Eric Ripert

this was named one of the best books of the year by NPR and i understand why!! i enjoyed this book so much!! i knew nothing about Eric Ripert before reading this and i really liked getting to know him throughout the book. his early childhood was very sad, divorced parents, family, boarding school horrors, abuse, loss - i wanted to punch his stepdad in the face so hard. this book was wonderful and listening to the audiobook was the best especially hearing all the french words pronounced correctly and with an accent. his whole life was just fascinating to learn about, from early childhood watching his mother and grandmother cook, to his time in the military, and then culinary school. i feel like i learned a lot about what it's like in kitchens of restaurants. what a journey!!! this memoir was captivating, heartfelt and even majestic. you can tell Eric Ripert is a humble, kind and sweet man from reading this book… (meer)

I am fascinated with the current obsession with celebrity chefs that has become so commonplace in American cultural life. For that reason, from-time-to-time I read the memoirs and biographies of celebrity chefs, in hope that I can find out if they really are different from the normal everyday cook. Eric Ripert uses a ghostwriter to help him tell his story and I like it that he is honest enough to do this. This memoir, is clearly meant to be the first installment about Ripert's life as it ends in 1989 when Ripert has decided to take a job working at a restaurant in New York City. This book is the story of his early life and his years of training under exacting Michelin Star chefs. People who like to read about the food service industry or celebrity memoirs and biographies will find this book of interest. Those who are seeking gossip and insider knowledge about the current world of haute cuisine will not find it here.

I listened to the recorded version of this book while driving in my car, and the narrator, not Ripert, did a fine job. If you like listening to biographies and memoirs I would recommend this recorded version.… (meer)

Truly a gorgeous book, but I won't be cooking from it. Some of the recipes are so simple that they're not really recipes. (Cut a perfectly ripe tomato in half, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a high quality olive oil. Eat.)
Nigel Parry's photos are the best part and they'll inspire readers to search out and eat seasonal vegetables. But even if Eric Ripert tells me to eat zucchini noodles, I just don't wanna.

Read it if you want to fall in love with produce, be inspired to eat simply and put vegetables at the front of your meal and page through gorgeous full-page photos.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.… (meer)

Vegetable Simple: A Cookbook is what the title implies—a collection of very simple recipes for cooking vegetables. The early recipes felt too simple: things I already knew how to make or could make without instruction. The later recipes grow increasingly interesting without getting intimidatingly complex. If you do a lot of vegetarian cooking already, this book may not teach you much that's new. If you know someone making the switch to vegetarianism—or who simply wants to eat more, delicious vegetables—this book is exactly what's needed.

I received a free electronic review copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.… (meer)