In Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant executive-chefs Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand present 100-plus of the stylish restaurant's most alluring recipes. The tempting dishes, which include the likes of Curried Cauliflower Soup with Cumin Crackers; Roasted Sturgeon with Braised Oxtail and Spiced Carrot Puree; and Roasted Poussin and French Lentils with Bacon Lardons and Truffled Green Brussels Sprouts are clearly presented. Though the majority require special ingredients and a time (and interest) commitment that make them best for special-occasion cooking, all should spark the imaginations (and whet the appetites) of readers interested in seeing what a top restaurant can do when it's at its peak.

Beginning with an introduction to Tru, which includes a discussion of its genesis, culinary approach and service, the book then pursues dishes course by course, with special stops for amuse bouche (appetite-rousing mouthfuls), foie gras, game and cheese specialties, represented by the likes of Roquefort with Pear Chips and Hot Honey Walnuts. Pastry chef Gand then "takes over" and presents a wide range of the restaurant's "multi-course" desserts, including sweet Szechuan Peppercorn Créme Brûlée Spoonfuls, "main-course deserts" like Warm Chocolate Tart with Toasted Almonds Milk Sherbet, and petits fours including Hickory Nut Shortbread. With a section on basic preparations and color photos that depict the dishes in all their creative splendor. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly
This collection is full of the kind of over-the-top recipes that give chef cookbooks a bad name. Tramonto's frou-frou constructions, like Rabbit Roulade with a Salad of Frisée, French Beans and Radish, and Arctic Char Poached in Duck Fat with Spinach-Almond Puree, sound delicious, but with their numerous subrecipes (Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Truffled Potato Puree and Bone Marrow Foam with Red Wine Sauce requires extracting chlorophyll from spinach and parsley, as well as pouring a marrow mixture into a canister powered by N2O chargers) and long ingredient lists, they also sound about as accessible for the home cook as the summit of Mount Everest is for someone who takes occasional strolls in the woods. These rarefied creations do offer a pleasurable peek into the mindset of a creative chef: there's an entire chapter on foie gras, for example. Pastry chef Gand's desserts are equally complex and include small treats the restaurant offers, like Honey-and-Lemon Tea Lollipops, which are "surprisingly easy to make," as long as readers have sucker collars on hand and don't mind pouring 305-degree syrup. Recipe headers are lengthy and sometimes repetitive, adding to the feeling of dizzying information overload this book provides. Photos. FYI: Tramonto and Gand have won awards for their earlier books, and Gand hosts a Food Network show. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"A magnificent presentation by two of America's finest craftsmen, the recipes in this book provide everything that discriminating cooks and their guests could desire in a meal:  creativity, wholesomeness, elegance, lightness, and seasonality.  Each course demonstrates a superb mastery, from appetizers to desserts and pastries–once the sole province of the French." –Raymond Blanc, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons

"Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand’s enthusiasm for what they do shines through in this cookbook.  The creative dishes, the very personal text and the helpful wine pairings all contribute to the reader’s sense that this is a book by people who love what they do.  Rick defines his cuisine as progressive French but one must add the word delicious for a complete definition of the recipes in this book.  Enjoy!”–Daniel Boulud, Daniel

“Rick Tramonto’s and Gale Gand’s TRU cookbook perfectly conveys the restaurant’s innovative, inspiring and elegant dishes to the reader.  Like their acclaimed restaurant in Chicago, this cookbook is truly an original!”–François Payard, Payard

“In Rick Tramonto’s new cookbook, this gifted chef shares the secrets of his modern and truly beautiful cooking.”–Eric Ripert, Le Bernadin

“This book is a reflection of the spirit, vision, execution, style, creativity, professionalism, and heart of Rick and his family at Tru. It is the kind of book that makes you smile as you read along, exciting to the palate, and inspirational for any reader, novice, or professional. As someone who shares his passion and commitment to our craft, I have great appreciation for what Rick and Gale have accomplished and continue to create.”–Bradley Ogden, Bradley Ogden’s

From the Inside Flap
The opening of Tru in Chicago was the long-anticipated culmination of the dreams of executive chef Rick Tramonto and his partner, executive pastry chef Gale Gand. There Tramonto and Gand are free to unleash their superb culinary imaginations, serving wildly creative fare best described as progressive French-inspired cooking anchored in the finest European traditions.

Tru reveals the secrets of Tramonto and Gand’s award-winning cuisine–techniques and recipes they have evolved over the past twenty-five years of preparing some of the most delectable food in the world. This glorious cookbook, illustrated with more than sixty photographs by the renowned photographer Tim Turner, offers more than seventy-five never-to-be-forgotten Tru favorites–starting with first courses such as Ricotta Gnocchi with Parmegiano-Reggiano Cream; greens such as Lemon Balm Salad with Yuzu Soy Dressing; and entrees including Black Trumpet Mushroom—Crusted Ahi Tuna and Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Truffled Potato Puree. Gale Gand provides recipes for an irresistible array of cheese courses and a variety of exquisite desserts, including Apricot Tart Tatin and Fromage Blanc Mousse with Blueberry Stew.

Masterfully written recipes with careful attention to detail and easy step-by-step instructions will enable cooks of all levels to prepare and present unforgettable meals, enhance the dining ambience, and enjoy the taste of Tru perfection at home. Award-winning sommelier Scott Tyree suggests wines to complement every course. Tramonto and Gand also share the remarkable story of how they became two of the world’s great chefs and how they made Tru a four-star restaurant.

On every page, Tru reflects an abiding love for food, a great passion for the table, and attention to all that goes into producing superb meals. Tru is the ultimate cookbook for anyone who appreciates food as inventive as it is beautiful.

About the Author
RICK TRAMONTO is the executive chef/partner of Tru in Chicago, one of Condé Nast Traveler’s Top 50 Best Restaurants in the World in 2000. He is the 2002 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef in the Midwest. With culinary partner Gale Gand, he coauthored American Brasserie and Butter Sugar Flour Eggs. He is the author of Amuse-Bouche. Tramonto lives outside Chicago with his wife and their three sons.

GALE GAND is the executive pastry chef/partner at Tru. In 2001 she received the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef and was named top pastry chef of the year by Bon Appétit. She is also the host of the Food Network’s Sweet Dreams. With culinary partner Rick Tramonto, Gand coauthored American Brasserie and Butter Sugar Flour Eggs. She is the author of Gale Gand’s Just a Bite and Gale Gand’s Short and Sweet. Gand lives outside Chicago with her husband and her son.

TIM TURNER is a nationally acclaimed food and tabletop photographer. He has been nominated five years in a row for the James Beard Award for Best Food Photography, winning in 1999 for Charlie Trotter’s Desserts. His previous projects include books in the Charlie Trotter’s series, The Inn at Little Washington, Jacques Pepin’s Kitchen, and Amuse-Bouche. Turner lives in Chicago with his wife and three exuberant daughters.

MARY GOODBODY is a nationally known food writer and editor. Her most recent credits include Amuse-Bouche and Taste: Pure and Simple. She has contributed significantly to Back to the Table, The Naked Chef, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, and Alfred Portale’s Twelve Seasons Cookbook, among other books. The editor of the IACP Food Forum Quarterly, she lives outside New York with her daughter.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The opening of Tru in Chicago was the long-anticipated culmination of the dreams of executive chef Rick Tramonto and his partner, executive pastry chef Gale Gand. There Tramonto and Gand are free to unleash their superb culinary imaginations, serving wildly creative fare best described as progressive French-inspired cooking anchored in the finest European traditions.

Tru reveals the secrets of Tramonto and Gand's award-winning cuisine-techniques and recipes they have evolved over the past twenty-five years of preparing some of the most delectable food in the world. This glorious cookbook, illustrated with more than sixty photographs by the renowned photographer Tim Turner, offers more than seventy-five never-to-be-forgotten Tru favorites-starting with first courses such as Ricotta Gnocchi with Parmegiano-Reggiano Cream; greens such as Lemon Balm Salad with Yuzu Soy Dressing; and entrees including Black Trumpet Mushroom—Crusted Ahi Tuna and Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Truffled Potato Puree. Gale Gand provides recipes for an irresistible array of cheese courses and a variety of exquisite desserts, including Apricot Tart Tatin and Fromage Blanc Mousse with Blueberry Stew.

Masterfully written recipes with careful attention to detail and easy step-by-step instructions will enable cooks of all levels to prepare and present unforgettable meals, enhance the dining ambience, and enjoy the taste of Tru perfection at home. Award-winning sommelier Scott Tyree suggests wines to complement every course. Tramonto and Gand also share the remarkable story of how they became two of the world's great chefs and how they made Tru a four-star restaurant.

On every page,Tru reflects an abiding love for food, a great passion for the table, and attention to all that goes into producing superb meals. Tru is the ultimate cookbook for anyone who appreciates food as inventive as it is beautiful.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

This collection is full of the kind of over-the-top recipes that give chef cookbooks a bad name. Tramonto's frou-frou constructions, like Rabbit Roulade with a Salad of Fris e, French Beans and Radish, and Arctic Char Poached in Duck Fat with Spinach-Almond Puree, sound delicious, but with their numerous subrecipes (Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Truffled Potato Puree and Bone Marrow Foam with Red Wine Sauce requires extracting chlorophyll from spinach and parsley, as well as pouring a marrow mixture into a canister powered by N2O chargers) and long ingredient lists, they also sound about as accessible for the home cook as the summit of Mount Everest is for someone who takes occasional strolls in the woods. These rarefied creations do offer a pleasurable peek into the mindset of a creative chef: there's an entire chapter on foie gras, for example. Pastry chef Gand's desserts are equally complex and include small treats the restaurant offers, like Honey-and-Lemon Tea Lollipops, which are "surprisingly easy to make," as long as readers have sucker collars on hand and don't mind pouring 305-degree syrup. Recipe headers are lengthy and sometimes repetitive, adding to the feeling of dizzying information overload this book provides. Photos. (On sale Nov. 2) FYI: Tramonto and Gand have won awards for their earlier books, and Gand hosts a Food Network show. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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