Origin: The Food of Ben Shewry Hardcover – March 1, 2013

I absolutely love this book and read it cover to cover the first day I opened it up. Beyond being a well written story with intriguing recipes- it is a real work of art. Every detail of the book is beautifully executed. In full disclosure, I'm a professional chef and some of the recipes may be beyond the scope of some casual cooks- but even if you don't use the recipes- it is a must have for any food lover!

One of the most comprehensive cookbooks I've ever encountered. The food is not only stunning, but the stories behind how the dishes developed and where Ben came from, make it a great read.

Fantasticphotography, and stunning food. Worth every penny and great for a Chefs bookshelf!!! A+

One can't blaim Shewry, too much, for writing a cookbook filled with mystery ingredients and science equipment, as that is home base for foodie cookbooks these days (Alinea, mugaritz, Fat Duck, Faviken, Eleven Madison Park, Quay, etc, etc). Another reviewer commented on the need for an expensive rotovap, but with some tweaks, you could throw together a DIY-version for $100 (http://blog.makezine.com/2006/07/13/diy-100-rotovap/). And, yes, it took a solid three months to get this cookbook. But patience is sometimes rewarded, as in this case.What I think sets Shewry's cookbook apart is his own origin narrative, his connection to the land, and the juxtaposition between his story and the dishes he creates. The writing is frank and raw; it shares elements of the voice in David Chang's Momofuku (which is one of the few cookbooks I have ever read cover to cover). And, as another reviewer commented, the production value of the book is very hgh. Overall, it was worth the wait and is a nice addition for the foodie cookbook obsessed.

Great book.

This is a coffee table book. It is beautiful, through and through. The binding, printing and pictures are georgeous. However, unless you happen to have exotic ingredients such as food-grade sawdust and fresh wallaby blood, to name just a few, it is not going to help you make that over-the-moon dish. I was looking for "to die for" recipes and I was disappointed that they were so far out of range. How many kitchens have a $1,000 to $7,000 cryovac machine? The recipes are also printed in pale grey and beige so they are hard to see.

Great book!!!!!

Just as with Cook it Rawthis book represents, among other thing, a sea change in our way of thinking about food.With the caveat that I am a Chef in Charleston, SC (arguably the most relevant food city in the United States right now) and that this book does indeed include recipes for "expensive" and "elitist" equipment such as rotovaps, the value of this book does not lay in its modernist slant.Rather, it is an expression of Ben Shewry's food, and his story as told through his food. Yes, the book does contain recipes for items specific to his Melbourne, but isn't that what we really want anyway? If you could find muttonbird at your local Piggly Wiggly, it'd probably be the same watered down version as a winter 5X6 tomato. This is an extremely personal expression of Ben Shewry's work, both in terms of his own history and in terms of how his cuisine has evolved.When, after a week of dissecting this book, I finally closed the cover and walked away to digest it, I was looking at the South Carolina Lowcountry with fresh eyes, wondering which plants around me were delicious, and if I could find a way to pull that salt out of Spartina grass. Wherever you are, I am sure you will walk away looking at your surroundings with fresh eyes too.That is the value of this book.