From Publishers Weekly
This collection of dishes from motorcycle-riding chef David Bouley's Danube in lower Manhattan falls in the category of challenging. A note accompanying a recipe for Grostl of Maine Lobster with Veal Ravioli, Fresh Peas, and Lemon Shallots calls it "labor-intensive to make at home, but not difficult," then provides a three-day schedule for producing the various components. Lengthy lists of ingredients are the norm in recipes for hearty fare such as Whole Roast Suckling Pig with White Wine-Braised Cabbage and Beef Cheek Goulash with Potato Puree. A recipe for Duck and Cabbage Sausages calls for rendered duck fat and sausage casings, as well as two kinds of sesame seeds. As Bouley explains in an introduction that recounts his career, this is in no way meant to be traditional Austrian fare or even fusion. Instead, it represents his imagining of "what the cuisine of Austria would be if the Austro-Hungarian Empire were still extant." Imperial dreams aside, this is food that takes the simple, sometimes heavy favorites of Austria to rarefied heights, resulting in concoctions such as Venison Strudel with Plum Jam, Chestnuts and Brussels Sprouts. Chapters are arranged by season, with Whole Roasted Foie Gras with Cherries suggested for summertime. A concluding chapter offers "signature dishes" such as Schlutzkrapfen (Austrian Cheese Ravioli with Harvest Corn and Smoked Mushrooms). As is to be expected in the face of a strong Austrian influence, desserts, such as Bohemian Plum Pancakes for fall, are a highlight here, if predictably complex: a recipe for Apple Strudel includes excellent detailed instructions and suggests that it will take two people to execute them.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
When star chef David Bouley opened Danube, a Viennese restaurant in New York City, some questioned whether Austrian and Hungarian cooking really merited such high-end attention. Soon a reservation at Danube became one of the city's most sought-after prizes. Bouley, his associate chef Mario Lohninger, and food writer Melissa Clark have now documented the recipes that brought Danube such acclaim. In recipes and photographs, East of Paris lays bare what diners found so intriguing. Bouley's cuisine transcends typical Viennese fare of goulash and schnitzel. Oxtail strudel canapes wrap a common Austrian meat in familiar pastry to produce an original dish. But many of Bouley's dishes seem far from anything Austrian--crab-filled avocado dumplings contain no distinctively central European ingredients save salt and sour cream. Lobster frequently appears, as do Southeast Asian ingredients on the order of lemongrass. A work of invention and imagination, East of Paris appeals chiefly to the restaurant's many devotees, but only expert chefs will likely find success with the complex recipes. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
David Bouley, universally praised as one of the most important chefs cooking today, shares his recipes from Austria and other regions of the Danube in this stunning, beautifully illustrated, one-of-a-kind cookbook.
East of Paris embraces Austrian culture, lifestyle, and -- above all else -- the new Austrian cuisine, as interpreted by the renowned David Bouley. Praised as one of the top chefs in the world, Bouley, in collaboration with executive chef Mario Lohninger, has adapted and lightened Austrian cuisine, introducing innovative cooking techniques to indigenous ingredients and classic regional dishes. This cuisine is truly unique, capturing the peak flavor in its ingredients, combining classic techniques and influences from around the world, and translating them into a culinary language with an Austrian gestalt.
All of the recipes here have been prepared for the home cook; some are from Bouley and Lohninger's own repertoire, and some are reinvented traditional dishes that have been made in Austrian homes for generations. Featuring extraordinary photographs by Thomas Schauer, East of Paris introduces readers to a refined cuisine that draws on Austrian cooking, is prepared with the highest standards, and goes well beyond the culinary canon.
About the Author
David Bouley was born and raised in Connecticut. He worked in restaurants from an early age, spending time in New Mexico, Cape Cod, and eventually France. After studying at the Sorbonne, he worked for some of Europe's most acclaimed chefs, including Roger Verg#201;, Paul Bocuse, Jo#203;l Robuchon, Gaston Len#212;tre, and Fr#201;dy Girardet. Bouley first became interested in Austrian cuisine when he worked as a cook for the Vienna Park restaurant in New York City at the beginning of his career. In 1987, he opened his own restaurant, Bouley, in Tribeca. It earned four stars from the New York Times and received James Beard Foundation awards for best restaurant and best chef. From 1991 to 1996, Bouley was rated the #1 restaurant in the Zagat survey. In 1997, Bouley Bakery opened to enormous acclaim, earning David his second four-star review in the Times. In 1999, David opened Danube, featuring his interpretation of Eastern European cuisines. In February 2002, Bouley Bakery was relaunched as Bouley, picking up where David's first restaurant left off. East of Paris is his first cookbook.
Home
