Amazon.ca
Successful restaurateurs respect their customers and their staff: these are the people who make them look good. John Bishop generously credits the cooks at his Vancouver restaurant. It's obviously a garden of earthly delights, and his book certainly makes both the restaurant and its cuisine immediately attractive. The recipes here are arranged by their place in the meal, start to close. How do the menu offerings translate to the page? In a refusal to skimp on ingredients or procedures, Bishop's lasagna is true to its original purpose as an event entrée (perfect for weddings or Christmas); make his version, with Asiago cheese and fresh chanterelles and it'll cost you up to $15 a person, even in a home kitchen. Almost all the preparations, for that matter, are festive in some way. But Bishop is clever; he just passes them off as exemplars of the proper way to live. They aren't difficult, but what
care you must take with them! Bishop casually proposes that you make stocks by the gallon. (Freeze them in two-cup containers, he suggests, if you have the space.) The great strength of this text, however, is its desserts, which are flat-out elegant. Rhubarb Apple Crumble is paired, not with milk or whipped cream, but with sweetened crème fraiche. And his yam custard receives a brûlée crust.
Some of Bishop's dishes are a bit odd. For example, Veal Osso Buco with Burnt Orange and Campari, or Venison Medallions with Savoury Chocolate Raisin Sauce. These are minor carps. The West Coast spirit of John Bishop's restaurant is alive on every page. The next best thing to being there is to cook these dishes at home. --Ted Whittaker
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
