Keto Like a Chef Chef Jason Raffin. Released 22nd Oct 2024 by Girl Friday on their Flashpoint imprint, it's 280 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is an artistic, aesthetically pleasing collection from a professional chef who was underwhelmed with the selections available which were keto friendly and which could honestly pass muster in a fine restaurant. He developed the recipes and methods himself, apparently mostly for his own (and friends') consumption.

The recipes are lush and very well written. This is not a cookbook for cooks looking for very easy, cost cutting, or time saving recipes. The first recipe in the book (and which sets the standard from the first page) is his Lobster Benedict with Fennel Béarnaise, which contains roughly 30 ingredients and numerous (very well written) steps. It also gives a really useful recipe for keto biscuits which are fluffy and satisfying, unlike most keto "biscuits" which shouldn't bear the name.

The recipes are arranged thematically: breakfast, lunch, small plates, charcuterie, dinner, and dessert. Recipe ingredients (and they are many and *exotic*) are arranged in a bullet list sidebar. Yields and servings, along with macro information are given in a header. He provides very specific, but not overly explanatory cooking directions. There is no hand holding; this is not a book for the easily intimidated. Ingredient measures are given in imperial (American) units with metric in parentheses. (Yay!).

The photography and graphics are gorgeous and in color throughout.

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public (or post-secondary school) library acquisition, for adventurous home cooks, and for gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I love this book. Getting keto recipes from an actual chef! The recipes have that extra something to make them all special. The Pancetta devilled egg salad is really good. I didn't make the lettuce or basil aioli, I might make that today.

3.5 stars
A really beautiful cookbook, but I would say the keyword in the title is "chef." These are more sophisticated and advanced recipes, from a chef in Hawaii, so many prominently feature seafood. Others have ingredients like caviar or pigs ears, which may be a stretch for some in terms of availability, price, taste, or all three.
Recipes are in chapters on Breakfast, Lunch, Small Plates, Charcuterie, Dinner, Dessert, and Side Components. Each recipe has a stunning color photo of a professionally plated dish.
A good book, but probably for a specific audience.

If you like to spend time in the kitchen cooking elegant meals, but also want to make sure they fit into a low carb lifestyle, Keto Like a Chef is for you. There are plenty of elevated dishes to choose from to show off your cooking chops and impress your friends ajd family. Since these are elevated dishes, expect to spend a lot ofntine preparing them. The end result will be worth all of the effort.

Chef and author Jason Raffin adheres to the keto lifestyle and enjoys several positive changes. In Keto Like A Chef he reminds us that Keto food should look and taste good and make us feel better. I was part of the Keto lifestyle but grew lazy and eased out of it. However, due to health issues I am returning to it. This is one of the books which inspired me.

Not only are the recipes creative but the photography is lovely. Raffin discusses the principles of Keto, the importance of local farmers, feeding the soul and others, and giving back. Through he tragic loss of his material possessions, he discovered important life lessons. Food is crucial to survival but spiritual and mental nourishment is important, too.

As delectable as the recipes are, some may feel daunted by the ingredients, techniques and/or the multiple components in several dishes. However, one can break the recipes down into manageable chunks and use one component or all of them, a lot of mix and matching potential. Do note that those with celiac disease including myself will need to do a bit of improvising to avoid gluten. But it can be done! Macros and nutritional information are included for each recipes. A glossary of techniques rounds out the book.

Amongst the recipes which grab me most are Spicy Pulled Pork Benedict. Keto Pie Crust, Seared Octopus with Peri-Peri Dressing and Cauliflower Aioli (octopus is one of my favourite things!), Squid Ink Dressing, Chocolate Cake with Smoked-Milk Panna Cotta (using liquid smoke), Lavender Olive Mix, Berry Cobbler and Caramelized Mushroom Mix. I am grateful to live part time in the Mediterranean so have access to incredible ingredients. Cooking is one of my greatest passions and there is so much to anticipate making from this book.

My sincere thank you to Girl Friday Productions and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this mouthwatering book.

The beginning of this book was very detailed and informative which is beneficial to someone that is new to Keto.

As I was reading the book I felt that the good looking recipes and pictures made the food really fancy and geared more toward an experienced cook or chef and not a beginner.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! The first portion of the book was very informative on what Keto is and the lifestyle involved. When looking through the recipes I was blown away by how “fancy” they look, yet so simple and delicious sounding. I always thought that eating healthier and going on a keto diet would be limiting for my palate. Thanks to this book I now realize that with some work and dedication I can make the switch over to Keto and still enjoy great food. I recommend this book to those on the fence as well as those already following this diet! You can never have too many recipe ideas.

‘Keto Like a Chef,” by Jason Raffin

Cool book. lots and lots of pictures. All the food looks super good and I’m definitely going to try a bunch of the recipes. 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Keto Like a Chef is a great cookbook. People who are starting with the Keto Diet are able to follow all the rules of the diet. Jason Raffin made easy to follow recipes.

Keto as a Chef is a great food journey! It is a very colorful and tasty meal, for a healthy lifestyle and weight management. I realized that it is not easy to find all the ingredients, but I will try to make some dishes from this cookbook. The photos are so good with food and plates and the beauty of Hawaii. I really appreciate the offer to receive an e-book from NetGalley to read and enjoy keto cooking and dieting!

Keto Like a Chef by Chef Jason Raffin; Photographer Keith Schikore

The photographs are stunning – the food and the plating and the photos of Hawaii!

Mid travels during the Covid pandemic, “stuck” in Hawaii during the shutdown, Jason Raffin, a chef, decided to try the keto lifestyle. This cookbook is a product of his journey.

While it begins with the story of his time in Hawaii and the keto lifestyle, that is only a small part of the book (which, as a cookbook, I appreciate – I want the recipes!). In this section he offers helpful lists of protein, pickled veggies and alternative options/substitutes for sugar and flour.

The book is divided into the typical sections and includes a range of recipes from easier (fewer ingredients) to more complex (lists of ingredients w/assembly instruction). Included are the familiar, like cheese soufflé and grilled chicken Caesar - I omitted the fish sauce given my family’s tastes - still delicious - to the more exotic - pigs ears, anyone? So far, I think my favorite is the Cod à la Meunìere - this is one w/fewer ingredients and was fabulous (loved the savory/salty flavors of the capers). Next to try is the Flourless Chocolate cake and planning for a festive occasion.

This book can serve as both a cookbook for those who are either on a ketogenic diet or like me, just interested in low carb options and/or a “coffee table book” as the photography is beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley, Girl Friday Productions and Jason Raffin for an advanced copy of this cookbook.
Review posted on Goodreads (link below) and on Amazon (once they open it for reviews on pub day).

An interesting cookbook as I don't know much about the Keto diet but this had a bit of information in it along with ingredients to help you navigate your way through the book and recipes. Although I liked the photography and the recipes sound interesting it is a book that would make the food I buy more expensive.

Everything sounds and looks wonderful and it is a great recipe book to dream over but I find it a bit more for experienced and rich chefs rather than the ordinary person.

Thank you NetGalley and Girl Friday Productions for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a beautiful cookbook! The photos are amazing, the food looks so delicious. It's a little fancier than I am comfortable attempting, but the recipes are appear to be easy to follow and well detailed.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Beautiful pictures and creative recipes, many with a distinctly Hawaiian flare (although my little Bostonian heart is excited to imagine lobster rolls back in her life!) Definitely a great source of inspiration for any keto-person. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The first thing I couldn’t help but notice is how stunning the photos in this book are. The recipes look great too but are not your everyday cooking type of recipes . Sometimes the ingredients list is long and not necessarily cheap . There are also a few with ingredients you already have in your pantry but presented so well you’ll wow your dinner guests. Definitely a book worth having for people who want to make their keto dishes extra special.

A great resource for people looking to begin or level up a Keto diet. There is a good variety of recipes and they are well set and easy to follow. I would recommend this one

Thank you Girl Friday Productions | Flashpoint for allowing me to read and review Keto Like a Chef: Showstopping Recipes for Your Keto Table on NetGalley.

Published: 10/15/24

Stars: 3

It's a recipe book that covers morning, noon and night. There are pictures.

Chef uses a lot of ingredients in recipes that appealed to me. I would have to purchase a ton of spices, et. al. He does state somewhere in his musings that doing a Keto Diet is expensive. While a beginning Keto dieter could certainly use this cookbook, the recipes are designed for a person who appreciates flavors.

Ive recently started exploring the idea of going keto and turned to this book, but found this rather discouraging. Within the first three pages the only one that would be affordable to make was the cheese souffle..... until it mentioned caviar.

Understand that the author is from Hawaii before beginning this book.

I found the recipes to be on the more expensive and extravagant side rather than an easy to cook, whats in your pantry guide.

A beautifully presented book. Take your home cooking to the next level and make it restaurant worthy ( not sure Grumpy Grandad would notice as he shovelled it in) and present beautiful keto food to your family. Great recipes and ideas I would like to try out.

Every single recipe looks and sounds absolutely delicious. I already enjoy eating keto meals and was curious about how I could elevate the experience from home. I will say, I think I need a book that is more helpful to a novice aspiring to chef like cuisine!