Susur: A Culinary Life

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Chef as Superhero? Bruce Lee of the kitchen? The photograph of a dashing chef on the cover of Susur: A Culinary Life (Ten Speed 2005) is a bold statement about a truly daring book: Susur Lee does not cook like any other chef. So it seems fitting that his cookbook be as unique as his food. Susur: A Culinary Life is not a mere catalogue of recipes. It is, rather, an account of a life lived through food, the culinary story of one of the most important chefs working today. (p. 10) So reads the introduction in Book 1 of this "double book" – literally two book with one edge connected so that you can fold it out into a rectangle revealing a double photo of the facade of restaurant Susur in Toronto on the double back cover (see image, below). With the plethora of cookbooks now published each year, any good cookbook seeks a new way to present recipes, from gimmick to profound new perspective, but in this case, Ten Speed press has started from the binding up. The architecture of this book physically separates and unites Books 1 and 2 in a way that visually captivates and challenges the reader. Within the book/s, food photography by Shun Sasabuchi and Edward Pond is wonderfully vivid -- they almost pop off the page. Since the first book contains photos beyond dishes, they deserve special mention: teaming Chinese markets, fish caught jumping in mid-air, Susur's Food Business Immunization Card, Menus, early days in the business. Then there are Susur's notebooks -- the artist's notebooks, like Leonardo Da Vinci -- including recipes written in both Cantonese and English and rough sketches of dishes that give you a real sense of how a chef creates just as a poet or painter might (pp. 62-64). This is a chef trained both in Chinese and French Cuisine and able to combine the two skillfully without misstep. His Toronto restaurant, Susur is one of the city's best. If you are a Susur fan already, this biography-cum-cookbook brings out the depth of an already outstanding career. If you don't know Susur yet, then this is an intriguing look into the career of a brilliant chef. Is this the Food world verson of the Da Vinci Code? Book 1 was written by National Post restaurant critic, Jacob Richler. He spends the first chapter describing a meal at Susur and the chef's re-thinking of the tasting menu, "The meal ends, and diners can only wonder at the extraordinary culinary journey that has brought Susur Lee to this point." (p. 25) Richler explains how Susur discovered that if he served the most filling dish first, the principle course, rather than leading up to it with increasingly larger portions, diners were more apt to pay attention to each course that followed. In passing Richler mentions Chinese techniques, Japanese ingredients, and French sauces and preparations. Chapter 1.2 (for the chapters are numbered like an academic book, (read "sophisticated" and "artistic") is about Susur's start in Hong Kong, subtitled: French Lessons 1974-1980. The caption for the opening photograph reads: Roast Squab and Foie Gras Stuffed Squab Legs in Port Sauce, with Lotus Root and Baby Corn, Blueberry Preserves, and Taro Root Fritters. It is a complex dish (the recipe is in Book 2, pp. 79) but illustrative of his mixture of French and Chinese ingredients and cooking techniques. The recipes in Book 2 are not for the novice cook. They are complex recipes with stunning, sometimes improbable presentations that are given in seemingly random order. There are plenty of dishes of luxurious ingredients. Clearly, Susur loves squab because there are four separate presentations including one for Cocoa Squab liver Pate, with Taro Fritters, Egg and Caviar Creme Fraiche, and Honey Mustard Sauce (pp. 66, 105) a crunchy and smooth presentation. Lobster with Black Truffle, Qianpang Xie-Style Egg White Sauce, Uni Sauce and Crispy Dried Scallops (p. 18), seems to combine every luxury ingredient except foie gras, which makes its appearance often as in Soy-Stained Torchon of Foie Gras, with Beet and Apple Compote Pouches, Pomegranate-Cured Duck Breast, and Wildflower Honey (p. 31. The play of violet in the pomegranate, beet and garnish of small green leaves is beautiful. Susur delights in bacon towers (p. 45), arrows heads of wild rice (p. 47) encompassing oysters and poka-dots of myriad colors (Potato Croquette Filled with Lobster Mousse, with Prawns and Kungpau Sauce, p. 49). They are like paintings on white canvas. One question does arise: how would anyone actually eat these dishes, when they are not on plates? Beyond being a cookbook for a seasoned cook, this is a book for anyone to read and admire and aspire to. For looks, it cannot just lie on a coffeetable: it would have to be stood up and opened for display. You may find yourself (to quote The Talking Heads) inspired to undertake masterclasses in cooking -- and don't feel surprised if you find yourself on a plane en route to Toronto to eat at the restaurant. Previous articles: Manju Malhi's India With Passion [complete Cookbook Reviews] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, cookbooks --> back to superchefblog