Although this book's subtitle suggests otherwise, the Bocuse d'Or--the ne plus ultra of cooking competitions, held biennially in Lyons, France--is virtually unknown in the U.S. The likely reason for this is that in its 20-plus-year-history, no American team has ever won a medal in this "Olympics of Food," a combination of Top Chef, Iron Chef and, well, Olympic sport. In early 2009, however, Americans Timothy Hollingsworth and his commis (assistant) Adina Guest aimed to change that status and bring more attention to both the competition and their country's culinary excellence. The many months of preparation, struggle, obsession and creative brilliance leading up to the competition make up the bulk of Andrew Friedman's captivating and beautifully precise Knives at Dawn.
The Bocuse d'Or tests the skills of 24 teams from around the world preparing dishes that represent the culinary tradition of their home countries. Each team creates one fish platter and one meat platter. The proteins are predetermined (in 2009, they were cod and beef), but everything else is entirely up to the chefs. There are no rounds or second chances; each team has only five and a half hours to produce two perfect dishes for a panel of judges while spectators from around the world jam the kitchen prep area, screaming with the passion of soccer fans. Prior to 2009, the best an American team had ever finished was sixth.
Guided by renowned chef-restaurateurs Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller, who were equally determined that someone from the U.S. win a medal, Hollingsworth and Guest (both of whom worked for Keller at the French Laundry and were selected after they won a mini-Bocuse competition at Disneyworld) trained for the competition like athletes. Friedman, who had total access to all the players in this story, writes with perfect you-are-there intensity, capturing every moment of inspiration and despair. More impressive, however, is Friedman's remarkable ability to relate Hollingsworth's creative process along with its joys and moments of darkness. And then there's the food! Mouthwatering, spectacular, sometimes logic-defying, the dishes are so well described they are practically three-dimensional. The portrait of Hollingsworth's creamy pommes dauphinoise alone is enough to set any reader's stomach growling.
Of course, there is also suspense and plenty of drama. To Friedman's great credit, the tension mounts in the narrative exactly as it must have for the contestants. And as any watcher of kitchen competitions knows, there is always something that can go wrong at the very last minute. As Hollingsworth and Guest take their places in the Bocuse d'Or pod-kitchen, our fingers are crossed.--Debra Ginsberg
Shelf Talker: A riveting account of an American team's attempt to conquer the Bocuse d'Or--the toughest and most prestigious cooking competition in the world.