Rene Redzepi: A Work in Progress

by Rene Redzepi

Overview

Winner of the 2014 James Beard Award for Photography

In 2010, Chef René Redzepi published Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine, hailed by The Wall Street Journal as "the most important cookbook of the year." Since then, Redzepi has become one of the world’s most influential chefs, with his famed restaurant Noma claiming the number one spot at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards four times.

Now Rezepi has created a fascinating and innovative new three–book collection: A Work in Progress: Journal, Recipes and Snapshots. It includes a personal journal written by Rene himself over a full year in which he explores creativity, innovation, and the meaning and challenges of success; a beautiful cookbook with 100 brand new recipes from Noma; and a pocket book of candid Instagram–style snapshots taken by the restaurant staff behind the scenes and at its annual MAD Food Symposium.

The cookbook is organized in a calendar year format with each month featuring an assortment of seasonal dishes, such as Icy Sloe Berries and Brown Cheese Ganache; Trash Cooking with Leeks; Oxtail and Blueberries; Fresh Tender Squid and Whitecurrent Broth; and Spicy and Sweet Cucumber and Pickled Elderflowers. The book also features an introduction from the Denmark–born Lars Ulrich of Metallica.

A Work in Progress offers an unprecedented and honest look inside the mind of a chef who is at the top of today’s international gastronomic scene. Reflective, insightful, and compelling, Redzepi’s trailblazing new book is sure to be of interest to food lovers and general readers alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780714866918
Publisher:	Phaidon Press
Publication date:	11/11/2013
Pages:	648
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 11.60(h) x 2.10(d)

About the Author

René Redzepi is one of the most influential chefs on the international gastronomic scene. He is head chef and majority owner of the 2–star Michelin restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, which specializes in Nordic cuisine and sources ingredients exclusively from Scandinavia. Classically trained, Redzepi began his culinary career at Copenhagen’s Restaurant Pierre André, eventually moving onto El Bulli, The French Laundry, and Kong Hans Koelder. He founded Noma in 2003 and since then, the restaurant has taken the number one spot in the World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards in 2010, 2011, and 2012. In 2008, Redzepi established the Nordic Food Lab, a non–profit institution established to explore Nordic cuisine. He also participates annually in MAD Food Camp, a platform that engages leading chefs, scientists, and academics each summer to discuss a new theme.

Redzepi’s first major cookbook, Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine (Phaidon, 2010) was hailed by The Wall Street Journal as "the most important cookbook of the year" and won both IACP and James Beard awards.

Editorial Reviews

11/18/2013
Redzepi, head chef and co-owner of the highly acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant Noma and author of the award-winning book by the same name, offers a unique compilation of three volumes in one master collection. With a foreword by Denmark-born Metallica front man Lars Ulrich, this unusual project boasts an eclectic group of seasonal recipes, a diary of Redzepi’s life both in and out of the restaurant, and an assortment of 200 stunning photographs taken by the chef and his staff. As a whole, this three-book anthology is innovative and has its strengths, but it also has its weaknesses. The recipes are so complex and contain many little-known ingredients (woodruff powder, dulse, etc.) that even professional chefs will find them challenging. The journal is oddly fascinating, at turns reflective, creatively inspirational, and, at times, mundane. Yet it provides a voyeuristic behind-the-scenes look at the creative process of this inventive chef whose creations are as much a science experiment as they are food. Vibrant, full-color photos of people, ingredients, and restaurant renovations preserve the evolution of the dishes that make Noma and Redzepi so distinctive. While these photographs may not motivate home cooks to embark on a Danish cooking frenzy, they will inspire, just as Ferran Adrià’s elBulli did, and will make Noma a must-visit destination restaurant for those visiting Copenhagen. Unique and insightful, this is one collection true food lovers will delight in. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"These three books perfectly capture René Redzepi’s gastronomic vision: playful and fiercely imaginative, deeply rooted in season and place, and committed to pure, real ingredients." – Alice Waters

"René Redzepi is, without a doubt, the most influential, provocative, and important chef in the world. . . This book chronicles a year in the life of a chef, a creative process – and a restaurant considered by many to be the best." – Anthony Bourdain

"Redzepi has given us a book – or really, three books – that take us not only into the field. . . but also into the wildest place of all: his mind. A striking, thought–provoking, and imminently pleasurable read." – Daniel Barber

"F**k me, he’s a good chef!" – Fergus Henderson

"This is a brilliant, honest, and ultimately exhilarating insight into one of the most important culinary minds in the world." – Daniel Patterson

" . . . a raw, fascinating and innovative exploration of an elite chef’s obsessive life. But more than that, it is a book about creativity." – The San Francisco Chronicle

" [A] must–have cookbook." – InStyle

" . . . [A Work in Progress] forms an intimate look at what Redzepi does, how he does it, and what it means to do it. . . What fun to delve into this landscape of Nordic ingredients and ideas. You just might find yourself dreaming about eating hay and ants for dinner and spruce parfait for dessert." – Food & Wine

"Unique and insightful, this is one collection true food lovers will delight in." – Publishers Weekly

" . . . the best portrait yet of the intellectual and emotional challenges of delivering one of the most creative menus in the business." – The Economist

"A food nerd’s dream." – Wine Enthusiast

" [A Work in Progress] gets our pick for the best cookbook of the year because it’s human, intimate and inspiring." – Tasting Table

From the Publisher

. . . a raw, fascinating and innovative exploration of an elite chef's obsessive life. But more than that, it is a book about creativity.

The San Francisco Chronicle

A food nerd's dream.

Wine Enthusiast

F**k me, he's a good chef!

Fergus Henderson

Redzepi has given us a book - or really, three books - that take us not only into the field. . . but also into the wildest place of all: his mind. A striking, thought-provoking, and imminently pleasurable read.

Daniel Barber

René Redzepi is, without a doubt, the most influential, provocative, and important chef in the world?This book chronicles a year in the life of a chef, a creative process - and a restaurant considered by many to be the best.

Anthony Bourdain

These three books perfectly capture René Redzepi's gastronomic vision: playful and fiercely imaginative, deeply rooted in season and place, and committed to pure, real ingredients.

Alice Waters

This is a brilliant, honest, and ultimately exhilarating insight into one of the most important culinary minds in the world.

Daniel Patterson

[A Work in Progress is the] best portrait yet of the intellectual and emotional challenges of delivering one of the most creative menus in the business.

The Economist

[A] must-have cookbook.

InStyle

. . . [A Work in Progress forms an intimate look at what Redzepi does, how he does it, and what it means to do it. . . What fun to delve into this landscape of Nordic ingredients and ideas. You just might find yourself dreaming about eating hay and ants for dinner and spruce parfait for dessert.

Food & Wine

. . . a raw, fascinating and innovative exploration of an elite chef's obsessive life. But more than that, it is a book about creativity.

San Francisco Chronicle

[A Work in Progress] gets our pick for the best cookbook of the year because it's human, intimate and inspiring.

Tasting Table

The perfect package?Gorgeous recipes, candid snapshots, and a year's worth of journal entries are what you get in Rene Redzepi's latest? The package design - three monochromatic and straight-up minimalist covers, all held together by a color-coordinated rubber band - makes this title (and all of its parts) a must for any collection.

Bon Appétit

[Redzepi] has given us a book - or really, three books - that take us not only into the field?but also into the wildest place of all: his mind. A striking, thought-provoking, and imminently pleasurable read.

Dan Barber