GIRARDET: Recipes from a Master of French Cuisine

In the world of rarefied French cooking, Girardet, chef and owner of an eponymous Michelin three-star restaurant in Switzerland (until he retired in 1996), is famous for his creations, which are fantastic and fantastically daunting. The recipes for complex and pricey dishes such as Fillets of Lamb with a Truffle and Parsley Crust and Périgueux Sauce, and Scallops in the Shell with Cockle Jus and Caviar, are admirably detailed and exacting, if intimidating. The translation is occasionally puzzling, as in several recipes, including Chartreuse of Foie Gras with a Clear Gelée of Vendange Tardive Wine, which calls for "Asian-style bowls," and dish names such as Epigrams of Pigeon Breast with Bacon-Stuffed Cabbage. Each recipe is divided into "Preparation" and "Finishing Touches," steps and presentation instructions—but some should include a warning that only cooks with a solid base in classic French cuisine should attempt them. Fine Velouté of Petits Pois with Frogs' Legs and Osetra Caviar, for example, calls for both boning the frogs' legs and making mini-quenelles out of caviar. The chapters on hot and cold desserts contain some of the more accessible offerings here, like a Pineappled Dacquois with Coconut Ice Cream and Passion Fruit Coulis and Pistachio Soufflé. Despite the level of difficulty, these are innovative and luxurious dishes. (Oct.)

Forecast: This inventive book will likely find its audience with culinary students and professional chefs.