“Avec Eric” by Eric Ripert

Review:

out of a possible 5

Thumbing through the pages of Chef Eric Ripert’s latest cookbook, “Avec Eric,” you can tell that this was a very personal endeavor for him.

Part scrapbook, part cookbook, part instruction manual, “Avec Eric” does not disappoint.  Each chapter is fronted with stories from the Chef’s journeys around the world.  “Avec Eric” has a global reach, not only taking you to the culinary powerhouses of the world that you would expect, but also to places you may not consider for their cuisine like the Cayman Islands for a cookout or to Pocantico Hills, New York to discuss culinary traditions.

“Eric’s running around the world, doing whatever he wants, eating and drinking with his friends… He calls this ‘finding inspiration’ or some such,” writes Anthony Bourdain in the foreword.  “I call it a darn good life.  Whether as instructional material, inspiration, straight-up food porn, or simply a good time, Avec Eric gives you a sense of what it’s like to travel in the strangely enchanted world of Eric Ripert.”

“Avec Eric,” is structured into 12 chapters ranging with themes such as “Big Flavor,” “Catch and Cook,” “Tradition.”  Each chapter has its own suggested menu of 10 dishes or so.  The instructions in “Avec Eric” are simple and to the point.  The recipes are laid out very matter of factly; this cookbook is meant to sit on the kitchen counter while you are preparing your meal.

We had the hardest time choosing which of the 125 recipes to pick from, but in the end our test team decided to go with “Artisanal.”  Like all chapters, “Artisanal” is based on a trip Chef Ripert made on his PBS show “Avec Eric.”  This episode stood out from the rest, we remember the master chef in Tuscany acting like an excited school boy while getting a lesson from a traditional pasta maker.  That enthusiasm is not lacking in the cookbook, like Chef Ripert, our eyes bulged with excitement when we started the process of making pasta from scratch.  “Avec Eric” brings this magic to your home, teaching you how amazingly easy it is to make upscale dishes.

In his introduction Chef Ripert writes “Cooking is how I express myself creatively,” going on to say “My hope is that by joining me in these adventures, you too will be transported and inspired to be creative with your own cooking, but also to incorporate your own experiences into your kitchen.”  Chef Ripert has done just that, creating a unique cookbook that we see as becoming a standard for the home chef.

“Avec Eric” is available now and has a suggested retail price of $34.95.