Today’s Special: 20 Leading Chefs Choose 100 Emerging Chefs

Celebrity chefs often mentor young chefs—a rapport that Phaidon draws on in this collection, in which 20 established chefs highlight 100 rising stars at restaurants around the world. For each emerging chef or pair of chefs, there is a brief biography, a handful of pictures of their restaurants and their food, and a typical menu. There are a few recipes with each biography, but this volume is most easily classified as a coffee table book, rather than a cookbook; it consists mostly of photographs, with little text, which doesn’t detract from its delight. Each of the chefs here has a unique take on food, as showcased by their menus and recipes. Most of the recipes are written as if they were being shared between friends, with intimate hints and tips. Phaidon makes an effort to reflect a diversity of chefs: the 100 up-and-comers span six continents, and about one-third are women; the 10 men and 10 women of the veteran chefs group also work on six continents.