Michael Mina: The Cookbook

By JULIETTE ROSSANT On the cover of Michael Mina: The Cookbook (Bulfinch Press 2006), what catches your eye is not the soufflé, though truly it looks luscious, but the porcelin dishes, the highly polished silver soufflé dish rests upon, Not one, but three stacked dishes, each a bit larger than the last. You wonder, what spoon would go with such fine china? What stemware would rest beside these plates. How carefully the kitchen help must wash these dishes for them not to chip or crack. The exquisite attention to detail is Michael Mina. He is a chef unafraid to go to extremes to deliver surprises of intense flavor. Glance at the photographs in his cookbook, and you stumble across a picture of a chair. Why is it here among all the raspberries and slices of foie gras and towers of caviar? Because Michael is a chef who focuses on the Hospitality writ large. The chair must be just so, so as not to interfere with the full enjoyment of his creations. I believe that a restaurant should paint a strong potrait of is owner. Everything you're trying to distinguish about yourself is found in the details. (p.XIV) The book starts with a forward by Andre Agassi, the tennis star. He stands with Michael in one of their restaurants, sharing a pose arms akimbo. Both children of Middle Eastern Imigrants- Michael is of Egyptian descent and Andre is of Iranian descent, yet the food of either country is hardly represented. Michael's is sophisticated American cuisine. On the surface, this is a restaurant book, full of food that would be hard to duplicate in a home kitchen, except by the most expert of home cooks. In a way, that is true, these are fairly complicated recipes and to replicate them would require skill. Also, the print is small and in silver (see examples, below), so it is hard to read -- but it is worth getting out a magnifying glass and perhaps some special lighting to decipher Michael's secrets. It is a book to be marveled at as the expression of his restaurant in San Francisco, Michael Mina in the Westin St. Francis. And yet, Michael does expect people to cook from the book. The first half of the book is dedicated to trios. This is the main idea behind restaurant Michael Mina: offering trios of dishes using one central ingredient that is showcased in triplicate with different accompaniments. Seasonal trio selections define the elevated food concept that I crafted especially for MICHAEL MINA. The trio concept highlights a primary ingredient that is accessorized with a trilogy of accompaniments; each of the three presentation offers an intricate array of taste sensation…Over the years, I realized that two variations on a theme didn't have enough impact and four was too many. Three seemed the perfect number to make the flavor point. (p. 3) Even though at his restaurant he presents all the variations at the same time, Michael writes that you can prepare one of the variations for a dinner,. Without the porcelain to go with the trios, it would be difficult to present them to the same effect. What does work for the home cook, is the fact that there are so many variations that you don't have to make substitutions, and that each variation uses the same techniques, so mastering one, will mean you can produce all of them. The first chapte starts with Seared Diver Scallops (p. 8). The variations read like a menu: 01 Corn, Truffle, scallope ceviche with corn garnish, yellow corn pudding, 02 Beet, Lobster Scallop ceviche with beet garnish, scarlet beet beurre 03 Lemon, Caviar Scallop ceviche with lemon, lemon beurre blanc with caviar None of the recipes is difficult to execute. The only requirements are expensive, high-quality ingredients, and a very sharp knife for slicing the scallops. Assembled together in the photograh by Karl Petzke Studio on page 15, the six scallops (appetizer trios are doubled with hot and cold presentations) are stunning. The colors reflect back and forth; the dishes mirror each other, forcing your eye to think about what each of the flavors is doing. The same stunning effect takes place with a recipe called Seared Black Bass, Crispy Pork Belly and Citrus Confit (p. 57). There is a before photo – three pieces of shimmering Black Bass on a white background (p. 56) and an after photo – three tear drop shaped dishes of Black Bass, each surrounded different color lentils and slivers of different citrus: O1 Coriander, Meyer Lemon Beluga Caviar Caramalized Parsnip and Meyer Lemon Confit 02 Curry, Blood Orange Red Lentils Caramalized Pumpkin and Blood Orange Confit 03 Cardamom, Red Grapefruit French Green Lentils Caramalized Parsely Root and Ruby Red Grapefruit Confit It is as if the chef had been to the market on different days, and found different ways to compliment his basic recipe of seared Black Bass. At the end of the book is a section called Trios Visual Reference, with photos of each of the trio dishes. The second half of the book is Michael Mina Classics, like Tartare of Ahi Tuna (p. 171) or Black Mussel Souffle with Chardonary-Safron Cream (p. 178), which is the dish on the cover. Here the handsome photographs show not only the finished dish, but how to assemble them, such as the Main Lobster Potpie (p. 189) with its puff pastry lid placed on a soufflé dish. This is one of Michael's most famous dishes. It is American in conception but refined with excellent technique and presentation. Whether or not you cook with Michael Mina or just marvel at his compositions (and eat at one of his restaurants in California or Las Vegas or Atlantic City, this is a stunning book. Grab a magnifying glass and lick your lips. Other reviews: Forbes Book Club San Francisco Chronicle Esquire Michael Mina's Pulled-Pork Sandwich Previous articles: Melissa Perello: Boss Before 30 Restaurant Michael Mina Resurfaces World AIDS Day I: Michael Mina Michael Mina Meets SF Unions Maturely Agassi's Star Palate: Michael Mina The Rise of Restaurant Michael Mina [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Michael Mina --> back to Super Chef