Originally Posted by
Shangri-La
I've been thinking of picking up Ad Hoc by him. I've heard his three books are very informative in terms of what to buy, what to use, why do x....Sounds like something you could take with you outside of just the book's recipes.
I have both French Laundry at Ad Hoc At Home. French Laundy is more about the food porn for me. And as inspiration for something to aspire to. I can also see myself maybe using elements from certain dishes, or the tips that are littered throughout the book, than maybe making a whole dish.
I am looking forward to cooking from Ad Hoc At Home, which definitely is more accessible to the home cook, but by no means overly simplified or "quick" to make dishes (the fried chicken recipe, for example, calls for 12 hours of brining).
I also recently bought Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques, which I have found incredibily informative (along with Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking)