Cookbook or food porn? Both--It's Alinea, after all

What is that? Find out for yourself: alinea-book.com

How much would you pay to have Alinea's Chef Grant Achatz come into your house and cook for you? Or even just divulge the secrets behind his creations? Does fifty bucks sound reasonable? You bet it does.

Okay, so the new Alinea cookbook isn't exactly a cook-it-yourself blueprint in the traditional sense, but the aesthetic of the book does a remarkable job of bringing Alinea into your home. Published independently, the book is a collaboration between Achatz, his partner Nick Kokonas, designer Martin Kastner and photographer Lara Kastner. 

Not one of the four had any previous experience with writing, designing, photographing or publishing a cookbook, yet they have managed to create a beautiful, 416-page ode to the creative spirit that Alinea embodies.

Printed in reverse type on grey, each page features gorgeous photography and--sure enough--approx. 600 recipes, but one need not re-create even a single dish to take something away from the book. After all, with a thoughtful introduction by Michael Ruhlman and essays by food writer Michael Nagrant, critic and Vogue columnist Jeffrey Steingarten, and Wired editor Mark McClusky, there's plenty of inspiration and insight into what Achatz calls "questioning convention."

In keeping with Achatz's belief that food should involve all of the senses, if you order the second edition of Alinea ($50) from Alinea's website (beginning Oct. 15th), you'll receive instant access to the book's online companion site, where aspiring at-home chefs are already posting images of their attempts at Achatz's gastronomical delights.