versus photography and from a visual standpoint this volume is truly food-porn at its glossy best.
February 6, 2015
Chef Liebrandt is no bad boy Bourdain, so this memoir lacks some of the Dionysian tension of other chef's books. But the steady rise of a passionate, single-minded young man gives entertaining insight into an obsessive, creative mind. And the pictures are gorgeous.
April 10, 2020
This is an absolutely beautiful book. The photos are works of art. I love it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews