Rating  - a mjust for all chef's
This book very informative, and a must for ALL who are interested in the culinary art.
Rating  - Maybe not for experienced cooks
I'm a reasonably good "amateur gourmet" and, based on the reviews, ordered this book with a hope of expanding my knowledge. Frankly, if I'd had a chance to see it in a book store, I would have passed it up - at least at full price. Might have bought it at a deep discount, but probably not.
Why? It is probably an okay book for a young student with little "world experience" and not a lot of cooking background but for anyone who has been seriously active in the kitchen for a while it contains a lot of material that I felt was not all that useful. For example:
There is a lengthy section on the cuisines of the world: characteristics, how they developed, primary ingredients, etc. I felt that the descriptions were too brief to be really useful but took up an awfully lot of pages. For anyone who has been reading "Gourmet" or other such magazines for a while, we've seen better writing in more depth with associate recipies we could try.
There was also an illustration section showing great photos of ingredients and describing their use. I guess I really wasn't looking for a page of apple photos, or onion photos, or rice photos, etc. etc.
This seems to be aimed as a text for professional chefs. That part is okay and it does do a good job of explaining techniques in detail and with good illustrations. However, most of the recipies are for 10 servings and the basic stocks, sauces, etc. all make a gallon.
I have a huge Sub-Zero freezer and I have five adult "children" still at home wolfing down meals. Even under my circumstances, this would be a bit much.
Frankly, I get more from my "Cook's Illustrated" magazine plus their on-line resources. Same depth, good explainations about how things work, reasonable portions, and associated recipies that I can actually use.
Rating - Not for just the Professional
I bought this book after purchasing a book for my son who is learning to cook. It was so informative and user friendly I had to have a copy for myself. It begins with the basics and is extremely informative. This book will be a family heirloom going from one generation to another. The greatest reference book for the kitchen I have ever purchased.
Rating - Great purchase
My husband is a chef, and i bought this for him for X-Mas, he loves the book and reads it all the time. Its everything you need. The price is also excellent. It usually retails at any bookstore for $70.00, so getting it for under $45.00 was such a bargain. I recommend it for all chefs or just anyone who truly loves to cook.
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Customer Reviews for Wiley,0764557343,9780764557347,0764557343,641.57 |
