Recipes from a 3 Star Chef

Gordon Ramsay: Chef has to be one of the most sumptuous cookery books ever produced: massive and imposing, with a silver-embossed cover encased in a silver case. And the book itself, rather like its controversial author, represents something new in cookery books. Ramsay has, of course, made a reputation for himself not just for his considerable abilities as a chef, but as a short tempered martinet, tearing into his luckless students with expletive-filled rage. But that spleen is crucial to the man's philosophy (born out of a desire for perfection), and it is conveyed between the delicious-looking recipes presented here (cooking, as Ramsay forcibly reminds us, can't be made up as you go along -- you've got to work, work, work). The recipes themselves look absolutely amazing, such as pan-roasted fillet of John Dory with Cromer Crab, crushed new potatoes and a basil vinaigrette (and it should be noted that Quentin Bacon's beautiful photographs are a massive asset to the book, doing full justice to the visual appeal of the food).

In deserts, too, the aspirational appeal here is impressive -- perhaps most of us would not be able to turn out (without trial and error) a raspberry, lemon and basil millefeuille with milk ice cream that looks quite as breathtaking as it does here, but Ramsay's book is calculated to inspire us. Perhaps reading Chef is the perfect way to help us try to cook like Gordon Ramsay; for most of us, a spell in his restaurant kitchen would mean blood on the floor -- here we can learn from his cookery genius without having to put up with the tirades. What more could any aspiring chef want? --Barry Forshaw

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Utterly Delicious - Rated
Quite simply the most delicious culinary book I have seen or read in ages. The photography is sublime, the content supreme and the whole read a pleasure. If the photography doesn't have you reaching for the pots and pans, nothing will. However the pleasure is complete when attempting the recipes which are well laid out, easy to follow and really make one feel that even a mere amateur, can, with guts and determination achieve culinary perfection by following the pages. Having read Gordon's biographies and been a keen follower of his tv shows (both good and bad), this motor mouthed chef definitely has something unique aside from his distinctly flowery language. Determination, skill beyond compare and the ability to instill in others, the same driving force that he instilled in himself to get where he is today. Perfection doesn't come easy, but this book is as near close to perfect as I have found in a culinary book in many years. In years to come it will doubtless become a collectors item.

Definate wife pleaser - Rated
If you're in trouble with the wife this book will buy you out of any hole you've dug yourself - she'll even end up cooking you something nice for dinner :o)

Stunning quality book, interesting layout & of course great food.

Beautiful and full of impossible recipes - Rated
It's a gorgeous book. No one will say anything less.

Most recipes are quite difficult or expensive for the home Chef, but this is a great insight into a 3 star Chef.

I say difficult because plenty of the recipes take a long time to cook and are very laborious, but 3 star cooking won't be easy.

I say expensive because truffles, foie gras and similar products pop up in Gordon's recipes quite frequently.

Not a regular book - Rated
This book is perhaps (I do not agree) beautiful, but it's place is not on a coffee table. It is NOT an art book.
I do love to read food literature in the kitchen or in bed, this one will not work there. I am disappointed at the format, huge, oversized and...pompous, so are the photos, most of them totally uninteresting. It should be more down to earth if it is meant for reading. Resize if considering reprint?

Some insight into modern euro michelin cooking - Rated
Nice pictures.. though a somewhat fawning anonymous commentary leads through the first half of the book and on to the recipes. I have only managed to get around to cooking four or five of the meat/fish courses so far but have found some of the recipes to be incomplete leaving out the odd, often crucial, finishing touch.

It should be said that the recipes in this book have been altered to suit a domestic kitchen and are consequently often not the food that you'd pay £100+ per head for in Royal Hospital Road. Having said that, those I have made so far have been utterly delicious - I would particularly recommend the rabbit confit - triple the amount - stunning!