Rel by Christian F Puglisi

Rel by Christian F Puglisi

Written as a series of interconnected essays-with recipes-Rel provides a rare glimpse into the mind of a top chef, and the opportunity to learn the language of one of the world's most pioneering and acclaimed restaurants.

Chef Christian F. Puglisi opened restaurant Rel in 2010 on a rough, run-down stretch of one of Copenhagen's most crime-ridden streets. His goal was simple- to serve impeccable, intelligent, sustainable, and plant-centric food of the highest quality-in a setting that was devoid of the pretention and frills of conventional high-end restaurant dining. Rel was an immediate hit, and Puglisi's "to the bone" ethos-which emphasized innovative, substantive cooking over crisp white tablecloths or legions of water-pouring, napkin-folding waiters-became a rallying cry for chefs around the world. Today the J gersborggade-where Rel and its more casual sister restaurant, Manfreds, are located-is one of Copenhagen's most vibrant and exciting streets. And Puglisi continues to excite and surprise diners with his genre-defying, wildly inventive cooking.

Rel is Puglisi's much-anticipated debut- like his restaurants, the book is honest, unconventional, and challenges our expectations of what a cookbook should be. Rather than focusing on recipes, the core of the book is a series of interconnected "idea essays," which reveal the ingredients, practical techniques, and philosophies that inform Puglisi's cooking. Each essay is connected to one (or many) of the dishes he serves, and readers are invited to flip through the book in whatever sequence inspires them-from idea to dish and back to idea again. The result is a deeply personal, utterly unique reading experience.

CHRISTIAN F. CHRISTIAN F. CHRISTIAN F. C PUGLISI is the chef and proprietor of Rel, which has a Michelin star and was named one of Restaurant magazine's top 100 restaurants in the world. In Copenhagen, Denmark, Rel and its sibling restaurant, Manfreds, are both located. Puglisi is a contributor to the Danish newspaper Politiken and has worked in the kitchens of elBulli, Noma, Rgeriet, and others. He was named one of the top 10 chefs under thirty by the Wall Street Journal.