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Ad Hoc at Home
New York Times bestseller IACP and James Beard Award Winner “Spectacular is the word for Keller’s latest . . . don’t miss it.”—People “A book of approachable dishes made really, really well.”—The New York Times Thomas Keller shares family-style recipes that you can make any or every day. In the book every home cook has been waiting for, the revered Thomas Keller turns his imagination to the American comfort foods closest to his heart—flaky biscuits, chicken pot pies, New England clam bakes, and cherry pies so delicious and redolent of childhood that they give Proust's madeleines a run for their money. Keller, whose restaurants The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and Per Se in New York have revolutionized American haute cuisine, is equally adept at turning out simpler fare. In Ad Hoc at Home—a cookbook inspired by the menu of his casual restaurant Ad Hoc in Yountville—he showcases more than 200 recipes for family-style meals. This is Keller at his most playful, serving up such truck-stop classics as Potato Hash with Bacon and Melted Onions and grilled-cheese sandwiches, and heartier fare including beef Stroganoff and roasted spring leg of lamb. In fun, full-color photographs, the great chef gives step-by-step lessons in kitchen basics— here is Keller teaching how to perfectly shape a basic hamburger, truss a chicken, or dress a salad. Best of all, where Keller’s previous best-selling cookbooks were for the ambitious advanced cook, Ad Hoc at Home is filled with quicker and easier recipes that will be embraced by both kitchen novices and more experienced cooks who want the ultimate recipes for American comfort-food classics.
756 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2009
428 people are currently reading
10048 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Keller
123 books152 followersThomas Keller is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, notably the Best California Chef in 1996, and the Best Chef in America in 1997. The restaurant is a perennial winner in the annual Restaurant Magazine list of the Top 50 Restaurants of the World.
In 2005, he was awarded the three star rating in the inaugural Michelin Guide for New York for his restaurant Per Se, and in 2006, he was awarded three stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide to the Bay Area for The French Laundry. He is the only American chef to have been awarded simultaneous three star Michelin ratings for two different restaurants.
In 2005, he was awarded the three star rating in the inaugural Michelin Guide for New York for his restaurant Per Se, and in 2006, he was awarded three stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide to the Bay Area for The French Laundry. He is the only American chef to have been awarded simultaneous three star Michelin ratings for two different restaurants.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
December 26, 2009
I know that one of Thomas Keller's goals when opening his restaurant Ad Hoc was to serve the best versions of simple family food: the best fried chicken, the best prime rib. These recipes may in fact represent the best of their kind, but I will never know, because I have zero interest in cooking anything in this book. We cook a lot in my house -- I'm married to a professionally-trained chef, and we cook dinner from scratch almost every night -- but we don't have the time or energy to cook Keller's recipes on a regular basis. Though these recipes may seem simple (roast chicken, vegetable soup), you will soon realize that Keller is asking you to cook each vegetable in a dish separately so each will be cooked to perfection. One recipe calls for 3 or 4 different kinds of squash, each of which must be cooked separately, before they are combined with farro and black rice, which must be cooked separately. This commitment to perfection is why Keller's restaurants are good, and it would be expected from his French Laundry cookbook. But this book is billed as "recipes that you can make any or every day." And for the most part, that is completely misleading.
Listen, I get the importance of technique. I know that the way you roast a chicken can be the difference between a mediocre chicken dinner and a transcendent, crispy-skinned beauty, and I will say that this book can teach someone a lot about the best ways to do certain things. I am also not a stranger to spending time on food -- I've made jam and cider and pickles and cheese. But if I'm going to follow a fussy recipe -- for a special occasion or a weekend project -- I want the result to be something extraordinary. For this reason, Keller's French Laundry cookbook makes more sense, because the grandness of the food justifies the intensity of the cooking experience. Ad Hoc at Home is too much work to be simple, and too simple to be worth the work. If I want the best fried chicken, I'll fly out to Napa and let Keller's chefs do the work for me. I'm sure it will be just perfect.
Listen, I get the importance of technique. I know that the way you roast a chicken can be the difference between a mediocre chicken dinner and a transcendent, crispy-skinned beauty, and I will say that this book can teach someone a lot about the best ways to do certain things. I am also not a stranger to spending time on food -- I've made jam and cider and pickles and cheese. But if I'm going to follow a fussy recipe -- for a special occasion or a weekend project -- I want the result to be something extraordinary. For this reason, Keller's French Laundry cookbook makes more sense, because the grandness of the food justifies the intensity of the cooking experience. Ad Hoc at Home is too much work to be simple, and too simple to be worth the work. If I want the best fried chicken, I'll fly out to Napa and let Keller's chefs do the work for me. I'm sure it will be just perfect.
July 9, 2010
Now that I've actually worked with the book a little, I can only recommended it with qualifications. It is more down to earth than other Thomas Keller books, but that also just makes it seem like there is less of Thomas Keller in it. Many of the main recipes are staple fare--roast chicken, roast pork, etc. and the only mark that might make them Keller-like is the obsessiveness with which things are cooked slowly and in separate pans. The instructions are really detailed in all the wrong places. It'll tell you how to cut a Kobacha squash into 5/8" dice, but it won't tell you how to peel it. In fact, if you follow the instructions literally, you're supposed to peel it before you even make the first incision, a task which I imagine would leave many people with sorely nicked knuckles. In some ways, the details that are there may even make it easier to screw up. Especially since he likes cooking many things on the lowest cooking temperature possible. So even if you get your squash into uniform 5/8" dice, a little difference in your stove top is going to still lead to greatly varied cooking times. I didn't mind so much, since I know when it's supposed to be ready, but still, in many cases I had to wait a good 50% longer than expected.
In the end, I trust his recipes as I have in the past for things like roast chicken. They're simple on ingredients, and long on process--and that's generally a good thing. But it's mostly the same process recommended in about a dozen other cookbooks under the title of "high roast," and the one in Judy Rogers's The Zuni Cafe is better described and, well, just better. That said however, the book shines in the side dishes, condiments, and the cheese primer. After you're done making your traditional, yet unremarkable roast, you can serve it with a rice and squash dish that includes farro, black rice, kobacha, delicata, and butternut. This will take twice as long as your main course to prepare, and take twice as many dishes. When he tells you to cut every squash in a different way, and to use a different roasting pan for each squash, you'll probably here the voice of SNL's The Anal Retentive Chef. But that's just him. That's Thomas Keller. And if you bought the book expecting anything different, you shouldn't have bought it all.
In the end, I trust his recipes as I have in the past for things like roast chicken. They're simple on ingredients, and long on process--and that's generally a good thing. But it's mostly the same process recommended in about a dozen other cookbooks under the title of "high roast," and the one in Judy Rogers's The Zuni Cafe is better described and, well, just better. That said however, the book shines in the side dishes, condiments, and the cheese primer. After you're done making your traditional, yet unremarkable roast, you can serve it with a rice and squash dish that includes farro, black rice, kobacha, delicata, and butternut. This will take twice as long as your main course to prepare, and take twice as many dishes. When he tells you to cut every squash in a different way, and to use a different roasting pan for each squash, you'll probably here the voice of SNL's The Anal Retentive Chef. But that's just him. That's Thomas Keller. And if you bought the book expecting anything different, you shouldn't have bought it all.
March 29, 2010
Fun, interesting, learning a lot about details that make the dish "right" & love the photos! Mouthwatering! Chief Keller really cares about preparing good food his way. Nothing very practical for me about most of his receipts but who cares? I appreciate the passing on of his considerable knowledge and expertise. Can't help myself - this is a delicious read.
October 20, 2020
Beautiful book, excellent technique and lots of very useful instructions with photos on basic but necessary cooking skills, like cutting up a chicken properly for frying. He is also dead on about being prepared for cooking in the intro to the book (read the beginning of the book!): Measure out all your ingredients and have them lined up on the counter before you even start with your recipe, and i can tell you as a cook who tends to be ADD in the kitchen, this will save you from starting a recipe and realizing halfway through that you're missing a key ingredient or don't have enough of one, like eggs or something, so now it's all for naught.
However, Keller somehow manages to turn even the simplest recipes into something overly complicated. I understand the need for perfection, that's why he's one of the greatest chefs working today and his restaurants are critically acclaimed. But this is pushing it as a cookbook for the home chef. I do enjoy a lot of the recipes, especially the preserving section, and his technique for cooking prime rib was fascinating and I'm eager to try it. I will probably buy this book for my home library for it's reference qualities, but I don't see myself making every recipe.
If you want a truly amazing famous-chef-whose-recipes-are-amazing book to cook from that you will ACTUALLY cook from, then get a copy of Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook. I've yet to find a book that is so incredibly straightforward, accessible and useful with instructions like the Les Halles book is.
However, Keller somehow manages to turn even the simplest recipes into something overly complicated. I understand the need for perfection, that's why he's one of the greatest chefs working today and his restaurants are critically acclaimed. But this is pushing it as a cookbook for the home chef. I do enjoy a lot of the recipes, especially the preserving section, and his technique for cooking prime rib was fascinating and I'm eager to try it. I will probably buy this book for my home library for it's reference qualities, but I don't see myself making every recipe.
If you want a truly amazing famous-chef-whose-recipes-are-amazing book to cook from that you will ACTUALLY cook from, then get a copy of Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook. I've yet to find a book that is so incredibly straightforward, accessible and useful with instructions like the Les Halles book is.
July 27, 2015
I know it's not the end of the month yet, but honestly, I decided more than a week ago I wasn't going to attempt to make anything else out of this cookbook. I might try again sometime in the future when I'm retired or have a robot to help me. Until then, I just don't have the time.
This is a beautiful cookbook. It is coffee table book size with beautiful photography. There is some fun and interesting stuff to read about Keller, his restaurants, his kitchen tool recommendations, and cooking techniques. I hope one day I'll be privileged enough to try his food in one of his restaurants. I have to question his connection to the world outside of his kitchen, however, when he declares that these recipes are for everyday cooking. Don't be fooled as you flip through and see many 5 ingredient recipes. There's a good chance 3 of those ingredients are the result of other separate recipes you would need to make first before making the final product. It took me 3 days just to make the beef stroganoff recipe - following the instructions for resting time, cooling time, and then final preparation. It was delicious, but ain't nobody got time for that. Other recipes call for each element, such as each vegetable, to be cooked separately before being added to the primary dish for additional cooking. At some point I'm going to run out of skillets. This is a beautiful gift for foodies, but lacks all practicality for regular, weeknight meals.
This is a beautiful cookbook. It is coffee table book size with beautiful photography. There is some fun and interesting stuff to read about Keller, his restaurants, his kitchen tool recommendations, and cooking techniques. I hope one day I'll be privileged enough to try his food in one of his restaurants. I have to question his connection to the world outside of his kitchen, however, when he declares that these recipes are for everyday cooking. Don't be fooled as you flip through and see many 5 ingredient recipes. There's a good chance 3 of those ingredients are the result of other separate recipes you would need to make first before making the final product. It took me 3 days just to make the beef stroganoff recipe - following the instructions for resting time, cooling time, and then final preparation. It was delicious, but ain't nobody got time for that. Other recipes call for each element, such as each vegetable, to be cooked separately before being added to the primary dish for additional cooking. At some point I'm going to run out of skillets. This is a beautiful gift for foodies, but lacks all practicality for regular, weeknight meals.
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July 31, 2011Write a review...This is much like the difference between Charlie Trotter's cookbooks relate dto his restaurant, and related to cooking at home. Ad Hoc is entirely do-able for a cook with good cooking experience, but no special talents in the kitchen. The book is meticulously produced--which is probably a hallmark of ths chef. The man designs his own serving dishes for gosh sakes. And while I don't always agree with him (my pea soup is different, and his is very traditional), he does a great job explaining it to different kinds of learners. Like his other cookbook i own, it is the same size 9so they can be shelved together) and it would be equally at home on a coffee table as it would be in the kitchen. Keller is a talented man of our times, and this fourth cookbook brings him down to earth. I would recommend this, and it would be my recommendation for a first keller cookbook for anyone but the most experienced of chef's.
May 8, 2011
I'm a big fan of Thomas Keller's. I've only eaten at his restaurants and been in his bakeries a few times, but each visit has been an exceptionally good experience, from the quality of the food to the courteous affability of the staff. (Fun story: I once saw a man on the subway in New York eating from a $42 jar of his foie gras. He did not share.) I like his matter-of-fact food philosophy and style, which in Ad Hoc just takes classic comfort food and does it really, really well. I consider myself sort of an advanced beginner of a cook but I am an ACCOMPLISHED EATER, so I enjoy finding chefs who can not only make great food, but can also demystify the process for the home kitchen.
This book is gorgeous, filled with fantastic recipes and drool-worthy photographs--and it's worth buying for the recipe for lemon-brined fried chicken alone. Many of the recipes do take some time and preparation, but I expected as much from a chef like this. The book is also a little big and unwieldy for comfortable storage, but I still find myself hugging it from time to time for the inspiration and enjoyment it provides. There, you know the book is good when the only complaint is its size.
This book is gorgeous, filled with fantastic recipes and drool-worthy photographs--and it's worth buying for the recipe for lemon-brined fried chicken alone. Many of the recipes do take some time and preparation, but I expected as much from a chef like this. The book is also a little big and unwieldy for comfortable storage, but I still find myself hugging it from time to time for the inspiration and enjoyment it provides. There, you know the book is good when the only complaint is its size.
January 21, 2013
This book is a lovely, well laid out instruction manual. Keller is a stickler for quality ingredients and methodical prep work, and it's fun to read what he does in his kitchen. However, I gave this 3 stars because I do not have five hours to prepare dinner. I also do not have a team of assistants to help me clean up the twenty five pans it's going to take to cook everything the Keller way. I don't even own twenty five pans. On top of all of that, I live in an area where some of the ingredients he lists are not going to be readily available.
And this book is BIG. It's like a coffee table book more than a cookbook. It's more than a little awkward in the kithen, imo. I like to prop my Ipad on its stand, or do the same with my notebook or a cookbook I'm using. That's not possible with this behemoth.
Great cookbook if you have the time and inclination. I'll continue to enjoy looking at this cookbook, but will probably use my other old standbys for actual cooking.
And this book is BIG. It's like a coffee table book more than a cookbook. It's more than a little awkward in the kithen, imo. I like to prop my Ipad on its stand, or do the same with my notebook or a cookbook I'm using. That's not possible with this behemoth.
Great cookbook if you have the time and inclination. I'll continue to enjoy looking at this cookbook, but will probably use my other old standbys for actual cooking.
February 16, 2010
I've long lusted after a meal at one of Thomas Keller's restaurants, and it remains one of my dining goals in life. This is the first time I've read one of his cook books, but I'd heard that this one was especially geared to the home cook. It is amazing.
At first I was put off by the gargantuan size, but then was thankful for every page and every inch. It's lovely, instructional, inspirational.
I checked this out of the library, but ordered a copy for keeps while still poring over my library edition.
Someday French Laundry/Per Se/Ad Hoc/Bouchon, you will be mine.
At first I was put off by the gargantuan size, but then was thankful for every page and every inch. It's lovely, instructional, inspirational.
I checked this out of the library, but ordered a copy for keeps while still poring over my library edition.
Someday French Laundry/Per Se/Ad Hoc/Bouchon, you will be mine.
December 18, 2015
Gorgeous, mouth-watering book. If I had the time to cook this way, I have no doubt my food would taste remarkable. But I focus a bit more on speed and health than perfect flavor and I don't think I'll be turning to this book too often. Others have given more detailed reviews on the length and detail of recipes (separate cooking, many pans, lots of perfection). For me, it's just not something I'll be able to do regularly, although a meal from here for a special occasion would definitely be spectacular.
December 16, 2011
As a chef myself, there's one standard to go by and that is Thomas Keller. With this one, while not all that simple he does come down from the things seen in either the Bouchon or French Laundry Cook Book. While I don't usually cook directly out of them, I use them for inspiration when looking to put new items on my menu's. They're a fantastic read, and a wealth of information for even the home cook.
January 22, 2011
I didn't expect this book to cover half of my body length. And I certainly did not forsee any guffawing on my end. I feel as if I can make anything with my im-ag-ination...
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Perhaps I still have a bit of conquering to do.
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Perhaps I still have a bit of conquering to do.
Read
February 2, 2013two words; fried chicken.
February 13, 2021
I love this book. The recipes are involved, but inspiring, and they are actually things all the people in this house, regardless of age, will eat for the most part. Some of the reviews knock stars off for not being practical, and being too precise and involved, but, I mean, it's Thomas Keller. What did you really expect?
I will also just say that I am so glad that over the decades he has calmly, consistently and quietly corrected that things should not be cooking in extra virgin olive oil. How many wayward home cooks have been misguided by shills like Rachel Ray into using that oil for everything except what it's purpose is. Why yes, sometimes things are indeed better cooked in plain old canola oil.
These are not recipes you will break out on a Wednesday night with a mere 20 minutes to make dinner. But they would make for some fun weekends, or inspired weeknights when you have time to plan and enjoy. With few exceptions, most of the ingredients look available either at a nicer grocery store, or via mail order. That is a welcome difference from French Laundry, per se, which while gorgeous has things that are simply not accessible to the average home cook.
If you are a home cook who wants as Thomas Keller book, this is the one I would recommend to start with. Inspiring, amazing dishes, that aren't overly intimidating (although they're more involved than a modern quick-eats cookbook, of course. That should go without saying.) This book has a bit of playfulness about it too that I enjoyed. Five stars.
I will also just say that I am so glad that over the decades he has calmly, consistently and quietly corrected that things should not be cooking in extra virgin olive oil. How many wayward home cooks have been misguided by shills like Rachel Ray into using that oil for everything except what it's purpose is. Why yes, sometimes things are indeed better cooked in plain old canola oil.
These are not recipes you will break out on a Wednesday night with a mere 20 minutes to make dinner. But they would make for some fun weekends, or inspired weeknights when you have time to plan and enjoy. With few exceptions, most of the ingredients look available either at a nicer grocery store, or via mail order. That is a welcome difference from French Laundry, per se, which while gorgeous has things that are simply not accessible to the average home cook.
If you are a home cook who wants as Thomas Keller book, this is the one I would recommend to start with. Inspiring, amazing dishes, that aren't overly intimidating (although they're more involved than a modern quick-eats cookbook, of course. That should go without saying.) This book has a bit of playfulness about it too that I enjoyed. Five stars.
November 12, 2023
Great for the home cook that’s looking to improve…
February 15, 2015
*Update - 15 February 2015*
This recipe book has become my everything. It is the first resource I consult when I am faced with a new ingredient, or when I want to know to which temperature to cook lamb, or when I want to try something new that I know will taste like restaurant food. Tonight I made the herb-crusted rack of lamb and it was perfect in every way. I followed the instructions, I set my timer and out came an absolutely perfect dish. It wasn't difficult, or complicated. Certainly, it required a garlic preparation, a honey-mustard glaze, the herb crust as well as the scored and seared racks of lamb, but none of those individual components take a lot of time to make, nor are they complicated.
This is my favourite recipe book (and my collection is EXTENSIVE) and I would recommend it to anyone who gleans any enjoyment whatsoever from recipe books.
______________________________________
This book is too much.
Way, way, way too much.
I mean, I love recipes. Food, cooking it, eating it, creating things in the kitchen. It's a hobby. I like to read about it and look at photos of it and collect books about it. I pay for updated recipe software (Living Cookbook), scan all my recipe magazines in to save as PDF, take photographs of food or whenever I spot a recipe somewhere and keep a handwritten journal filled with my most comforting recipes. I subscribe to and read cooking blogs daily. Yet my passion pales in comparison to what it must have taken to compile this recipe book.
In Ad Hoc at Home Thomas Keller took a simple concept - good home cooking as served by a restaurant - and pushed it as far as it could go. This book is massive. As I was reading through it, I became tired. It's pretty to look at, the recipes sound lovely, but at one point (about halfway through) I realised I wasn't up to the task. Usually I like to read recipe books or magazines in one sitting, paging through the recipes and deciding what to make first. With Ad Hoc I had to give up at the recipe for Scallion Potato Cakes (p230). I needed a break. It was just too much information. Surely there couldn't be that much information in one recipe book?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. There is value for money here. This is a book worth owning. It just doesn't make for good leisurely reading. It's too much for a brain to handle in one large dose.
Five stars, because what more could you ask for? This is it. This is THE recipe book. Buy it, own it, stroke it lovingly, but whatever you do, don't try to read it in one sitting. Mere mortals are simply not up to that task.
As for the type of recipes it contains, that's easy. Everything. It's all in here. Yes, even grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies. Along with wine-steeped golden raisins, brined pork tenderloin, buttermilk fried chicken and parsley water. Have you ever seen such a combination of recipes together in a book before? It's insane! It's crazy and I love it. Get it. Treasure it. Bake some cookies.
This recipe book has become my everything. It is the first resource I consult when I am faced with a new ingredient, or when I want to know to which temperature to cook lamb, or when I want to try something new that I know will taste like restaurant food. Tonight I made the herb-crusted rack of lamb and it was perfect in every way. I followed the instructions, I set my timer and out came an absolutely perfect dish. It wasn't difficult, or complicated. Certainly, it required a garlic preparation, a honey-mustard glaze, the herb crust as well as the scored and seared racks of lamb, but none of those individual components take a lot of time to make, nor are they complicated.
This is my favourite recipe book (and my collection is EXTENSIVE) and I would recommend it to anyone who gleans any enjoyment whatsoever from recipe books.
______________________________________
This book is too much.
Way, way, way too much.
I mean, I love recipes. Food, cooking it, eating it, creating things in the kitchen. It's a hobby. I like to read about it and look at photos of it and collect books about it. I pay for updated recipe software (Living Cookbook), scan all my recipe magazines in to save as PDF, take photographs of food or whenever I spot a recipe somewhere and keep a handwritten journal filled with my most comforting recipes. I subscribe to and read cooking blogs daily. Yet my passion pales in comparison to what it must have taken to compile this recipe book.
In Ad Hoc at Home Thomas Keller took a simple concept - good home cooking as served by a restaurant - and pushed it as far as it could go. This book is massive. As I was reading through it, I became tired. It's pretty to look at, the recipes sound lovely, but at one point (about halfway through) I realised I wasn't up to the task. Usually I like to read recipe books or magazines in one sitting, paging through the recipes and deciding what to make first. With Ad Hoc I had to give up at the recipe for Scallion Potato Cakes (p230). I needed a break. It was just too much information. Surely there couldn't be that much information in one recipe book?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. There is value for money here. This is a book worth owning. It just doesn't make for good leisurely reading. It's too much for a brain to handle in one large dose.
Five stars, because what more could you ask for? This is it. This is THE recipe book. Buy it, own it, stroke it lovingly, but whatever you do, don't try to read it in one sitting. Mere mortals are simply not up to that task.
As for the type of recipes it contains, that's easy. Everything. It's all in here. Yes, even grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies. Along with wine-steeped golden raisins, brined pork tenderloin, buttermilk fried chicken and parsley water. Have you ever seen such a combination of recipes together in a book before? It's insane! It's crazy and I love it. Get it. Treasure it. Bake some cookies.
December 23, 2020
Waldorf salad - 3 stars - easy salad that made everyone happy. But nothing special.
Chicken and dumplings - 2.6 stars - we aren’t dans of broths soups so this could easily be loved by others. The dumplings are amazingly good. I’m going to make a batch next time I make chicken with a sauce and need something to go with it. Also the carrots, cooked with honey and thyme, are a great side dish.
Crab cakes - 4.5 stars - proper shaping is a technique that will require some practice but taste is on point
Vanilla Ice Cream - 4.3 stars - more like a frozen custard. easy and rich
Horseradish Cream - 2.3 stars - another rare loser. Tasted overwhelmingly of vinegar
Quail with Pomegranate Glaze - 2.5 stars - a rare loser, turns out nobody in our house likes quail.
Cheesecake - 4.4 stars - easy to make and so rich and creamy. left out the lemon zest and didn't miss it at all
Rack of lamb - 4.4 stars - a little bit of work - still done in an hour - worth the work put in
Pan Roasted Duck Breast - 4.1 stars - took less than an hour to make. No hard stepsand was delicious
Moroccan Salad - 3.75 stars - my husband simplified this a little so it was done in thirty minutes and he really enjoyed it
WIld Cod en Persillade - 3.9 stars - done in half an hour
Polenta with Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce - 4 stars - easy and delicious, a perfect combo
Grapefruit Cake - 4.15 stars - I did the plain variant to serve with strawberries and whipped cream, the cake had a nice sugary crust on it that we really enjoyed and it was easy to make
Mediterranean MElon Salad - 3.85 stars - easy and delicious, perfect for a warm day
Panna Cotta - 3.85 stars - easy and delicious
Caramel Sauce - 0 stars - why no temp to end at? why 30 minutes to cook? utter failure
Note:my husband and i attended the burger popup at ad hoc. they were good and we are agreed that the flavor matches what we got from the recipe in the book. it was nice to know that our cookbook recipe lived up to the restaurant experience
Crispy Fried Fish - 4 stars
Sauteed Lamb Loin Chops - 4.15 stars - easy, impressive and delicious
Apple Butter - 4 stars
Duck Confit - 4 stars - you have to plan ahead but nothing is hard - duck ends up tender and delicious
Coleslaw - 3.2 stars
Chocolate chip cookies - 3 stars - these are good but they need way more chocolate
Asparagus and Tomato bacon Stew - 4 stars - cheap, easy, and even my tomato hating husband enjoyed it
Valencia Salad - 2.5 stars - possibly not the recipes fault - couldn't find the right greens, olives, or oranges. so it may be delicious under other circumstances.
Mushroom Soup - 4.15 stars - time consuming but dad loved it
Hamburgers - 4.7 stars - including toppings this worked out to $5/burger - easy, delicious - totally a keeper
Chicken Pot Pie - 4.3 stars - time consuming but I think it will get easier if I make it more often - delicious homey and comforting - this is going to be a regular at our house
Apple Fritters - 4.1 stars - fabulous as a not too sweet special breakfast
Brownies - 3.8 stars - dark and moist
Chicken and dumplings - 2.6 stars - we aren’t dans of broths soups so this could easily be loved by others. The dumplings are amazingly good. I’m going to make a batch next time I make chicken with a sauce and need something to go with it. Also the carrots, cooked with honey and thyme, are a great side dish.
Crab cakes - 4.5 stars - proper shaping is a technique that will require some practice but taste is on point
Vanilla Ice Cream - 4.3 stars - more like a frozen custard. easy and rich
Horseradish Cream - 2.3 stars - another rare loser. Tasted overwhelmingly of vinegar
Quail with Pomegranate Glaze - 2.5 stars - a rare loser, turns out nobody in our house likes quail.
Cheesecake - 4.4 stars - easy to make and so rich and creamy. left out the lemon zest and didn't miss it at all
Rack of lamb - 4.4 stars - a little bit of work - still done in an hour - worth the work put in
Pan Roasted Duck Breast - 4.1 stars - took less than an hour to make. No hard stepsand was delicious
Moroccan Salad - 3.75 stars - my husband simplified this a little so it was done in thirty minutes and he really enjoyed it
WIld Cod en Persillade - 3.9 stars - done in half an hour
Polenta with Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce - 4 stars - easy and delicious, a perfect combo
Grapefruit Cake - 4.15 stars - I did the plain variant to serve with strawberries and whipped cream, the cake had a nice sugary crust on it that we really enjoyed and it was easy to make
Mediterranean MElon Salad - 3.85 stars - easy and delicious, perfect for a warm day
Panna Cotta - 3.85 stars - easy and delicious
Caramel Sauce - 0 stars - why no temp to end at? why 30 minutes to cook? utter failure
Note:my husband and i attended the burger popup at ad hoc. they were good and we are agreed that the flavor matches what we got from the recipe in the book. it was nice to know that our cookbook recipe lived up to the restaurant experience
Crispy Fried Fish - 4 stars
Sauteed Lamb Loin Chops - 4.15 stars - easy, impressive and delicious
Apple Butter - 4 stars
Duck Confit - 4 stars - you have to plan ahead but nothing is hard - duck ends up tender and delicious
Coleslaw - 3.2 stars
Chocolate chip cookies - 3 stars - these are good but they need way more chocolate
Asparagus and Tomato bacon Stew - 4 stars - cheap, easy, and even my tomato hating husband enjoyed it
Valencia Salad - 2.5 stars - possibly not the recipes fault - couldn't find the right greens, olives, or oranges. so it may be delicious under other circumstances.
Mushroom Soup - 4.15 stars - time consuming but dad loved it
Hamburgers - 4.7 stars - including toppings this worked out to $5/burger - easy, delicious - totally a keeper
Chicken Pot Pie - 4.3 stars - time consuming but I think it will get easier if I make it more often - delicious homey and comforting - this is going to be a regular at our house
Apple Fritters - 4.1 stars - fabulous as a not too sweet special breakfast
Brownies - 3.8 stars - dark and moist
January 6, 2011
I made my first ever whole roasted chicken from this book, and it was awesome! The book is absolutely gorgeous, with recipes that are fancy enough to be special but easy on the technique. It's full of great recipes if you happen to have access to a farmers market (and things like fresh beans) because he really puts a focus on having great ingredients (as an example - for the chicken I made, Keller recommended young/small root vegetables, when it was hard enough for me just to find rutabagas or turnips to begin with in my regular grocery).
I wish I could give it a 4.5. I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn't such a BIG book. It's not thick, just HUGE like a coffee table book. This makes it totally hard to wrangle around my apartment kitchen, and it also makes it not a cookbook I'd just pick up and leaf through. I need to sit down to open this baby and really go through it. It doesn't really fit in my little cookbook holder so I need to lay it flat and give it tons of counter space that I don't have, or put it out of the way and run over to it in-between steps. This is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to cookbooks.
With the exception of it's size, it is a really well-thought out and beautiful book. I love the layouts of the pages and the recipes given.
I wish I could give it a 4.5. I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn't such a BIG book. It's not thick, just HUGE like a coffee table book. This makes it totally hard to wrangle around my apartment kitchen, and it also makes it not a cookbook I'd just pick up and leaf through. I need to sit down to open this baby and really go through it. It doesn't really fit in my little cookbook holder so I need to lay it flat and give it tons of counter space that I don't have, or put it out of the way and run over to it in-between steps. This is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to cookbooks.
With the exception of it's size, it is a really well-thought out and beautiful book. I love the layouts of the pages and the recipes given.
September 19, 2011
This is a hefty book that I could see comfortably perched on counters all over the United States. Each copy would have a broken spine and splotched with drips and drabs of food. It would be thumbed through when a bit of inspiration was needed.
Ad Hoc at Home is chock full of great tips and recipes and there really isn’t anything NOT to like about this book.
It’s a great way to learn some basic (but upscale) recipes to try out in your kitchen. Don’t expect dainty restaurant dishes or anything terribly fussy.
I think that you of course need to start with a foundation of knowledge in cooking before you can move on to increasing complexity. Ad Hoc provides an entire book of recipes to help you start to develop yourself as a skilled home cook.
I also liked the little tips sprinkled throughout the book – they are actually very helpful (I find in many cookbooks those little “tips” end up just being filler).
Overall this is a successful cookbook. I wish that it was a little lighter in weight – I think it may weigh 7 pounds, but I don’t really count that as a criticism.
**** = glad I read it, I enjoyed it, I would read it again.
Ad Hoc at Home is chock full of great tips and recipes and there really isn’t anything NOT to like about this book.
It’s a great way to learn some basic (but upscale) recipes to try out in your kitchen. Don’t expect dainty restaurant dishes or anything terribly fussy.
I think that you of course need to start with a foundation of knowledge in cooking before you can move on to increasing complexity. Ad Hoc provides an entire book of recipes to help you start to develop yourself as a skilled home cook.
I also liked the little tips sprinkled throughout the book – they are actually very helpful (I find in many cookbooks those little “tips” end up just being filler).
Overall this is a successful cookbook. I wish that it was a little lighter in weight – I think it may weigh 7 pounds, but I don’t really count that as a criticism.
**** = glad I read it, I enjoyed it, I would read it again.
December 1, 2013
From the foodie perspective, this book is a treat, and owing to its size, it makes for great coffee table perusal. I purchased Ad Hock at Home in a boxed set a couple of years ago at a B&N after Christmas sale. It was 50% off.
Ad Hock at Home is fun to go through, but a few of the recipes are something I might think about but never really make. That said, Thomas Keller is an artist, and because of that, his recipes can be a little intimidating.
Whenever I look this book over, it serves as a source of inspiration, and it never fails to do the trick. I am amazed at how people like Keller can come up with so many creative ways of entertaining the palate. Keller also is a good writer and his stories are very touching. As my cooking skills go up, I find myself seeing the book in whole new ways with the passage of time. It is a book I am growing with.
This book is a keeper, and I recommend it to anyone who appreciates Thomas Keller's artistry.
Ad Hock at Home is fun to go through, but a few of the recipes are something I might think about but never really make. That said, Thomas Keller is an artist, and because of that, his recipes can be a little intimidating.
Whenever I look this book over, it serves as a source of inspiration, and it never fails to do the trick. I am amazed at how people like Keller can come up with so many creative ways of entertaining the palate. Keller also is a good writer and his stories are very touching. As my cooking skills go up, I find myself seeing the book in whole new ways with the passage of time. It is a book I am growing with.
This book is a keeper, and I recommend it to anyone who appreciates Thomas Keller's artistry.
November 16, 2014
American Chef and Restauranteur Thomas Keller presents a big beautiful book about the art and joy of cooking. This book has elegant pictures and an abundance of recipes. I had not heard of him until I read a restaurant review for a new place in the Twin Cities and they made reference to his fried chicken recipe which if you are a fan it sounds wonderful and easy. This book is for people who love to cook and aren't afraid to try new things. It will solidify your cooking skills. The person who rarely cooks won't enjoy it. It also gives primers on cutting up a whole chicken-the best way to purchase according to Keller, making stock and pie crust; something he highly recommends because it will expand a cook's repertoire. He also gives his advice on which kitchen products are essential like a Japanese Mandolin Slicer. This book is one of those to savor slowly as it has 300 pages and is oversized. I loved it even if the text was a bit small.
August 30, 2015
This is my introduction to Thomas Keller in a cookbook.I saw it on the library shelf and thought I'd check it out, and I am really pleased that I did. The photos are beautiful, and you can really tell just how enamored Keller is with food--his passion is contagious. It's true that the recipes are fussy, but I rarely (if ever) follow a recipe exactly. I consider recipes as general guidelines to point you in the right direction. I enjoy learning about techniques and the science behind them since I am neither a trained chef nor someone who has any interest in being part of that industry. I am pretty passionate about food and learning though, so I think I am probably the perfect audience for this cookbook. I plan on picking up a copy of my own after returning this one to the library. I think it'll make a great "browsing" cookbook...you know, when you just feel like flipping through and looking at the pictures and dreaming about that dinner party that you never get around to throwing ;)
June 14, 2012
I honestly had no idea who Thomas Keller was until I was a few miles from Napa, and a friend mentioned we should check out his restaurant. So we did. On arrival at Bouchon they politely said there were no tables. For months. Huh?!? Who is this guy?
Since I wasn't able to eat there, my wife got me this cookbook for Christmas. I enjoyed this cookbook quite a bit. The fried chicken recipe is very, very good and it opened my eyes to a non-Southern way of doing that classic recipe. His cooking style was actually rather interesting to follow just from the recipes. I hope I never see him on television because I somehow doubt my mental version of him matches reality what so ever ;)
This cookbook is worth borrowing and perusing if his recipes sound interesting to you. I'm glad I own it!
Since I wasn't able to eat there, my wife got me this cookbook for Christmas. I enjoyed this cookbook quite a bit. The fried chicken recipe is very, very good and it opened my eyes to a non-Southern way of doing that classic recipe. His cooking style was actually rather interesting to follow just from the recipes. I hope I never see him on television because I somehow doubt my mental version of him matches reality what so ever ;)
This cookbook is worth borrowing and perusing if his recipes sound interesting to you. I'm glad I own it!
April 19, 2010
It really didn't take me this many months to read, I'm just a slow to update girl. This is a book one could happily page though and drool over the pictures. I did find the writing about the recipes interesting, there were also great tips throughout. We tried several recipes from the book and all were delicious. However, it only garners 4 stars because really, who cooks like this every night? The recipes suffer from a few too many steps for the anal retentive. Hand trimming the dumplings, really? Trust me, they are mouth watering untrimmed. I found that I did not slavishly follow most recipes but took short cuts here and there and then they were still mostly recipes for the weekend. Delicious though, and worth a look if you enjoy cookbooks or food writing.
June 26, 2010
I would turn to this book for the following:
- Basic sauces, technique, and cooking tips from Thomas Keller
- Recipes for the absolute best (fill-in-the-blank comfort food) ever made, to be served in a semi-formal dinner to a group of foodie friends who would appreciate the effort and quality. Keller's recipes are simple but not easy or quick. He believes in using best quality ingredients, to the extent that he has an entire section on sources for buying these top-notch ingredients. Some of the recipes require several days of work to prepare. Therefore, I don't feel that this is a practical book for every day use, but a good reference book to have and useful for the occasional indulgence.
- Basic sauces, technique, and cooking tips from Thomas Keller
- Recipes for the absolute best (fill-in-the-blank comfort food) ever made, to be served in a semi-formal dinner to a group of foodie friends who would appreciate the effort and quality. Keller's recipes are simple but not easy or quick. He believes in using best quality ingredients, to the extent that he has an entire section on sources for buying these top-notch ingredients. Some of the recipes require several days of work to prepare. Therefore, I don't feel that this is a practical book for every day use, but a good reference book to have and useful for the occasional indulgence.
October 1, 2013
There are a lot of good things in this cookbook and and I have already made a few things. It does say "at home" but some of it is a little more labor intensive than many home cooks are looking for. I will say that even if some of the recipes are a little ambitious there are a number of great tips and tricks and good flavor combo suggestions. Also I feel like many cookbooks are short on good ideas/recipes for sides, vegetables, and salads but this book has some great stuff beyond the usual meat-focused entrees and desserts!
Has anyone heard of the band Baths? Me neither, and the retro-80's-electronica-inspired-ambient is not usually my thing, but I'm rather enjoying it. It's always good to try new things.
Has anyone heard of the band Baths? Me neither, and the retro-80's-electronica-inspired-ambient is not usually my thing, but I'm rather enjoying it. It's always good to try new things.
May 18, 2010
Wow! An absolutely GORGEOUS cookbook. The recipes looked wonderful, although I didn't actually attempt any.
This is a cookbook designed for a person who really loves to cook, to spend time in the kitchen, and has the time to learn about the quality ingredients we should use! These are not 'quick, make it fast because everyone is starving and we need to eat right now before bedtime' family recipes-- not toddler friendly, and not food-allergy friendly either, which is my new cooking restriction.
So I loved looking through it, and would like to perhaps eat at Ad Hoc if I ever find myself in the area and with money to spare... :)
This is a cookbook designed for a person who really loves to cook, to spend time in the kitchen, and has the time to learn about the quality ingredients we should use! These are not 'quick, make it fast because everyone is starving and we need to eat right now before bedtime' family recipes-- not toddler friendly, and not food-allergy friendly either, which is my new cooking restriction.
So I loved looking through it, and would like to perhaps eat at Ad Hoc if I ever find myself in the area and with money to spare... :)
January 1, 2011
This book delivers what it promises. This is an unpretentious how-to manual for quality cooking. Keller puts his ego aside-sort of-and gives foodies the basic how-to's for really good food at home using the best ingredients. What I especially like about this book is his personal list of retailers that provide quality products that can be ordered by phone or online. I can't say I would be ordering a duck from cross-country all that often, but it's nice to know that I can if I ever feel the need.
The only negative I see is prep time and cook time is a lengthier preocess than your everyday cookbooks. But, you have to sacrifice time for good food if that's what you're aspiring to get.
The only negative I see is prep time and cook time is a lengthier preocess than your everyday cookbooks. But, you have to sacrifice time for good food if that's what you're aspiring to get.
September 12, 2016
Sigh. Thomas Keller. I dream of the day when I will have the time to cook like this at home every day. As it is, I pull this out a few times a year when I don't mind spending hours in the kitchen making my own dough and crackers and cheese. Much of this book features classic recipes, but they are classics done really, really well. I've made the cornish hens, lamb, chicken pot pie and vanilla ice cream - nothing new or avant-garde about them - and they were all stellar. My husband and I still talk about them, so on special occasions, Ad Hoc comes out. I also really love the techniques he teaches. I'll never again roast poultry without brining it.
August 11, 2017
This book is beautiful. The pictures are a food lovers dream. The love Thomas Keller has for food comes through in every sentence and recipe throughout the book.
This book is designed to get the best possible flavor out of common household meals. It's made for the enthusiast chef who doesn't mind putting in the extra effort and hours into cooking just to get a some extra flavor. If you're looking for a "30 Minute meals" recipe book then this book might not be what you're looking for. But if what you want is a book full of pictures that makes your mouth water along with a peek into the mind of a master chef then this book hits the mark.
This book is designed to get the best possible flavor out of common household meals. It's made for the enthusiast chef who doesn't mind putting in the extra effort and hours into cooking just to get a some extra flavor. If you're looking for a "30 Minute meals" recipe book then this book might not be what you're looking for. But if what you want is a book full of pictures that makes your mouth water along with a peek into the mind of a master chef then this book hits the mark.
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