Mastering The Art Of French Cooking (2001) - Plot & Excerpts
I'm a novice cookbook reader and more or less a novice cook, though I know food well. Actually, by the horrendous standards of North American home kitchens, I'm a highly experienced and profoundly skilled home cook. But I stress the horrendous standards part. I also don't really want to use Goodreads to rate cookbooks because there's just something odd about giving any cookbook five stars and having it sit there next to fucking Hamlet like it's of the same standard. But I did read these things.So the thing I've discovered about cookbooks is that they can be a joy to read, which you wouldn't expect, considering how many of them consist largely of instructions. I started on this cookbook craze to prepare myself for a future of financial responsibility, ethical purchasing of animal products (pretty sure most cheaper restaurants don't give a shit about where their meat and dairy and fat comes from), and actually developing the skills to make more than a handful of dishes. I'm now convinced that this is important shit. It's been a pleasant reprieve from working hard for really the first time in my life to prepare myself financially for a plunge into the poverty-ridden realm of academia. But I digress. This thing is really fucking beautiful. The first volume. The second volume probably is, but it seems to involve a lot of pastry and baking &c., which rarely works out for me and really just doesn't interest me as much. this is not, for me, up to the standards of some other cookbooks, which manage to instruct and please the reader simultaneously. Julia Child is a bit dull, voice-wise, but she teaches you how to make this stuff and it's really good. So the book's really good, in the end. It has very little to do with the whole nouvelle cuisine thing or anything that came later I guess, and is deeply unsexy as a result, but this really doesn't matter because who the fuck is preparing that shit at home anyway.Highlights (either recipes I prepared or recipes I just perceive as beautiful): Fish Filets Poached in White WineRoast Squab Chickens with Chicken Liver Canapés and MushroomsChicken Simmered with Cream and OnionsBreast of Chicken with CreamChicken Breasts Sautéed in ButterPan-broiled Steak, with Shallot and White Wine SaucePepper Steak with Brandy SauceBraised Filet of Beef Stuffed with Foie Gras and TrufflesBeef BourguignonBeef Stew with Rice, Onions, and TomatoesBrown Veal Stew with Tomatoes and MushroomsSauteed Calf's Liver [w/Cream and Mustard Sauce] (this and the next one are, along with some Lebanese recipes for lamb or sheep liver, the best I've found on the subject of cooking or preparing mammalian liver)Calf's liver with Mustard, Herbs, and Bread CrumbsBraised Sweetbreads with Brown Mushroom SauceOrange SpongecakeThe muscle-and-organ-meat-heavy nature of this list is not due to my attitude regarding vegetables. I encourage the use of vegetables and fruits and grains in food. The French just happen to do organs and meat a lot better than they do most vegetable dishes, which largely serve best as accompaniments in the traditional French culinary world. By the way, the general shittiness of European vegetarian dishes, as main courses, is probably why vegan and vegetarian restaurants are largely pretty vile in North America. I might be deeply wrong on this. Still, I'm pretty sure that Indian and Asian and Middle Eastern and North African cuisines do this stuff a whole hell of a lot better. Oh, and traditional European desserts are also pretty bleh in comparison to the above-mentioned cuisines, excepting that orange spongecake.
The Good-Humored, Encouraging Teacher–Honestly, I don’t know how Julia does it. She takes some extraordinarily complicated recipes and explains them with such precision and accuracy, that you cannot help but appreciate every word. In between the instructions, Julia’s authorial voice emerges in each of her recipes. She’s humorous, light-hearted, and always positive. Julia ensures that if she can a pastry from scratch, certainly you, with the better kitchen appliances and ingredients can too. It’s almost as if you can sense her teacherly/cheery self telling you that yes, you are insane for wishing to debone that duck, but it’s going to be okay. Have a glass of wine with me. - See more at: http://www.clearlydeliciousfoodblog.c...Extensive, Thorough Instructions and Illustrations–Let’s be honest, Julia really has taught me 90% of what I know about French cooking. I discovered linguistic blunders and poultry techniques with her Pâté de Canard en Croûte and discovered my favorite Provincial French Vegetable dish with her Ratatouille. In each recipe, she supplies the most thorough of explanations on how to peel a tomato, make a pate stuffing for a duck, or make your own pastry. Along with each instruction exists an illustration from the 60s publication that is still reprinted today. Images are detailed and thorough corresponding with the text directly above or below it. - See more at: http://www.clearlydeliciousfoodblog.c...
What do You think about Mastering The Art Of French Cooking (2001)?
My husband bought me this book for Valentine's Day because we had recently watched "Julie and Julia" and I had mentioned how I couldn't believe that after all these years of cooking, I hadn't yet acquired this book.It's popularity since the movie might seem a little cliche, but really, this is the most thorough, easy-to-understand, and excellent cookbook I have ever owned. The only comparable book is "Good Housekeeping's Illustrated Cookbook," which I also own and use regularly. Although this book is focused on French cuisine, it also includes a timeless and useful walk-through of everything from how to hold a knife to how to poach an egg. Ms. Child explains how everything works together and how recipes can be modified in a simple manner so that learning to cook is not simply a process of following directions, but rather a process of learning what ingredients work together and why.Really, this book is a must for anyone who enjoys cooking and wants to improve their knowledge, technique and repertoire in the kitchen.P.S.: The best advice of all: Spend the money on a good knife.
—Amanda Nuchols
The basics on vegetables are here-- maybe a bit plain by today's standards, or sometimes overly complicated (who is going to fight with an artichoke or make a moussaka a la turque steamed in a lining of eggplant skin in a timbale mould) but most of the recipes are well worth the effort.Book Two has more ambitious baking (the infamous Dacquoise) and even baguettes, which still don't come out quite right as American flour has a different ash content and American ovens don't produce steam like professional ovens. I've also used the Creme Bavaroise many a time; a lot of work, beating gelatin, cream and carefully unmolding what looks like a simple mousse in a decorative ring mould but is a very elegant dessert that serves quite a few, especially sliced, and plated with fresh berries and a drizzle of sauce.
—Brendan
I have had this cookbook on my to try list for some time, but always seemed a bit intimidated by it. However, I read my Life in France by the author, and realized it was a how to book (though some recipes are more complicated than others). Anyway, this book is a true classic, a first in its field. The first recipe I tried was her roast chicken. I've made many a roast chicken in my time, but this was delicious. Next up is one of her soups (maybe the garlic one she mentioned in the book). I love the fact that she saw a need for a real cookbook, using whole foods, which explains everything, so everyone from a beginner to the advanced cook can benefit. I remember watching my mom watch The French Chef---and have recently watched a few episodes on dvd myself. God bless you Julia, and thank you.
—MaryBeth Donnelly
