In Videos: Little Kids Make Alinea Cookbook Look Easy
Theo, a self-proclaimed five-and-a-half-year-old (at the prime age when half ages matter), has trouble pronouncing "agar" and needs a step stool to see over the counter, but he can cook from the Alinea cookbook (previously reviewed on Serious Eats). His brother James (nine-years-old) isn't professionally trained either, but doesn't fret over a recipe with pheasant, gray shallots, and burning oak leaves.
While some home cooks have expressed frustration with the unapproachable quality of the Alinea cookbook ("it took seven hours and produced eight bites of food") these two munchkins have proved them wrong. It doesn't hurt that their father is Nick Kokonas, the business partner of Grant Achatz, Alinea's head chef. Both videos on both sides of the argument, after the jump.
The Alinea Cookbook Is Easy Peasy
The Alinea Cookbook Is Frustrating
Related
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In Videos: Cooking Sous Vide Turkey with Grant Achatz
Grant Achatz' Alinea Cookbook
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5 Comments:
"I could go for like 30 of these..." awesome...
gambler72 at 2:55PM on 11/30/08
I guess i don't get gourmet cooking in general, but I really don't see the point in half the steps in the book.
PoisonedV at 4:10PM on 11/30/08
this just adds an additional and completely unneeded level of pretension to Achatz and Kokonas' images. Their thanksgiving video was bad enough...
teenagefoodie at 5:34PM on 11/30/08
I think the main thing this highlights for me is that tools and space are important. The 5 year old has a much easier time. In addition to help, he has a lot of counter space and some good tools. With this, everything is easier.
buttonwillowsix at 11:49PM on 11/30/08
My question is why? I'd be willing to bet I'd be just as happy, if not happier, with some fried chicken and applesauce in front of a fireplace...no need for all the frou-frou crap.
juliebugsmama at 8:55AM on 12/01/08