The Trellis Cookbook: Contemporary American Cooking in Colonial Williamsburg

by Marcel Desaulniers

One of America's most innovative and acclaimed restaurants, The Trellis, presents 192 recipes complete with background material, anecdotes, and practical advice. Serving suggestions are geared seasonally. 16 pages of full-color photos.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Maria Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one I picked up when I travelled to Williamsburg. Their Death by Chocolate Cake is one not to miss when you're in the restaurant. I was chuffed when I saw I could attempt to duplicate it in my kitchen. It's on my to-bake list. :)

[Yaaresse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the recipes, especially the desserts, are a major undertaking. You are not going to whip any of these up on the spur of the moment. Good Lord, but they are worth it. If nothing else, you'll learn some interesting things just reading the recipes.

[S Vanorse · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 pounds 2 1/2 ounces, this the weight of ingredients in the recipe for Death By Chocolate, would not want to figure the cost or the 6 individual components to put together for making this cake, or the time it takes. The creator does advise all this in end notes of each recipe cleverly titled The Chefs Touch, stating that it may be more beneficial to just come to the restaurant and have a piece, sounds good to me! This a keeper, driving to the bank noticed the library in that town having a book sale, fill a bag 7 bucks, filled it with cookbooks. Enjoyed this, difficult and easy recipes, photos are crap, but the book is from 1988, as I looked at the date noticed my copy is signed by Marcel Desaulniers, one of the chefs, so some one in my neighboring town must have been there wonder if they had the cake? Just checked, Trellis still open and Death By Chocolate still on the menu, 10.95 a slice, Marcel still there, wow I really want that cake.

[Gerry M]

One of my favorite cookbooks. Broken up by season with great quick bread recipes.

[Stef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous! Usually, I just put cook books into the "reference" section which is set up as an alternative to read/wanting to read. But not this one. The "Chef Notes" added to each recipe make this an entertaining read and an educating one at the same time. Modern classic.
Kitchen view: This is meant for hobby cooks to recreate professional recipes. We are talking 1988, when cooking on restaurant level was croutons on top of your veggie soup! This is definitely above that.
I have only tried one of the recipes so far. I can clearly see how major kitchen procedures have been broken down into steps for a hobby cook. For some of the more complicated recipes, 2 or 3 day preps are available. All recipes seem to require an awful lot of stainless steel bowls (got those) and fridge space (don't have that).
I especcially love the use of shitake mushrooms throughout the book for a number of recipes from starters through main courses to even dessert. (And yes, I refuse to use "entree" instead of main course because it soooo definitely is a french word and it sooooo means "starter". But I also know that I am fighting windmills here.)