His latest restaurant, “ad hoc”, opened in Yountville, Calif. which features a different fixed price comfort food dinner served family style every night.  Inspired, Keller just released his latest cookbook,“Ad Hoc at Home

“Ad Hock is about those recipes that are familiar – they are not my recipes but a collective body of recipes from a lot of people who have the same common vision, same common goal to support a restaurant with ideas and familiar food that we can all relate to,” Keller said.  “Fried chicken is one of those recipes we can relate to, we all know about fried chicken. It crosses economical boundaries, crosses social boundaries, crosses geographic boundaries, it is everywhere in our lives, fried chicken. It is one of those things that we feel comfortable with. What is comfort food?  Comfort food is only something we have had many times before, we have an emotional connection with it, that is so so important and that is what “Ad Hock at Home” is all about.”

During a press conference held at Bouchon in Las Vegas, Keller explained that a year before the book was done and getting ready to be published; his father suffered a horrific accident and was in the hospital for four months. Living next door to his father, Keller would cook for him, and his father especially enjoyed Sunday dinner.  This was an opportunity for the family to enjoy time together, something his father enjoyed during his childhood. One Sunday, his father requested barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes and strawberry shortcake.  Keller purchased the barbecue sauce and shortcakes off the shelf and the strawberries were not at their peak. But still, they had a wonderful dinner on the back porch of Keller’s home.  The next night, his father passed and while very difficult, Keller explained that he felt so lucky and blessed to have those wonderful memories, including their last dinner. This is the purpose of his latest cookbook.

In 1999, Thomas Keller published “The French Laundry Cookbook.” He has since written or contributed to other books including “Bouchon,” “The Complete Keller: The French Laundry Cookbook & Bouchon,” “The Food Lover’s Companion to the Napa Valley” and “Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide.” He provided the introduction to “The Vineyard Kitchen: Menus Inspired by the Seasons” by Maria Helm Sinskey. Ad Hoc at Home is available at bookstores and online.

by Debbie Hall http://www.DiningWithDebbie.com