La Technique: An Illustrated Guide to the Fundamental Techniques of Cooking

Got the book that I have ordered just in time for the holidays. As the time was nearing and I did not have the book yet, the seller assured me in a very caring and friendly way that I should have it in time....and I did! Thank you!

Like this book very much. I enjoy Pepin on TV & it's nice to have his step by step recipes in my kitchen.

From Introduction: "this is not a book of recipes, per se, although many are featured to exemplify a point. With the help of pictures...it intends to acquaint you with the base of cooking. The techniques go into the core, the center, the heart of the profession. They teach what makes things work the way they work. We do not pretend to have explicated the whole spectrum of cooking skills; in fact, we may have taken for granted very simple, ordinary chores such as peeling a potato, or melting butter. Even with the help of pictures, some of the techniques, like turning mushrooms, will be difficult to perform, and will require practice and perseverance. Others, like peeling and seeding a tomato, or making a rabbit out of an olive, should be mastered instantly." CONTENTS: * Introduction * The Basics * Shellfish & Fish * Vegetables * Poultry and Meat * Carving * Desserts and Pastry BASICS: * Holding the Knife * Garlic * Leeks * Cleaning Salad * Tomatoes * Glazed Onions * Skimming Fat * Butter Decoration * Potato Rose * Black Truffle Flowers * Tomato Rose and Other Vegetable Flowers * Egg and Tomato Mushrooms * Fluted Mushrooms * Olive Rabbits * Cutting Citrus Fruits * Orange Baskets * Orange Rind * Orange Peel Julienne * Lemon * Carving Watermelon * Butter * Mayonnaise * Larding: Strips and Leaves * Cornucopia Molds * Round, Square and Heart-Shaped Croutons * Bread Baskets * Melba Toast * Bread Socle * Canapes * Lining Cake Pans * Paper Casing * Paper Frill * Paper Cone * Collar for Souffle * Folding Napkins * Flower, Artichoke and Gondola Napkins * Iced Vodka Bottle * Strong, Clarified Stock * Aspic * Coating a Cookie Sheet * Pastry Bag and Tube * Folding in Ingredients * Separating Eggs * Poaching Eggs * Eggs in Aspic * Omelets * Stuffed Eggs SHELLFISH and FISH * Oysters * Clams * Sea Urchins * Mussels * Crabs * Lobster * Snails * Pike Quenelles * Salt-Cured Salmon with Green Peppercorns * Poached Salmon Glazed with Aspic * Salmon Molded in Aspic * Preparing Sole * Baked Sole with Mushrooms and Parsley * Sole Sauteed in Butter * Cleaning and Boning Trout * Rolled Trout * Trout with Almonds * Stuffed Trout with Cream Sauce VEGETABLES * Artichokes and Artichoke Hearts * Asparagus * Puree of Carrots * Cauliflower * Corn Crepes * Celeriac or Celery Root * Cucumber Salad * Braised Lettuce * Escarole Souffle * Stuffed Mushrooms * Fried Potato Balls * Sliced Potato Cake * Potato Rounds * Potato Ovals * Potato Sticks * Waffled Potatoes * Cream Puff Potatoes * Puffed Potato Slices * Green Noodles POULTRY AND MEAT * Cleaning Squab and Other Poultry * Toadlike Squab * Trussing Chicken and Other Poultry * Preparing Chicken for Broiling * Preparing Chicken for Stews * Chicken Sausage * Trimming and Cooking Meat * Trimming Saddle of Lamb * Trimming a Rack of Lamb * Lamb Chops * Trimming Leg of Lamb * Breaded Veal Scaloppine * Rolled Veal * Tying A Roast * Stuffed Veal Breast * Rib Roast * Trimming Shell Steak * Pepper Steak * Trimming Fill

I was hoping for a used copy of La Technique and that is exactly what I got. The book is in excellent condition and is all I hoped it would be.

if you are or want tobe a cook this book should be in your library!!!!