From the Inside Flap
In this unrivaled practical guide, one of America's
most widely respected chefs/teachers/cookbook authors
distills his vast knowledge and experience into the more than
one hundred essential techniques that every cook needs to
know. One hundred and fifty recipes and 1,100 photographs
unravel the mysteries of the method and provide practical
application on the spot. Here are answers to just about every
cooking question, from the simple (why you shouldn't leave
slices of apples sitting in water) to the sublime (why you
should want to roast a whole saddle of lamb).
Each technique is further explained in terms of how it
makes the food taste: What happens, for example, if you cook
fish in butter versus of oil? Why is the flavor of roasted
vegetables so wonderful? How do you decide whether you want
to make a chicken stew or saut? Knowing how to execute a
technique makes you efficient; knowing why you've chosen that
technique makes you a master.
There's even an interactive element to the book:
"Cues" throughout make it easy for you to delve
further into related subjects that might be of interest.
After you've made the mashed potatoes, you can learn how to
puree other vegetables and fruits; explore how to use
vegetables purees in soups or to thicken sauces or to make
flans; and find out how to handle all kinds of kitchen
equipment you might encounter along the way, from a ricer to
a food processor to a food mill or professional drum sieve.
Expect recipes and techniques that are clearly,
meticulously, and encyclopedically described in the style
that has won so many awards for Peterson's books, as well as
an extensive annotated glossary that you will turn to again
and again. In fact, expect your experience of cooking to be
forever changed.
