Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant

The opening of Tru in Chicago was the long-anticipated culmination of the dreams of executive chef Rick Tramonto and his partner, executive pastry chef Gale Gand. There Tramonto and Gand are free to unleash their superb culinary imaginations, serving wildly creative fare best described as progressive French-inspired cooking anchored in the finest European traditions.

Tru reveals the secrets of Tramonto and Gand’s award-winning cuisine–techniques and recipes they have evolved over the past twenty-five years of preparing some of the most delectable food in the world. This glorious cookbook, illustrated with more than sixty photographs by the renowned photographer Tim Turner, offers more than seventy-five never-to-be-forgotten Tru favorites–starting with first courses such as Ricotta Gnocchi with Parmegiano-Reggiano Cream; greens such as Lemon Balm Salad with Yuzu Soy Dressing; and entrees including Black Trumpet Mushroom—Crusted Ahi Tuna and Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Truffled Potato Puree. Gale Gand provides recipes for an irresistible array of cheese courses and a variety of exquisite desserts, including Apricot Tart Tatin and Fromage Blanc Mousse with Blueberry Stew.

Masterfully written recipes with careful attention to detail and easy step-by-step instructions will enable cooks of all levels to prepare and present unforgettable meals, enhance the dining ambience, and enjoy the taste of Tru perfection at home. Award-winning sommelier Scott Tyree suggests wines to complement every course. Tramonto and Gand also share the remarkable story of how they became two of the world’s great chefs and how they made Tru a four-star restaurant.

On every page, Tru reflects an abiding love for food, a great passion for the table, and attention to all that goes into producing superb meals. Tru is the ultimate cookbook for anyone who appreciates food as inventive as it is beautiful.

RICK TRAMONTO is the executive chef/partner of Tru in Chicago, one of Conde Nast Traveler’s Top 50 Best Restaurants in the World in 2000. He is the 2002 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef in the Midwest. With culinary partner Gale Gand, he coauthored American Brasserie and Butter Sugar Flour Eggs. He is the author of Amuse-Bouche. Tramonto lives outside Chicago with his wife and their three sons.

GALE GAND is the executive pastry chef/partner at Tru. In 2001 she received the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef and was named top pastry chef of the year by Bon Appetit. She is also the host of the Food Network’s Sweet Dreams. With culinary partner Rick Tramonto, Gand coauthored American Brasserie and Butter Sugar Flour Eggs. She is the author of Gale Gand’s Just a Bite and Gale Gand’s Short and Sweet. Gand lives outside Chicago with her husband and her son.

TIM TURNER is a nationally acclaimed food and tabletop photographer. He has been nominated five years in a row for the James Beard Award for Best Food Photography, winning in 1999 for Charlie Trotter’s Desserts. His previous projects include books in the Charlie Trotter’s series, The Inn at Little Washington, Jacques Pepin’s Kitchen, and Amuse-Bouche. Turner lives in Chicago with his wife and three exuberant daughters.

MARY GOODBODY is a nationally known food writer and editor. Her most recent credits include Amuse-Bouche and Taste: Pure and Simple. She has contributed significantly to Back to the Table, The Naked Chef, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, and Alfred Portale’s Twelve Seasons Cookbook, among other books. The editor of the IACP Food Forum Quarterly, she lives outside New York with her daughter.