Don't be misled by Anthony Bourdain's witty, irreverent style. His Les Halles Cookbook is solid, smart, and informative, and his recipes are bona fide bistro fare. From the onion soup to the veal kidney to the gratin dauphinois, this is the honest, unpretentious, comforting, and abundant food I loved as a youth in France and am always ready to enjoy with my family and friends. Anthony has given us an instant classic.

Jacques Pepin, author of The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen and Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques

Anyone serious about their cooking will want to own Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook. It has an enormous amount of vital information presented in Bourdain's pungent, abrasive, and memorable writing style. This is a cookbook you'll keep handy in the kitchen.

Jim Harrison, author of The Raw and the Cooked: Adventures of a Roving Gourmand

This is a great cookbook! Anthony Bourdain directs you brilliantly through delicious recipes, with explanations that are crystal clear.

Eric Ripert, author of Le Bernardin Cookbook

Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook joins the classic French cookbooks on my shelf, and shames every would-be 'bistro bible'. Bourdain is in top form. Nobody else writes with such respect for real food, and his irreverence toward the pompous trappings of cooking is hilarious. An expert attack plan for producing delicious fare, this field guide and cookbook is part Kerouac, part Liebling, and a lot of Escoffier all rolled into one.

Mario Batali, author of The Babbo Cookbook