sprinklefingers

The new Bouchon Bakery cookbook is out - have you seen it? The fifth in TK’s collection of books featuring photographs of TK himself filling sandwich cookies and peering through holes in freshly cut doughnuts. Pretty sweet.

Now, it’s true I have a special spot in my heart for TK. He has this philosophy on food that is genuine and sincere - he’s a superstar, but at the end of the day you can imagine that he’s simply happy that he gets to make good food for people. Again, pretty sweet.

Here’s something he said recently to Eater National:

The food at Bouchon Bakery has a connection with the inner-child. A chocolate chip cookie has meaning to a 90-year-old and a 7-year-old. The croissant has the same thing, even in America. When we were young, Pillsbury made those pop-open tubes. And there’s a fine line from what culture it comes from. It ends up being more about the quality of the experience. The best thing I can have happen is a young child to have their first bouchon, and it creates a reference point for the rest of their lives. And that’s very special to me.

“It ends up being more about the quality of the experience”…amen, TK. Amen.

And then there’s the technical stuff in the book - all measurements for eggs are given in weight - not per egg as in a typical baking book. There is a suggestion that you allow your oven to cycle three times before baking - that’s a warm-up of around 45 minutes! There is a detailed explanation of the KitchenAid mixer used to test all the recipes in the book - complete with a a breakdown of mixer speeds and how they correspond to the recipes in the book. They’ve even included a way to test your oven for hot spots. 

Basically, this level of detail is something that blows my mind while simultaneously bolstering my spirit. Not being one to ever wing anything, I feel like I’ve finally met someone (in book form) who understands me instead of constantly referring to me as a control freak.  

So, once again, thank you TK. 
Not that I’ve ever doubted you, but you speak my language and it’s pretty much the least spoken language on the planet. 

Amazing.

Fantastic/terrific/amazing/great piece discussing Thomas Keller and Andoni Luis Aduriz’s take on the whole ‘local’ movement.

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“What restaurant isn’t farm to table?” Mr. Keller asked. “I think about quality, not geography.”

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thomas keller: uncorked.

thirty minutes of television that will make you wish thomas keller was your boss. or your uncle. or your best friend. or all three…

click the photo for more.

read his interview from the los angeles times festival of books here.

my favorite bit:

Parsons: What does success mean to you?

Keller: Success for me is not about fame and fortune. Fame is what other people give you, not something that you establish for yourself. What is fortune? Having more than you need? I don’t know, I’m comfortable with one restaurant. Success is about memories. Years ago a couple came into [the French Laundry]. They said, “Thomas, this reminds me of —” and they gave a very emotional description of an experience they had at a restaurant in France. And It’s about the memories we have –- at the end of the day it’s our memories that we hold near and dear to us.

the la times introduced a new series called master class - featuring some of america’s top chefs sharing great kitchen tips.

and guess who’s up first? mr. thomas keller himself:

The culinary wizard behind the renowned French Laundry and Bouchon Bistro restaurants offers tips on how to improve dishes with the proper use of seasonings.

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it’s no secret that i’m (somewhat) obsessed with interested in thomas keller. no matter what you think about spending months of savings on one meal, you have to admit the man’s a genius. i mean, he’s solely responsible for my acceptance of eggs as edible. just last night i had a salad topped with a fried egg. would i have done that prior to eating his perfect egg atop a corncake? no way, josé. no way.

anyways, as i was winding down last night before bed i had a million thoughts running through my head. mainly - against my better judgment - i was doing a mental review of 2010 and simultaneously thinking about what i’d do differently in 2011. no i’m not going to attempt to ‘eat vegan before dinner,’ just like i’m not going to attempt ‘meatless mondays’ or any other ‘healthy-eating’ tomfoolery. yes, i’ll keep us in check and make sure we’re not going bananacakes, but food - and the timely preparation of it - is something i refuse to put in a corner. we’ll eat sensibly (like always) and we’ll enjoy it. welcome, 2011.

another thing i was thinking about: my parents. i’m not sure if i’ve told you this before, but i’m an orphan. my mother died when i was 24 and my father followed just a few years later. my mother never met my husband. and neither of them had the pleasure of meeting my kid. neither of them have seen the business i’ve grown. and neither have been able to give me the advice i often so badly need. in the years since their deaths i’ve always treated their birthdays and the anniversaries of their passing as very sad days. four days of the year where i don’t really want to talk to anyone and would rather spend all day in bed…four days of the year where i miss out on what all the ‘normal’ people are doing just so i can have a good cry. and while i definitely believe in being open about feelings, 11 years of 4 days of shutting down adds up to 44 days. 44 days where i’ve just completely missed out on life. that’s kind of a lot.

my hope for 2011 is that i find a new way to cope with these anniversaries. instead of shutting down, hopefully i can focus on the positives. use the days to give my kid a little bit more insight into the lives of his grandparents…maybe cook their favorite meals, tell some of their best stories. be happy that they were alive.

as you can imagine, this was heavy stuff to be thinking about just before bed. to get my mind on something else i turned to the internet and happened upon an article about thomas keller that i’ve never read before (how that’s possible, i’m unsure.)

it’s an article about keller and his father. i couldn’t get through it without shedding a few tears bawling my eyes out, and i’m sure - if you have a feeling bone in your body - it will have some effect on you, too.

and now, if it’s even possible, my admiration for keller has reached new heights.

here’s to a happy 2011…even when it comes to the sad stuff.

you can read about thomas keller & his dad here.

I don’t cook for me. I cook for you.

- thomas keller.

i’ve been a pretty decent girl this year. yes, i lost my temper a few times. and yeah, perhaps i lied to my kid once or twice when he smelled chocolate on my breath and i told him i was eating broccoli. and, sure, maybe three or four times i’ve wished that the coyote wandering our neighborhood would steal one of my dogs. but other than that, i’ve been pretty good.

that said, this year for christmas, i’d like $835 and a plane ticket to hong kong. additionally, if you could do it, i’d like you to foot the bill for a few nights at the mandarin oriental hotel.

that’s not too much to ask, right? especially when it involves thomas keller?

thanks santa. so much.

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read all about keller’s hong kong adventure here.

i’ve just returned from the great city of new york where i spent too much money and consumed far too many calories.

do i regret the sausage-stuffed french toast sticks from milk bar?
not at all.
how about the pork buns from momofuku?
certainly not.
and the crispy pig’s head at ma peche?
no way.
what about the peanut butter sundae at bouchon bakery?
please sir, may i have another?

some people like to museum hop. others like to shop ‘til they drop. me?
i like to eat. and eat. and eat.
sure, i visited the moma and the met. yes, i spent a few dollars at bendels.
but, for me, eating is where it’s at.

which is why i’m blushing when i tell you that while in the city i was fortunate enough to have a reservation at thomas keller’s per se.
most people think this is a once in a lifetime meal. something you do only once.
i pray to god that isn’t so for me. as soon as i finished my last bite i started making plans to return. certainly something that good shouldn’t be something you can do only once in your life. certainly.

one more thing about the per se experience: when i arrived the first person i saw there was thomas keller himself. after our four hour dinner i was invited into the kitchen and was introduced to the chef as he held post over the pass. meeting thomas keller just once in my lifetime is something i can deal with. eating his delicious food at his perfect restaurants? i just can’t settle for once. i can’t.

big sigh.