The Bookshelf: Chefs at Home

To the chefs who spend their days plating with tweezers and funneling through a chinois, the chance to prepare an honest meal at home can hold a special, or even escapist, appeal. That's the concept behind Relais & Châteaux's new cookbook, Chefs at Home. While it spotlights elite chefs who prepare elegant and technically demanding cuisine at luxurious properties, the collected recipes are simple and satisfying—this is the food that chefs relish on a night off from the professional kitchen. Looking through the book, we learn that Christopher Brooks of Blantyre loves slow-roasted pork with roast potatoes and savoy cabbage, while JBF Award winner Gary Danko enjoys the ease and versatility of a butternut squash bisque. (Get the recipe here.) Lest we forget that these chefs perform stunning culinary feats while they're on the clock, Relais & Châteaux has also released 85 Inspirational Chefs, an awe-inspiring assemblage of professional recipes that will make you dream of your own escape to one of the association's opulent dining rooms. You can preorder both books on the Relais & Châteaux website.