Is This A Cookbook?: Adventures in the Kitchen

by Heston Blumenthal, Dave McKean (Illustrator)

Overview

NAMED A BON APPETIT, THE DAILY HIVE, AND EAT YOUR BOOKS BEST COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR

A culinary adventure from three-time James Beard Award-winning, Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal—but is it a cookbook?

Well, it’s full of Heston’s typically marvelous recipes like pea and ham soup-in-a-sandwich and bacon and egg porridge, popcorn popcorn chicken and (r)ice cream. But in Heston’s kitchen, to cook is to embark on a journey of quantum gastronomy: exploring the palate, feeding the inner child, and plunging headfirst through the plate and into the soul.

Each of the 70 simple, straightforward recipes is accompanied by Heston’s stories, insights, and hacks, turning each cooking session into a journey—and revealing a whole world of culinary possibilities and fresh perspectives. Brought to life by the incredible illustrations by Dave McKean, Heston's long-term collaborator and one of the greatest illustrators at work today, Is This A Cookbook? is the next best thing to having Heston as your sous-chef.

Why not take him along as your adventure partner, too?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526621504
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	11/29/2022
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	1,035,467
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.50(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Heston Blumenthal is entirely self-taught and one of the most progressive chefs of his generation. He's worked with food historians, perfumists, food physiologists, and biochemists the world over in a bid to change our perceptions and open our eyes to the food we eat, by engaging all of our senses. In 2004 he won the coveted three Michelin-stars in near-record time for his restaurant, The Fat Duck, which has twice been voted the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine's panel of experts. He also owns Dinner, a two-Michelin star restaurant in London, and two pubs in Bray, Berkshire. Heston has won a number of awards for his restaurants, tv shows, and books, and in 2006 he was awarded an OBE for his contributions to British gastronomy. He lives in Berkshire in the UK. @thehestonblumenthalteam

Editorial Reviews

11/07/2022

Blumenthal (Further Adventures in Search of Perfection: Reinventing Kitchen Classics), a Michelin-starred British chef and restaurateur, champions “noticing things, finding connections, responding emotionally, taking everything in and turning it into experiences” in this offbeat journal-cum-cookbook. Recipes are listed on the left side of the page while Blumenthal’s observations and cooking tips appear on the right (“These beans bring a bit of a firmer texture to the salad,” Blumenthal writes next to the recipe for pan bagnat). The 70 entries evoke childlike playfulness, as with the recipe for a banana and parsley smoothie, which includes a note that bananas make people fart. The sandwich section showcases such savory dishes as a kimcheese toastie, a rich melt that delivers heat, creaminess, and a pickled tang. Dinners are simple but filling and include taco variations, recognizable curry dishes, and classic fish and chips. A delicate hemp milk panna cotta with rhubarb compote, meanwhile, will make a sweet finish for any meal. McKean’s sepia-toned ink drawings that appear throughout will put readers in mind of John Tenniel’s Alice in Wonderland images. This heady ode to the joy of intuitive cooking is a tasty head trip. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Dreamlike... His sorta-cookbook stirs up inspiration and helps us think about flavor-and the experience of eating-differently. It's trippy like that... It'd make an unexpected and great gift for curious, science-minded cooks, or pro chefs who like to get a little weird.” —Bon Appetit, "Best Cookbooks of 2022"

"An intriguing title from the three-time James Beard Award-winning, Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal. This is a wonderfully unique option for fans of the chef and those who dare to try something unconventional." - The Daily Hive, "Best Cookbooks of 2022"

“Notoriously progressive chef Heston Blumenthal turns each into a creative cooking journey colorfully guided by illustrator Dave McKean. It is a cookbook. But also more.” —Epicurious

“This will delight folks looking to dabble in gastronomy without five-star efforts. . . Dave McKean, Blumenthal's longtime collaborator, provides quirky illustrations that reflect the playfulness of the recipes. . . Cookbook readers will enjoy how the narrative seems plucked from Blumenthal's mind with little thoughts and tips deposited between recipes in illustrations. . . Perfect as an introduction to gastronomy, Blumenthal's quirky and readable book will delight fans and create new ones.” —Library Journal

“[The recipes] evoke childlike playfulness … McKean's trippy sepia-toned ink drawings that appear throughout will put readers in mind of John Tenniel's Alice in Wonderland images. This heady ode to the joy of intuitive cooking is a tasty head trip.” —Publishers Weekly

"Heston Blumenthal shares more of his life philosophy, in which the mechanics of cooking are only one part of a larger, fulfilling experience . . . Is This a Cookbook? is not just a reference book. It's a book to sit with, read cover to cover and then revisit for whenever inspiration is needed—or a reminder to slow down and fully experience life." - Shelf Awareness

“Dazzling . . . There's culinary sorcery at every turn.” —Time Out New York, on HISTORIC HESTON

“[A] book that defies description . . . A headfirst dive down the rabbit hole, with Blumenthal as the Mad Hatter.” —The New York Times Book Review, on HISTORIC HESTON

“[A] showstopper.” —Los Angeles Times, on THE BIG FAT DUCK BOOKBOOK

“Like no other book I have seen in the last twenty years... monumentally important.” —Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, on THE FAT DUCK COOKBOOK

From the Publisher

11/01/2022

Prolific cookbook author and British celebrity chef Blumenthal (Heston Blumenthal at Home; The Fat Duck Cookbook) is back to challenge taste buds. However, home chefs need not shy away as the recipes are more likely to provoke the palate than culinary skills. This will delight folks looking to dabble in gastronomy without five-star efforts. Dishes are distinctly UK-inspired and can be whimsical and comforting to the right reader, such as ham and pea soup in a sandwich. Dave McKean, Blumenthal's longtime collaborator, provides quirky illustrations that reflect the playfulness of the recipes. Food photography is also included to spark creativity, and hunger. Cookbook readers will enjoy how the narrative seems plucked from Blumenthal's mind with little thoughts and tips deposited between recipes in illustrations. Recommended for collections looking for a bit of cheeky fun and cookbook readers who enjoyed the likes of Midnight Chicken. VERDICT Perfect as an introduction to gastronomy, Blumenthal's quirky and readable book will delight fans and create new ones. —Sarah Tansley

Library Journal