Ludobites

Ludo Lefebvre is a culinary prodigy who worked at his first three-Michelin-star restaurant at age 14. By 24 he was running his own kitchens in Los Angeles-winning accolades at L'Orangerie and Bastide for serving the most imaginative, forward-thinking food the city had ever seen. In 2007, he traded fine-dining-with its endless pomp and bottomless resources-for the freedom to cook outside the box, even if it meant sacrificing his skilled kitchen brigade and drafting an 8-year-old to peel green beans. The result was LudoBites, a "touring" restaurant that, like a rock 'n roll band, roves the streets of Los Angeles, playing to different sold-out crowds every four months. From a taqueria in Reseda to a diner in West Hollywood, LudoBites brings together old money customers with a new generation of ambitious eaters, who cram in elbow to elbow and cheek to cheek to for the chance to sample Lefebvre's inspired, wildly imaginative food.
LUDOBITES is the chronicle of that journey, with each chapter showcasing the story and food of each of the seven different LudoBites incarnations. The recipes in LUDOBITES merge the techniques he perfected in his years at the finest French restaurants with the simplicity forced upon him by the limits of a pop-up kitchen. Some dishes show off his playful side; he tops rice veloute, a simple cream-based soup, with "Christmas Tree Oil"-a pine-needle infused oil he first created using the leavings of his Christmas tree. Dishes such as braised oxtail with black truffle and Cantal cheese-spiked polenta showcase his more sophisticated side.
Beautiful, high energy full color photography throughout-shot by the bloggers who worship his food and, occasionally, tear it apart-takes readers behind the scenes to see all the pain, drama, and triumph for themselves. Narrative essays prefacing each chapter give an unprecedented glimpse into the mind of a chef who breaks all the rules and whom Time hailed as "the chef of the future."