The Complete Thomas Keller: The French Laundry Cookbook & Bouchon (The Thomas Keller Library) Hardcover – Box set, November 1, 1999

So much more than just cookbooks. These are documents of an artist's work and of his inspirations.I'm a vegetarian, so honestly much of these recipes I find to be ethically troublesome to read through... however I can't ignore the fact that most of the world does not eat a strict vegetarian diet. For the sake of learning about the traditions and culture behind French cooking, Keller offers a truly remarkable approach and outlook on producing and using ingredients in a respectful, sustainable manner.The French Laundry and Bouchon offer a tremendously thoughtful exploration of our relationship with food, as people, through the lens of Keller's creative adaptation of traditional French cuisine. So many chefs who attempt to make their own adaptation of a given culture's traditional food end up infusing it with so much flare or outside elements that it no longer resembles anything French, or Italian or Mexican, etc. Despite Keller's creativity, however, I feel that he pays a great deal of attention to keeping the traditions of French cooking and culture as a solid foundation.These cookbooks are not for casual at-home cooking but they are great reading and an inspiring resource. As a cookbook Keller's books are probably going to offer the most use to an aspiring chef or the professional chef who has a full kitchen and a skilled staff and appreciative customers at their disposal.If you're simply looking for impressive French recipes to cook at home, try Pinterest... or maybe "The Country Cooking of France" by Anne Willan, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, or "French Classics Made Easy" by Richard Grausman.If you appreciate the impact of the philosophy and creativity of masterful chefs, like Thomas Keller, and if you find it exciting to catch a glimpse into a significant artists' workshop (regardless of whether or not you end up wanting to try cooking these impressive dishes), then you will most likely love this collection.

The books arrived in excellent condition, they are high quality books. The other reviewer mentioned the quality of the paper isn't high, I disagree, I think it's great. I bought this book for my wife. She is from Hong Kong and already cooks amazing chinese food (her father is head chef at an LA Chinese restaurant). She's now venturing into french food and has made several dishes (more so from Bouchon)My wife is a former paralegal, now a stay at home mom. She's had no formal training from a cooking school. With that in mind, she can realistically make about 30% of the food from French Laundry and about 50% of Bouchon's recipes. The reason why they are so difficult is that it is tough to find fresh food that is mentioned in the book. You don't find rabbit, frog legs or veal at the local Schnucks or commissary (we're military). Some of the techniques require tools that aren't readily available to regular "non-chef" consumers.Bouchon - Our favorite has been the flatiron steak and the trout from Bouchon. My wife said it was fairly simple to make. Very little prep time. The french fries came out delicious and they too were easy to make.French Laundry - The salmon tartare came out nice. Again, the directions were easy to follow. The rest of the dishes in this book however are much more involved. The book itself has great pictures had great write-ups on certain techniques.While the books were expensive (We normally get $5 cookbooks from the bargain bin), they are well worth it. I am one lucky man . ..

What do you expect from Thomas Keller? Only the best, right? You got it. The book is beautiful, and pictures give you a really good idea of the final dish, the recipes are well explained and delicious, he teaches tricks and give advices about quality as well as tell a couple of stories about himself. My only con is that is not a book for quick recipes. It is for foodies, if you are thinking about 15 minutes meals you will not find here, and honestly, if you are looking for 15 minutes meal, you are not looking for Thomas Keller.

I am so happy with this set. As a longtime admirer of The French Laundry I was extremely excited to get my hands on a few of the recipes to try at home. Beautiful photography, inspiring stories, and purveyor featurettes set these books apart from the average cookbooks. There is so much passion within these pages, and the recipes are fantastic. If you're looking for food to impress, you can find it in The Complete Thomas Keller.

I didn't buy this combo for the recipes. I bought it for the same reason a woman buys a $100 thimble of a Chanel product, which is to say because it is so lush and plush she doesn't care if it works or not.This is not the NY Times Cookbook, or Better Homes and Gardens or any of the dozen tried and true books I cook with, this is a visual culinary feast.If you truly love food and have a few extra $$$, buy it. You won't be sorry.Oh, yeah, almost forgot...it is loaded with wonderful food prep ideas.

I've been taking these books out of my local library for over a year. I finally decided that I needed my own copies, and wanted the slip cased set.These books are worth every penny. This is the best quiche recipe I've made. No matter what filling I choose it always gets rave reviews. Try the buchons they work fine in mini muffin pans if you don't have the timbale molds. Think of these as food porn the photography is luscious. If you like to cook buy these books...

As the title says . . . Not only are the receipes excellent, there are a lot of good tidbits on why to do things, as well as universal tips (like sauces, and herbs). Bouchon is one of my favorite places to eat, and I know the menu well. The Bouchon cookbook allowed me to "come close" to making the same meals. One thing is certain, my roasted chicken is now close to perfect, thanks to this cookbook set. I highly recommend it to any foodie.