I’ve chosen a great read this week: Cuisine Actuelle, presenting the cuisine of Joel Robuchon by Patricia Wells. As a young chef, I used to read it often before going to sleep. The fact that this chef became so popular for his mashed potato, or pomme purée, is testament to the simple cooking here. 

A perfectionist, Joel famously held 31 Michelin Stars and I so wish I had gone to Paris to work with him all those years ago. His style was classic but with a simplistic approach. His plating of dishes was superb and he made food look wonderful. In this book you’ll find a brilliant collection of his recipes written by Patricia Wells, a highly-respected food writer and former restaurant critic for the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune. 

Joel had many restaurants dotted across the world and was a regular on French TV. He was a powerful figure in the culinary world and the chair of the committee of Larousse Gastronomique. Sadly he passed away in 2018 aged 73. This is a book that I don’t read or look at that often, but when I do, it reminds me of a time when I was reading everything I could about food. Do have a go at making his pomme purée.