Live, Love, Eat!: The Best of Wolfgang Puck

by Wolfgang Puck

Book Overview

Taking its title from Pucks signature catch phrase, this new offering from Pucks kitchen is composed of 150 favorite recipes featured on Wolfgang Puck, his popular Food Network show. 110 photos, 80 in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375508910
• ISBN13: 9780375508912
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 243 Pages
• Weight: 2.09 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.6" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

mom loves it

I gave this to my mother for her birthday. She loves it. There are a couple of recipes (the Salmon and Prime Rib especially), which she has used on multiple occasions. The food is great.

Wolfgang Delivers More Than I Expect. Sound Cooking

On the face of it, Wolfgang is unquestionably one of the best-known names in the world of culinary celebrities. To the great general public, he is probably the only name and face to outshine Emeril Legasse. But, the celebrity of both men seems to be based more on media exposure than on sound culinary achievements. While chefs such as Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud, and Tom Colicchio are less well known, their reputation with foodies is soundly based on culinary achievement, even if only known through their writings and reputation through media reviews. Puck's reputation to the world at large is based primarily on his position as caterer to the Academy Awards and other high visibility Hollywood events. He has a fairly large network of successful restaurants, including some middle end chain style establishments. I have always had the suspicion that he stole some thunder from Chez Panisse in the popularization of `California Cuisine', especially since Jeremiah Tower, the self-proclaimed inventor of this movement looks down his nose at Puck in his book `California Bites'. Similarly, Tower buddy Jim Villas, not known for having any California stripes, thinks little of LA's Puck while praising New Orleans' Lagasse. Lastly, Wolfgang has gone the budget route in lending his name to a low end line of cookware, competing with Martha Stewart's everyday ware rather than with Emeril's high-end All-Clad lines.So does Wolfgang have real chops in the kitchen?The evidence of this book is that his written cuisine is at least as good as Emeril's, his teaching approaches the quality of Jacques Pepin, and his creativity with the fusion of Latin American and Oriental cuisines with European concepts appear no less tasty than those of Norm Van Aken. The only thing the book lacks is that little twist most celebrity chefs give their books nowadays. The twist here is simply that it is from Wolfgang Puck.The good things about this book are:1. Listing of all recipe names in the Table of Contents. This feature automatically makes a good cookbook more valuable, especially a mid-sized celebrity chef book like this. This fits the best use of the book as a resource for finding dishes for entertaining to fit a particular theme or taste.2. The emphasis on the sensory queues to the progress of cooking rather than on blind timings. All good chefs repeat this principle, but Wolfgang puts it front and center. This is a central skill of the professional chef whose work would be simply impossible if she worked by time with half a dozen dishes fired at a saute station at the height of service. It is also one of those professional tricks which should be learned by the home cook. The problem of the amateur is that while the recipe may have been written using a gas range and a zinc clad copper saute pan, the cook at home is probably using an electric range with a Teflon coated aluminum pan. And that is just one of the variables.3. Puck's chapter on basics is first rate, includ

Easy Ways to Cook at Home Like a Great Chef

I eat at Wolfgang Puck's Cafe in Evanston a lot, and have been to the Spago in Chicago for a special occasion. I love the food at both places. But I never thought I could cook Wolfgang's great food at home until I picked up this book and saw how simple he makes it. His instructions are really easy, and he includes step-by-step photos to show you exactly how. And the finished food pictures look mouthwatering and aren't fussed up like lots of cookbooks. I've made several of his chicken dishes, all delicious, and some incredible soups. My family went crazy over the bacon-wrapped meatloaf and his garlic mashed potatoes. The cheesecakes are the best ever. And his chocolate cupcakes with the warm melting centers are [super].

WOW - Easy to Follow and Great Tasting Recipes

I am a stay-at-home mom, so I look for cookbooks that are easy to follow. Even though my girlfriend recommended this book, I was hesitant to buy it because I figured Wolfgang's food would be much too hard and fancy to make. But she was right, the recipes were easy and had really cool step-by-step photos. I have made his Chicken Pot Pie, Fettuccine Wolf-fredo, and Potato Salad so far, and they were all outstanding. My husband said jokingly that he is going to kiss Wolfgang for making his wife into a good cook. I definitely think this book should be in every home kitchen.

Non-Cookers Beware

I am a relatively new cook in my household, and I picked up this book to learn how to prepare some different dishes. Wolfgang is extremely concerned with taste, which is why I love going to his restaurants. However, he is also concerned with exotic new things and presentation, which makes me a bit wary. I don't care how my food looks when I've spent fourteen hours at work and want to make something quick. However, his book is great for leisurely meals and special occasions. His pumpkin ravioli are especially fantastic!