The Complete Robuchon: French Home Cooking for the Way We Live Now with More than 800 Recipes: A Cookbook Hardcover – November 4, 2008

I'll give the book 5 stars and myself 3 stars. By the title, I'd thought this was a book that covered the chef's total technical, sensory and philosophical approach to his haute cuisine, something I've been eager to learn more about since coming to know more of Eric Ripert's cooking, especially. I only saw after the fact that the book is intended for the home cook, and not the professional.Not so arrogant as to say there's nothing here to learn if one is a professional, because that would be ridiculous. If Joel Robuchon were to write how he ties his shoes, I know, it would be a worthwhile study. I was just hoping for an in-depth exploration of his palate and techniques, his entire approach to haute cuisine.A small comparative example. Ripert refers to his time at Jamin as an incredibly tough, but worthwhile, time; and among the million details of the highest rigor, he goes on to say, is the total absence of squeeze bottles at Jamin. All the ubiquitous dots of intensely flavored oils, etc. you see everywhere these days, are applied by hand, from a spoon. I thought, well, yes, that's difficult, but is it really noteworthy? Until I saw an example of Robuchon's work in the Gault-Millau text, Dining in France - a Robuchon cold lobster salad, ringed with the most perfect little dots imaginable, arrayed in the most perfect symmetry, like a delicate, coral-tinted corona around the plate. There, I finally saw the immediate evidence of what Ripert refers to as the technical precision that was drilled home to him during his time at Jamin.It's one small example - but I think the point I'm trying to make, is that the smallest, seemingly most insignificant thing, is demanding of an economy of thought and motion, and an intensity of approach (I am sure each of those dots are little, intense orbs of clean flavor) at the same time. Ripert credits Robuchon with teaching him the importance of precision, and the highest (that superlative is overused so much - but what else to say) rigor. (He credits Jean-Louis Palladin with freeing his mind, and Gilbert Le Coze with how to lead, how to run a brigade and ultimately, a restaurant).At any rate, not in this book. It's a wonderful guide for the home cook wanting to master the classics of bistro and cuisine bourgeoise. I was just looking for something else.Which begs the question, if anyone reads this review - any recommendations for a "bible" of Robuchon's cuisine? Not sure if the Grand Livre fits the bill, because I'm not sure any of the editions of the Grand Livre do....have Ducasse's on my cart, but at that price point, I'm hesitant to purchase a collection of truffle and foie gras recipes, without a lot of revelation on the chef's technical approach. (That may be grossly unfair to Ducasse's Grand Livre - just going on some of the less stellar comments). Not wanting a cookbook of recipes, but a totality of approach, if such a book exists among the works by or about Robuchon. Any help appreciated.

With all due respect to Julia Child, who worked to teach cooking itself to Americans as well as French recipes to cook with, and with all due awareness of the almost infinite number of other cookbooks on French home and bistro cooking, "The Complete Robuchon" by Joel Robuchon is probably the single best cookbook of essential French cooking, traditional dishes and classic recipes available for the home cook.The attention to detail, organization and completeness of the book and the succinct and readable way all the topics and recipes are written makes this book a pleasure to own, to read and to draw endless inspiration and ideas from. This is NOT a Thomas Keller style coffee table cook book (such as "The French Laundry Cookbook", for example) filled with lush pictures, sprawling magazine style layouts and ornate texts. It's a thick, heavy handful of high quality, succinct knowledge and recipes for traditional French cooking.Some reviewers in France have complained that this is just a book of old tried and true French cuisine. What is too close to home and old fashioned to some may be a trove of great knowledge to other readers in other cultures and countries. Some felt, evidently, that if the great Robuchon's name was attached, especially with a title like "The Complete Robuchon", that the book should include only haute cuisine and cutting edge innovations. But, just as being a solid draftsman with a command of classical visual vocabulary is perhaps essential to being a painter, even if one is working to subvert or evolve that art, having a firm and complete command of classical and French home cuisine is an immeasurable asset in understating how to innovate and draw on that tradition to create new and exciting things. This book is a great bargain, and will always be a source of solid information and recipes.