The Bottom Line
The Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook is a beautiful coffee table book full of recipes and photos of the food served at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. More than a cookbook, The Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook also contains a history of dining at the hotel. This book would be good for anyone who loves eating at the Waldorf-Astoria and who enjoys gourmet cooking. Those who have never been to the hotel or who like practical recipes would be better served with a different cookbook.
Pros
- Lovely photos of food & the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
- Interesting notes from the executive chef about recipes and running dining operations
- Many gourmet recipes for home entertaining
Cons
- The recipes are difficult and many require special ingredients
- Those who are not connected with the Waldorf-Astoria will probably not be interested in the book
Description
- The Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook takes readers into the hotel's kitchens.
- There are 120 recipes.
- More than 100 stunning photographs by Ellen Silverman make this a nice display book.
- Executive Chef John Dougherty shares his experiences and the hotel's history.
Guide Review - The Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook - Book Review
The Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook is a tribute to food in general and the culinary experience at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in particular. This is a beautiful book full of large photos and helpful chef's notes.
My favorite part of the book was the history of dining at the hotel. I enjoyed reading about how much food is prepared every day at the Waldorf-Astoria and what it takes to accomplish the feat. I also found the Executive Chef's personal history interesting.
The main downside of the book is that many of the recipes seem difficult and require special ingredients. The recipes are also rich, not the sort of food health-conscious individuals would want to eat on a regular basis. I would mainly recommend this book for people who have eaten several times at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, loved the food, and enjoy cooking challenging recipes.
