In the Kitchen with Alain Passard: Inside the World (and Mind) of a Master Chef

by Christophe Blain

Overview

Available in English for the very first time, In the Kitchen with Alain Passard is the first graphic novel to enter the kitchen of a master chef. Over the course of three years, illustrator Christophe Blain trailed acclaimed chef Alain Passard through his kitchens and gardens. With simple yet sublime drawings and thousands of colorful panels, this book gives the reader an inside, uncensored look at the world of Passard, who shocked the food universe in 2001 by removing meat from the menu at his celebrated Paris restaurant, L'Arpege, and dedicating himself to serving vegetables from his own organic farms. This irresistible hardcover combines a portrait of an amazing chef, an inside look at his creative process, and a humorous riff on fine dining culture—plus fifteen recipes for the home kitchen—in one haute cuisine comic book for foodies!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452127330
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	05/07/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

Christophe Blain is the award–winning creator and illustrator of several successful French graphic novel series. He lives in Paris.

Editorial Reviews

What’s life like for a renowned chef running one of the top-rated restaurants in the world? To find out, cartoonist Blain (Isaac the Pirate) shadowed culinary virtuoso Alain Passard, in this delightfully engaging glimpse into the world of high-class Parisian cuisine. In a series of recipes and anecdotes that mimic the tone of a breezy magazine feature, Blain delineates Passard’s charming personality and Zenlike approach to cooking—an approach that strives to achieve a harmony of colors as well as flavors in each dish. Blain’s loose, freeform sketches perfectly visualize the brisk and elegant movements and expressions of Passard and his cooks, the confident patience of the chef’s personal gardeners, and even Blaine’s own humorous reactions to each heavenly dish he tastes. Many readers will share Blain’s awe for Passard’s entire operation and persona, while cooking fans will undoubtedly find it a privilege to behold a master in his element and sink their teeth into every page. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"I was prepared to enjoy it a lot, as the rare conjunction of two of my passions. I was not prepared to be quite so smitten with it as I was. With his minimalistic and dynamic drawing style, Blain is incredibly successful in conveying the energy and emotion of each passage, as he watches Passard cook, chats with members of his crew, or visits the chef's famous vegetable gardens. — Clotilde Dusoulier, Chocolate & Zucchini"

Until I eat at Alain Passard's veg-centric L'Arpege in Paris (it's on my short list), I'll just keep rereading the fun and informative graphic novel In the Kitchen with Alain Passard." — Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appetit magazine

From the Publisher

Vignettes and vinaigrettes pepper creator and illustrator Blain’s (Gus & His Gang) documentary graphic novel, originally published in France in 2011. Included are 15 recipes by Alain Passard (The Art of Cooking with Vegetables), French chef and owner of the three-star restaurant L’Arpège in Paris, each accompanied by Blain’s comics to document their preparation. The ingredients are not listed separately but printed in a lighter blue ink within the step-by-step instructions, which is difficult to distinguish in low light. The recipes look delicious, unique, and surprisingly doable—most ingredients should be easily available and usable in other recipes. Separating the recipes are short comics depicting life at Passard’s restaurant, in his gardens in Normandy and Sarthe, his creative process in reimagining apple pie as a bouquet of roses, and more. Blain’s comics are in full color, and his style is fun and light.

Verdict Comparisons to Lucy Knisley’s recent Relish (2013) are unavoidable, but these are two different graphic novels about food, with recipes. Relish is a memoir, while this work succeeds in presenting a snapshot of Chef Passard’s philosophy, kitchen, gardens, staff, and restaurant. Foodies will devour this short book in one sitting and then begin debating which recipe to try first.—Brian Looker, Appleton P.L., WI
(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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