White Heat

Art Book or Cookbook?

Is it an art book or is it a cookbook? White Heat by Marco Pierre White is both. The first half is filled with wonderful black and white photographs by Bob Carlos Clarke of Marco in his adrenaline-filled, psychotic kitchen nightmare. These photographs are not the stock photos that fill most cookbooks of chef and crew posing for the camera, but moments in time, frozen by the camera¿s lens, of a real chef in the midst of cooking, tasting, plating and living. The second half of the book is a cookbook, but don¿t expect to be cooking these dishes unless you have a squadron of prep cooks in your closet to help you out. They are `food porn¿ brought to us with Marco¿s recipes and beautiful color photography by Michael Boys. This is the type of cookbook that keeps me up at night. If you¿re familiar with other chef¿s cookbooks such as The French Laundry Cookbook, then you know what I mean. This is a cookbook of dreams, not recipes. Marco Pierre White was born in Leeds, England and is proud of it. Throughout the text interspersed with the black and white photographs, we get a glimpse of the man who, at age 33, became the world¿s youngest and only Britsh chef to win three Michelin stars. In a style similar to that of Anthony Bourdain in his bestseller Kitchen Confidential, we get Marco¿s thoughts on everything from caterers who couldn¿t make it as real chefs to what brought him into the crazy world of food service in the first place. His rants go from tender to explosive at the drop of a hat, reminiscent of his reputation as the original Rock and Roll chef. Since his rise to greatness in 1991, Marco has stopped cooking himself to focus on his food empire, White Star Line Groups, which includes such London eateries as The Mirabelle and The Oak Room. What a loss to the food world. This schizophrenic book is a must own for anyone who wants a peek into the kitchen of a world renowned chef from the point of view of both his diners and his fellow chefs. Its a book that is as comfortable on the coffee table as it is in the kitchen, not necessarily for its recipes, but for the inspiration that they provide. Make sure to also look for Marco Pierre White¿s other three cookbooks The Mirabelle Cookbook, Wild Food From Land and Sea, and Canteen Cuisine.

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No text was provided for this review.