Professional Cooking, Study Guide

As someone already mentioned, it's a pity you do not have a six star rating. This is probably the best cooking book, professional and other that I have come across. It's accurate and reliable, and mostly it seems to cover everything. Every time I have needed a recipe,or any info regarding preparaation of a meal of any sort, i have found the answer in this book. i am amazed again and again as to how up to date it is, and how anything I might find in new trendy cook books and magazines, seem to have already been printed in this book. i am always grateful to own it.

While I am not a culinary student, I do love to cook and learn the science behind the food. This book is the most comprehensive, best photographed book I have seen. This is written for the student, or professional preparation in terms of quantities the recipes make. You can easily scale most of them to suit your personal needs. The book is divided into various sections there is a textbook feel as each area of food is explained thoroughly, then come the recipes. This book is nice as it offers many suggestions and ideas with each recipe. While this may not be the best choice for every cook at home, I think this is a good choice for people that want a little more out a cookbook.

With each edition I can hardly imagine how the next one could possibly be any better and this one is no different. This book is the standard issue book at many cooking schools. That is actually how I came upon my first copy, from a friend who had finished Chef school and purchased a newer edition. The illustrations are beautiful and very helpful, the directions clear and concise. Make no mistake, this is a complete cooking school course with everything except the tuition and practice. Starting at the beginning is a good idea because it is laid out like a course. So, it teaches a technique and then from that point forward in the book it refers to the technique. However, with a thorough index it is not a problem to find out where the technique was discussed.There is no better book to learn professional cooking or just learn the techniques to astound your friends. Thorough and well documented, when it comes to learning professional cooking techniques, this is the book to have.

I grew up with great home cooking and always took it for granted. When I went off to University I quickly realized that Macaroni & cheese would not do me the way it seemed to for many of my colleagues, so I set out to bolster my impoverished culinary skills. After several years of over-the-phone consultations with mom, experimentation, and generally bland meals, I still lacked the basic knowledge and skill to tackle any but the most detailed recipes, and I had more questions than answers. Then I stumbled upon Wayne Gisslen's "Professional Cooking 4th Ed." The standard text for many culinary schools, Gisslen's well organized text book is a must for the aspiring amateur home chef. Expertly laid out and documented with beautiful photography, it will take your cooking to the next level. Gisslen has structured his book to first provide you with an in-depth knowledge of ingredients and basic cooking techniques, these are then applied in the many exquisite recipes that follow. For example, chapter 10: Understanding Meats has subsections on: Composition, Structure and Basic Quality Factors; Understanding the Basic Cuts; Cooking and Handling Meats. The following chapter then applies these principles in recipes grouped according to cooking method. The recipes range from fairly simple to more involved and all the ones I've tried have been outstanding. ONE WORD OF CAUTION! This is NOT a step-by-step cookbook that the beginner cook can just pick up to whip up a meal on the spur or the moment. All the recipes require knowledge of the basic cooking techniques which are covered in the previous chapter(s). This is an amazingly in-depth text book and requires time spent in careful study. Also, since the recipes are scaled for the professional kitchen one must scale them down for personal use (covered in chapter 5). However, if you are willing to put the time in, you will be amazed at how much you learn. As your basic skill level increases so will your confidence for tackling previously intimidating recipes. This book will be a treasured resource on my shelf for years to come. A must for the professional as well as the amateur enthusiast and well worth the money.

I first learned of Professional Cooking when a friend borrowed the second edition from a friend who's a chef. As soon as I saw it, I had to have it. Any serious cook - amateur or pro - should enjoy this tome. It does what most cookbooks written for the home never get around to: it explains the 'whys' behind the 'how-tos.' Why use egg yolks in sauces and dressings? Why do sugar and onions both (separately) caramelize? Why is baking soda a terrible thing to do to an innocent vegetable? The recipes in this book (designed as exercises for cooking students) are for 15-30 portions. Most, however, can be scaled down to family size. Anyway, each is designed to teach a point or technique, and is great reading even if you never actually make it. This book is easy to follow. Gisslen doesn't get wrapped up in jargon - no small feat in a book written for professionals. If you love to cook, buy it. Benjamin F. Harvill