Relae

The cover alone informs you that Relae is no ordinary cookbook.  A Book of Ideas.  A wealth of information.  Christian F. Puglisi has an encyclopedia knowledge that, at first, can overwhelm most home chefs.  Most home chefs, myself included, lack the time and resources to create these exquisite dishes.  

This book is really dense, best devoured in small bites to really savor what Puglisi has to share.  I love his philosophy of Locavorism, how he includes his roots, ancestry and declares that it is his mixed background, not the color of his passport, that defines him as a person.  Wholeheartedly agree.

Each dish is a work of art.   Relae makes an excellent book for your coffee table.

Relae inspires me to plate better and think of food in new ways.  I love charred romaine lettuce, but never thought to char cucumber.  I've charred romaine, and he poaches it in butter.  I often add nasturtiums to my dishes, he adds the leaves.  Relae helps me re-think ingredients.

You will want to spend hours with this book, and then book a flight to Copenhagen.  One flaw:  the half-page dust jacket falls off every you open and close the book.

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."