Sugar Shack Au Pied de Cochon [signed] [first edition]

WINNER OF THE WORLD GOURMAND AWARD FOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 2012. This 386-page book dedicated to maple syrup offers 100 recipes by Martin Picard, 2000 photographs, a short story by Marc Séguin, a journal describing life at the shack during the sugaring-off season, a technical chapter on harvesting maple water and the production and consumption of maple syrup, together with many illustrations by Tom Tassel. A cross between an art book and a culinary encyclopedia, it is as unique as the international reputation of the Au Pied de Cochon restaurant. Culinary research intersects with tradition in this book which is as iconoclastic as Martin Picard's world famous cuisine. Mixing genres and styles, just like this chef does in his kitchen, the book offers a touch of literature, a smattering of sexy images together with scientific information and cutting-edge gastronomical research. More than just another cookbook, this book wants to mark the passage of time. It describes an entire year in the restaurant, in sync with the rhythms of the seasons, from the silences to the fiery outbursts in an internationally recognized kitchen. It pays tribute to gastronomical and sugarmaking traditions, intent on conserving them and passing them on. Maple syrup is as unique and rare a product as truffles or caviar, and readers around the world will be introduced to the wide range of its qualities and uses.