Molecular gastronomy fans will be glad to know that Thomas Keller’s long-awaited new cookbook on sous vide cooking will be published by Artisan in November. It will feature an introduction by San Francisco author and noted food scientist, Harold McGee.
“Under Pressure,” though geared for the professional cook, no doubt will provide a fascinating look at this technique that’s now widely used by top restaurants around the world. In sous vide, food is vaccum-sealed in a bag, then cooked in water at a precise temperature below simmering to seal in flavors and juices.
Although Keller of French Laundry fame had hoped to market a vaccum-seal system for the home, he now says that’s unlikely because the device would be too large and cumbersome for most home kitchens. Instead, he may market an immersion circulation system that would allow for more precise sous vide cooking at home.
Fellow chef Hiro Sone, of Terra in St. Helena and Ame in San Francisco, also is hard at work on a new cookbook with his wife and trained pastry chef, Lissa Doumani. His last book, “Terra: Cooking from the Heart Of Napa Valley,” was published seven years ago.
Sone was coy when asked what the new book would be about. He would only say that it would include some recipes, his philosophy about cooking, and “lots of umami” (the fifth flavor, often described as “savory”).
Sone also said he’d love to open a third restaurant. But he’d like his new place to be more casual in contrast to his two fine-dining spots. He wants it to be more like an izakaya, a Japanese bar that serves small plates.
“I hate to dress up,” Sone said with a laugh. “I hate ties. If I wear one, I cannot enjoy the food. I want to be comfortable when I eat.”