The Cuisine of Hubert Keller

The executive chef and owner of Fleur de Lys in San Francisco shares recipes stemming from both his French background and his commitment to California-style healthfulness

Acclaimed San Franciscan restaurateur Keller infuses lean California cuisine with the culinary traditions of his native Alsace and the exotic flavors of Brazil. Grouped by classic French courses, the more than 100 recipes include signature dishes and vegetarian entrees from Keller's award-winning Fleur de Lys restaurant. Eschewing creams and fat-laden ingredients, the recipes build rich flavors by reducing stocks, flavoring vinegars, pureeing vegetables and adding herbs. Serious cooks who can also afford gourmet ingredients and have well-stocked kitchens, will impress dinner guests with such dishes as Garlic and Saffron Soup; Tuna Tartar and Jicama Ravioli; Couscous with Mixed Vegetables and Harissa; Brazilian Chicken with Shrimp and Peanut Sauce; Clafoutis with Black Cherries and Champagne Saboyon; and Passion Fruit and Rum Sorbet. The French believe that a meal is not complete without bread. Accordingly, Keller includes French classics, e.g., Braided Brioche Loaf and Alsatian Dried-Fruit Christmas Bread. Chef's notes with each recipe add information about preparation time, provide serving suggestions and recommend appropriate wines. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Alsatian chefs have transformed and elevated the landscape of American cooking: Andre Soltner in New York, Jean Joho in Chicago, and now Hubert Keller in San Francisco. Like other products of this gastronomically fecund province of eastern France, Keller's cuisine has wide appeal both for its French-inspired formality and for its German earthiness, a marriage particularly appealing to 1990s Americans. Unique to Keller's book, a section on vegetarian entrees, many of them as rich and hearty as if they were full of meat, illustrates the current attention given to alternatives to traditional meat-and-potatoes cooking. Most of the recipes require a fair amount of kitchen skill to duplicate, but others suit the novice cook. Mark Knoblauch

Keller's ten-year-old San Francisco restaurant, Fleur de Lys, has a national, even international, reputation. The son of an Alsace patissier, Keller trained with Roger Verge, Paul Bocuse, and other notable French chefs; his background and classic training, combined with several years of experience as a chef in Brazil and his love of California and its culinary abundance, has resulted in a unique style of cooking, both sophisticated and down-to-earth. Fleur de Lys was probably the first top restaurant to offer a vegetable-tasting menu, and Keller has long been known for his lighter interpretation of classic cuisine. The recipes are clearly written and do not require a professional kitchen staff to execute. Although some feature expensive ingredients such as foie gras or truffles, many others do not?many of the desserts, for example, are on the homey side. Recommended for area libraries and others where chefs' cookbooks are popular.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.