The Balthazar Cookbook

I am thrilled with this cookbook. I found it browsing Border's Books in San Francisco. I really like Balthazar (used to live in NYC) and was psyched that this book actually had loads of color photos (I swear I cannot cook without an aspirational photo). Last night I made the mustard crusted salmon, green lentils and the chocolate cake for dessert. Oh my God. The meal was fabulous. My guests were thrilled. I don't agree with the other reviewers that the recipes are complicated. I actually find them much simpler than say, All About Braising (my other favorite). In terms of prep and timing, last night's meal: 6.15PM - chocolate cake batter (took 15 or 20 minutes) 6.30PM - prep for lentils 6.45PM - started cooking lentils 7.15PM - lentils done 7.30PM - prep for salmon 7.45PM - salmon done! 7.50PM - put chocolate cakes in oven (they baked while we ate dinner) Less than two hours from start to finish. Not bad but maybe not so great for a work night. With all this said, my other fav cookbook, All About Braising, estimates the time it will take for each recipe. Balthazar does not do this in their cookbook, but they should. I underestimated the timing of my meal by a half hour. And I agree with the other reviewer - photo captions are important. Maybe in the next edition??

If you haven't been to Balthazar's Restaurant in NYC you might feel left out of one of the best culinary experiences ever...unless you get their cookbook for yourself. The easy to read/make recipes will "transport" you to Balthazar's...especially the polenta - buy this book for that recipe alone! You might not be able to people watch or take in all the ambiance that Balthazar's has to offer, but you will be able to taste their food at your own table - not a bad trade.

I first saw this book in a shop and was attracted to it simply because of the beautiful design, layout, and photography. It is such an impressive book aesthetically and I could tell it would make for a pleasant read as well as a nice coffee table book. Having too many cookbooks to store already, I decided I could do without this one. I was pretty sure I was mostly attracted to it because it was such a beautiful book anyway. Then I took a trip to New York and visited Balthazar - not Balthazar the restaurant but Balthazar the bakery. I had heard all kinds of good things about the bakery and got three tarts to go for my trip home. WOW!! Talk about being bowled over. I almost didn't want to eat them because once I took my first bite I knew that I'd never be able to find tarts this good in my hometown. So needless to say, because the cookbook contained 2 tart recipes (goat cheese and apple tartin) I decided that those two recipes alone were worth trying to squeeze the book into my overflowing collection. I was not disappointed. I've only made a handful of recipes so far, but I'm constantly on the lookout for an excuse to open this book up and look for my next recipe to try. I do want to mention that this book is not a collection of easy, quick recipes like what "bistro cooking" insinuates, so if that's what you're looking for, you should look elsewhere. Also, this book is not for the beginner unless you're looking for a challenge. Not to say that a beginner couldn't cook out of this book with success, but you should be prepared to spend a little time in the kitchen. Happy cooking (and eating)!

This is one of the best cookbooks I've purchased in a long time (and I buy a lot of them!). I buy restaurant cookbooks mainly for inspiration, since the recipes are often too complex to be prepared at home. I was pleasantly surprised when I started thumbing through the Baltahzar Cookbook - there where a number of dishes that I wanted to try right away. The dishes certainly aren't simple, but if you're not afraid of making your own veal stock or planning ahead to marinate duck legs in wine overnight, you should have a lot of fun with these recipes.For those who've eaten at Balthazar, the book brings back found memories. For those who haven't, the excellent forward, and great pictures provide a real sence of what this great restaruant has to provide. Truly "comfort food" at its best.

If you have ever been to Balthazar on a Saturday night and had their Short Ribs and thought, "if only I could make these," then you need to buy this book. It has all of the great receipes of the restaurant and are not too complicated to make. The receipies might be a bit spendy to prepare but beat the price of flying to NYC, booking a hotel, and trying to get a reservation at the restaurant before 11:00 pm. A great deal on the book as my local bookstore in Washington, DC had the book at $39.00.