# a great deal of help?!



## eleconn (Oct 15, 2018)

Hello, (maybe it's not the right category of the forum to write this but) 
I need a help with a gift I want to do to my friend , actually a book, who is a sous chef and I don't trust myself completely to choose alone, because I want something special and I am not a professional.
I saw in the internet books like Larousse Gastronomique, or the Provence of Allain Ducasse. I don't what to buy , any idea? He also loves Anthony Bourdain ofc..
His birthday is in 13 days


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

It's kind of hard to give suggestions as I don't know what books your friend already has, or what kind of foods gets him excited. Ultimately, he will be thrilled with any book, especially ones that he can't afford himself. I would try to find out who some of his chef idols are and try finding books by them. If his into the history of cooking looking at some of the "reference" books out there. They may not be cookbooks, but are great for those that love the history of food and cooking. Or find, some of the biographies of great chefs of the past. These usually combine both history and recipes.


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## Seoul Food (Sep 17, 2018)

A fun book I've used in the past is the Food Lover's Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst. It's full of great information that anyone from a home cook to a professional can use. It's relatively inexpensive and it's not just a recipe book by a individual chef but more of a collection of food related information. Good luck.


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## eleconn (Oct 15, 2018)

pete said:


> It's kind of hard to give suggestions as I don't know what books your friend already has, or what kind of foods gets him excited. Ultimately, he will be thrilled with any book, especially ones that he can't afford himself. I would try to find out who some of his chef idols are and try finding books by them. If his into the history of cooking looking at some of the "reference" books out there. They may not be cookbooks, but are great for those that love the history of food and cooking. Or find, some of the biographies of great chefs of the past. These usually combine both history and recipes.


 the only book he has that is only for his job is the repertoire de la cuisine that I took him a year before
I want a book that is only for a proffesional , not for home cooking


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

"Culinary Artistry" is a great book. No recipes but it talks a lot about flavor, seasonality, how to combine flavors, what flavor combinations work well, and why they do, etc.


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