The Cook's Book: Techniques and Tips from the World's Master Chefs

Beautiful book and great "techniques" depicted. Have still not cooked from it, but I collect cookbooks and unlike "America's Best Recipes" type books which ponder on and on about what they don't like, this one shows you "how to do it" but also have some "lux" meals that you can try. the el bulli master decomposes foams. you can make that "foam soup" you tried at haute restaurants. the japanese section is mouthwatering and taste good just from the recipes. the pasta and dairy section written by Union Square grill master. the recipes seem doable. Cons? Chinese section is mediocre in recipes. A bit too English in the meat section. (kidneys and beef wellingtons?) but still great way to learn meats. The one book to have for techniques and recipes - this one shows you in pictures.

Today I found it on borders. I compared it to the professional chef (7th ed) and I was blown away by this book. Don't get me wrong professional chef is a good book but I was more in need to learn "techniques" and this book delivered it with beautiful step by step color photographs. I especially loved the seafood section. I don't know how to skin or filet a fish and this book showed it. If you are more into techniques like me this should be the first book for you. I can't comment on the recipes as I only brushed through them and this book has plenty of color photographs to give you guidance (I do mean plenty unlike most cookbooks). It's a good book for both new and experienced cooks.

`The Cook's Book' by Editor-in-Chief, Jill Norman is a VERY heavy book, both literally and figuratively, as it's 647 pages weigh at least as much as a five pound sack of potatoes. And, the authors are a Who's Who of major chefs. Ferran Adria of Spain did not even make the front cover, edged out by Rick Bayless, Ken Hom, Michael Romano, Charlie Trotter, and Norman Van Aken. A quick glimpse at the book and a consideration of the noted English publisher made me skeptical of what I was to find in this volume, in spite of the star power of the contributors. `DK', short for Dorling Kindersley, Limited is the publisher of glossy picture books on all sorts of crafty and cleverly educational subjects. As I started reading the introduction and the first chapter on `Sauces & Dressings', I got a sinking feeling that the quality of the text did not do justice to the high quality of the photography. This is especially surprising, as Jill Norman is one of only two behind the scenes publishing types (the other is Judith Jones of Alfred A. Knopf) who has gained some celebrity, primarily as friend and executor for the great culinary writer, Elizabeth David. I ran into statements such as the one recommending that a custard be whipped over a water bath to keep it from curdling, with no clue given to whether it is too much heat or too much cold which will cause the custard to curdle. I also took issue with `Sauces...' author Paul Gayler's calling `beurre blanc' an emulsified sauce, putting it somehow in the same category as mayonnaise and hollandaise. `Beurre blanc' is much more similar to vinaigrette than to an egg based sauce. But, these were only some early stumbles, magnified by my initial suspicion of the book. The air cleared and the value of the book grew immensely in my eyes when I turned to the next chapter on Foams by Ferran Adria. Adria's experiments with foams is becoming more famous with each day, but aside from one or two uses of foams by some of the `Iron Chef America' contestants, I have seen nothing about this technique. Adria's twelve-page chapter on the subject is almost single-handedly worth the hefty price of this book. One drawback to this chapter, which it shares with all other chapters, is that there is neither a bibliography of printed sources nor a list of suppliers. But, Adria give more than enough information to track down the goods by Googling the Internet. The two high points of Adria's essay is that he links foams to their natural precursor, mousses, and shows how the technique can be used to make some otherwise tricky procedures very easy, such as in the creation of a meringue. There are, depending on how you wish to slice it, two or three main types of articles in this book. By far the least interesting are the eight essays on regional cooking styles. These chapters are very short and give a uniformly cursory overview of their subject. How, for example, can Rick Bayless, who has written at least five books on the subject, cover

"Techniques are the key to good cooking. The Cook's Book provides the most comprehensive guide to all you may ever need in the kitchen." ~Jill Norman Jill Norman, editor of the Elizabeth David classic cookbooks, has created a celebration of cooking that is bursting with knowledge and techniques. There are over 1800 full-color photographs and the recipes cover all major cooking styles, including Thai, Mexican, French, Indian and Chinese. Top Chefs from around the world present cooking methods you can master at home. They also include many of their signature dishes. Each Chef has their own chapter: Sauces & Dressings - Paul Gayler, UK All the basic saucemaking techniques are covered from deglazing to using a paste of butter and flour to thicken a sauce. Classics are covered in step-by-step beauty as mayonnaise, Hollandaise and Béarnaise are created and then varied to suit all occasions. Foams - Ferran Adrià We all know the types of foams we don't want, like when making food and a pot boils over or when making strawberry jam, but how do you make foams on purpose and with a sense of perfection. Here they take the form of Pistachio foam, frozen chocolate mousse and cappuccino almond foam with truffle juice. Stocks & Soups - Shaun Hill, UK (All the basics for soups and heartwarming meals) Flavorings - Peter Gordon An especially exciting chapter filled with freshly crushed spices and herb mixtures. How do you dry-roast spices or grind them in a mortar and pestle? The recipes include sexy offerings like Saffron-Poached Peaches or Coconut & Palm sugar sauce. Latin American Cooking - Norman Van Aken (Classics like caramelized plantains served with Mojo marinated chicken.) Eggs & Dairy Products - Michael Romano Fish & Shellfish - Charlie Trotter (He goes to great lengths in this chapter to show you how to prepare every type of seafood imaginable. This is Seafood 101.) Japanese Cooking - Hisayuki Takeuchi from Paris (Sushi fans will adore this chapter.) Poultry & Game Birds - Shaun Hill (A special section on how to cut up poultry into eight pieces - useful for all sorts of recipes.) Indian Cooking - Atul Kochhar Meat - Marcus Wareing, UK (Techniques that will take roasting meats to unexplored levels.) Chinese Cooking - Ken Hom Vegetables - Charlie Trotter Charlie Trotter's chapters are highly detailed, showing you ever way to slice and dice vegetables or prepare tomatoes and peppers. He even shows you how to pickle cucumbers and create gourmet Asparacus & Goat Cheese Terrines. Pasta & Dumplings - Michael Romano (Pasta from scratch!) Asian Noodles & Dumplings - Christine Manfield from Australia Thai Cooking - David Thompson Grains & Beans - Paul Gayler (Secrets for cooking rice or turning lentils into smooth perfection in a Dal.) Breads & Batters - Dan Lepard (The first recipe I've ever found for Crisp Rye Bread.) Mexican Cooking - Rick Bayless from Chicago Pastry & Sweet Doughs - Pierre Hermé (Unique

The Cook's Book is an extensive, gigantic compendium filled to the brim with not only 650 recipes, but also instructions for 350 essential cooking techniques and tips from the world's top chefs. Techniques discussed range from basic egg cooking to carving and roasting wild duck to how to prepare a coconut to how to poach fruit. Dishes incorporating styles from around the world, including Chinese, Thai, Latino, Indian, and more cuisines are presented alongside classic favorites and signature dishes from famous chefs. Due to the extensive detail The Cook's Book uses in discussing kitchen techniques, this is a top-notch resource for the aspiring to intermediate chef. Highly recommended.