Alain Ducasse is bewitched by America. The celebrated French chef has discovered, throughout the country, an excellence in food products that has inspired and reshaped his vision of Haute Cuisine. Whether it be in the cold Atlantic waters off the northern coast of Maine or the crimson-colored Arizona mountains, Alain Ducasse has found fishermen, ranchers and farmers across the nation whose products rank among the world's finest foods. Harvesting Excellence celebrates the men and women who devote themselves to the artistry of creating first-rate food products. They whip the thickest creams, shuck the plumpest oysters and feed the strongest game to ensure that only superior products are put on the market. Their stories, although based in a common passion for food, reflect the extraordinary breadth of America -- its climates, landscapes and, above all, its people. Through the book's beautifully illustrated, thematically organized chapters, Ducasse focuses on a select few producers who, with family methods and training from all over the world, yield products unique to American sun and soil. Here is the ultimate gourmet tour of what lies at the heart of all great cooking -- great ingredients. And as a final touch, top chefs from New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco give tips on selecting and preparing the best products for traditional or creative cooking.

Provides a survey of the hotels, restaurants, historical sites, cultural activities, and other attractions in Chicago and includes special information for the business traveler

If you love restaurants and you love to travel, this book will be your bible! From the private tatami rooms at Ten-Ichi in Tokyo to the sidewalk tables at Da Silvano in New York City, EVERYBODY EATS THERE: Inside the World's Legendary Restaurants by William Stadiem and Mara Gibbs is the ultimate tour of the liveliest, most beautiful, most delicious, most glamorous, most exclusive 100 restaurants on earth-and how they got that way. Stadiem and Gibbs reveal the mystique and excitement of the world's most fabulous eateries that are packed with A-listers every night. Funny, acerbic, totally in-the-know, EVERYBODY EATS THERE is part travelogue, part social commentary to give readers the real inside dish. Dine topless with Pamela Anderson in St. Tropez, share roast suckling pig with Bill Clinton in Madrid, eat the best Italian food on earth in San Paolo, party with The Stones in Tokyo, join the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a Wild West saloon and get picked up by Warren Beatty in Los Angeles. EVERYBODY EATS THERE weaves together lavish celebrity stories and incisive biographies of the famed chefs and restaurateurs with descriptions of the food that will whet appetites and jump-start plans for future dining excursions. Stadiem and Gibbs-with their discerning palates and social antennae-tell us what to eat, what to wear and how to behave once we make it in. Most guidebooks are about one city, or one country, and overload you with bad choices. EVERYBODY EATS THERE looks at restaurants as one global food club. And we're invited to join in. The result-an engrossing read on the history of modern dining. Read how: Al Capone embraces JOE'S STONE CRAB in Miami as his favorite dining spot Henri Soule jumps ship after the 1939 World's Fair and invents Manhattan snob French cuisine at LE PAVILION Ernest Hemingway turns readers into foodies by mythologizing CASA BOTIN in Madrid and HARRY'S BAR in Venice Hairdresser Michael Chow opens the first MR CHOW in London during the swinging sixties. It was architecturally famous for its firehouse staircase for looking up miniskirts DAVE in Paris pushes the envelope of snob appeal by serving take-out level Chinese fare to the world's chic-est crowd Princess Diana anoints SAN LORENZO as London's royal trattoria Alice Waters builds a special bathroom for future presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton at CHEZ PANISSE And much, much more! The dream tour, EVERYBODY EATS THERE reveals the juiciest details from the backstories to the back rooms, from what's on the menus to what's even better off, from the glamorous (and sometimes scandalous) clientele to the high-powered chefs. And now, we can be a part of this international delight of food, fun and fame!

Alain Ducasse, the charismatic, innovative and demanding master chef, invites us to enter the prestigious world of French haute gastronomie. Brilliantly guided by the distinguished author, Jean–François Revel of the Académie Française, we follow this champion of the highest standards in food and its preparation as he creates new recipes, continues his constant search for the finest ingredients, and discovers new techniques and new domains in which to practice his art. Hervé Amiard′s photographs illustrate all four sections of the book, providing the backdrop to this fascinating journey. L′Atelier, where we witness the creative process and catch the spontaneous gestures and glances of the master chef and his pupils as they exercise their skills. Here too, we meet Alain Ducasse′s five star pupils: Franck Cerutti, Jean–Louis Nomicos, Jean–François Piège, Sylvain Portay and Alessandro Stratta. Products and Producers, in which Bénédict Beaugé visits Alain Ducasse′s suppliers and hears from the master chef why olives, asparagus, wheat, white Alba truffles, sea bass, turbot, lamb and Menton lemons are his favorite ingredients. Vegetables, where we learn why these products play such a crucial role in Alain Ducasse′s culinary vision. Recipes, where the master and his students create delicious, stylish dishes from the eight chosen ingredients. Ceaselessly striving to achieve perfection, Alain Ducasse offers the reader a magnificent lesson in gastronomy. For the first time, Alain Ducasse gives gourmets the opportunity to put themselves in the place of his brilliant pupils. A privilege to be enjoyed to the fullest! Alain Ducasse Famous from Paris to New York, from Turin to Tokyo, the renowned master chef is at the helm of two of France′s most prestigious restaurants: the Louis XV–Alain Ducasse in Monaco and the Restaurant Alain Ducasse in Paris. Both these temples of French gastronomy have achieved the exceptional honor of receiving three stars from the Michelin Guide. This accomplished gastronome has developed two contrasting and complementary culinary styles: relaxed, spontaneous Mediterranean cookery and the rigorously classic cuisine of the French capital.

“This book embodies the culinary soul of Paris. It describes the incredible diversity of France’s capital’s food scene and markets and provides quintessential French recipes, as well as stories from passionate home cooks and bistros alike. Accompanied by superb photos of the city, dishes, and ingredients, from cheeses to wines to bread, World Food: Paris is useful and fun to read and cook from.”—Jacques Pépin A definitive user’s guide that unlocks the secrets to real Parisian cooking, while the beautiful photography tells the tale of the world’s most dazzling food city. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE Seasoned cooks and beginners alike will be inspired by this authoritative and delightful book, a new classic for everyone who loves Paris. With more than fifty accessible recipes and contributions from the city’s leading home cooks and chefs, World Food: Paris—part of the World Food series from award-winning author and food expert James Oseland—intimately captures the Parisian way with food as never before. Included are recipes for time-honored dishes such as Burgundy-style beef braised in red wine and bacon, as well as new ones like roast pork seasoned with preserved lemon and ginger. Readers will also find fundamentals such as how to grill a bistro-style steak to perfection along with tips for recreating a classic Parisian apéro, or appetizer party, complete with wine, cheese, and small plates. There are also desserts such as crème brûlée and Grand Marnier soufflé, a dish as luscious as it is makeable. Paris has long been synonymous with the best in dining. But until now no single book has explained why it continues to matter so much to cooks and food lovers. With more than one hundred fifty photographs, information about ingredients and history, and a comprehensive glossary, World Food: Paris captures a vital modern city where cooks from all walks of life are continuing a glorious culinary tradition.

"Plancha" is a Spanish word that literally translates as “plate,” and refers to both a style and a method of cooking, using a metal slab heated over a gas flame. In Spain, planchas are widely used in tapas bars and restaurants to cook an incredible assortment of foods, from mussels to mushrooms and even desserts. In private homes, planchas are often installed in the middle of round tables, so that both the hosts and their guests can share in the cooking experience and no one is stuck in the kitchen. Prepared both indoors and out, plancha cooking is as delicious and suitable on a warm sunny day as it is on a chilly night. The popularity of plancha has even crossed the Spanish border into France, where many noted chefs, such as Alain Ducasse and Paul Bocuse, have adopted this way of cooking in their Paris restaurants. It’s not just for the gourmet restaurants, however: planchas are incredibly easy to use over grills and stoves, with little mess. And--unlike with other methods of grilling--there is no chance of watching your meal go up in flames. In Plancha, Liliane Otal shows how to buy and maintain a plancha as well has how to make more than 150 delicious recipes that are so simple and fast anyone can do them. The cooking time for nearly all of these recipes is under 20 minutes. Her recipes will show you how to prepare delicious and flavorful meals that are also low in fat.

Discusses the history and culture of China, offers practical travel advice, and recommends accommodations, restaurants, transportation, and attractions.

From cities to quaint towns and everything in between, Provence has something for everyone. Swim in the crystal clear waters of the Calanque de Sormiou in Marseille. Drive with the top down through fields of lavender in Valensole. Experience a bite of just-out-of-the-oven fougasse, a Provençal classic. Stand in awe of the beautiful, white Camargue horses native to the area. Located in the South of France, Provence is uniquely positioned to be a cultural blend of the Mediterranean. Roman landmarks still prevail from the 1st century AD alongside châteaus from medieval times—a varied legacy brightened by the indigenous mimosas and cypresses.