On the heels of recent visits by Alice Waters and Emeril Lagasse, Thomas Keller, executive chef and owner of French Laundry in Napa Valley, CA and Per Se in New York, will be at Charlotte's Johnson & Wales University on November 19 for a book signing and cooking demonstration from his new book, “Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide.”
Sous vide is a cooking technique that involves vacuum-packing foods and holding them in hot water at precise temperatures for controlled amounts of time, which results in food with velvety texture and intense flavor. Keller's book on the topic, which also features dramatic photography, is is long-anticipated in cuisine circles. This Charlotte trip will be only his second for the book and is the only event planned in the Southeast.
So why Charlotte, and why Johnson & Wales? Well because Keller had heard favorable reports about the facility. And he's interested in presenting the technique to culinary students.
Even though Keller plans no public appearances on his Charlotte visit, you catch sight of him out at a Charlotte restaurant.