Rating: 
Summary: If you enjoy the television series, buy this book.
Review: I like watching the television series, and then creating the dish from the cookbook. Like going to cooking school for the price of the book.
Rating:
Summary: If you enjoy the television series, buy this book.
Review: I like watching the television series, and then creating the dish from the cookbook. Like going to cooking school for the price of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Fabulous .......
Review: I saw one of Julia and Jaques TV specials where they prepared the country pate recepie from this book. To find an easy pate recepie has been difficult at best, and considering my taste for the finer things in life at reasonable rates I scooped up a copy of this cookbook the next day. This in itself was odd since we have a literal LIBRARY of cookbooks from over the world!What a pleasant surprise to find that there are numerous FABULOUS recepies in this book makes it a staple in our kitchen and it now looks like its gone through WWII with all the use it gets while cooking and OF COURSE drinking wine .... Each of the dishes presented in this book are prepared by both Jaques and by Julia in their own style with clear cut explanations ..... Appart from the pate ... the outstanding rcepies in this book that we have repeated are ..... - Jaques Salmon tartare (a refinement on the Russian recepie we stole from a hotel there) - Jacques saussage in brioche - Chicken turhey and beek stock (a must have in any kithchen they'll think you stole the gravy from Paul Prudhomes kitchen) - Seafood Bread - Mashed potatoes ( an ecycplopedia on potato cooking this book is ) -Pomme de Terra Macaire (Just WOW) - French Fries - Julias hamburgers (WOW I actually forgot haw toake first class burgers that kids at our parties GOBBLE up) - De-boned turkey & chicken (Only thing get yr butcher to debone it for you and you in for the surprise of your life with this feast- sure changed our Christmas and Thanksgiving fare ) There are many more recipies but the above are our favorites. A MUST HAVE COOK BOOK .....
Rating:
Summary: Beware of the Brown Stock!
Review: I was gratified to see that another reader noticed the error of omission for the Brown Stock recipe.Only half of the recipe is printed. I hope this is the exception and not the rule.I haven't read the entire book yet.Otherwise,it's a very enjoyable book which makes gourmet cooking feel very approachable for even beginning level cooks.The recipes are not fussy but are based on the idea that good technique and quality ingredients produce great tasting food.Julia & Jacques seem very relaxed & friendly and their writing is too.They give a wealth of really helpful tips on all aspects of food preparation.This book has given me both the confidence and interest to delve into French/gourmet cooking for the first time.In conjunction with their PBS series the books really comes alive. A good basic gourmet primer.
Rating: 
Summary: i'm torn...
Review: I was sure that I would adore this book--after all, I adore both Julia and Jacques. And what is theirs is great--the text and the directions. What is frustrating is its function as a cookbook. The design is atrocious, with bland colors and too few photographs of the foods. I find it odd that very often, the photograph was not opposite the recipe, but rather on the page before (this is jarringly odd when staring at one recipe and not seeing it right there). I like it that Julia has her comments down the left side of the page and Jacques the right--the consistency was great so you knew who was saying what. But when a comment was too long to fit on a single page, jumping the text to the next spread was confusing and annoying--I want to be able to read a recipe through without flipping pages back and forth. But then, I'd read a cookbook before going to bed! So far, the recipes I've tried have been great, and relatively easy to do (and if it's not going to be easy, they warn you well). Julia's original Caesar Salad is a delight for dinner on these hot summer nights.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for the Cook! and Funny Too
Review: If you saw them in action, the book pulls it all together. These two masters provide a complete look into the world of cooking but most of all technique. Technique is key and yes if you learn and practice the techniques the food is wonderful. My family enjoys watching (at times laughing) me deboning a turkey or chicken. It is with great pleasure I recommend this book to anyone serious about cooking.
Rating:
Summary: Two Legends for the Price of One
Review: In all honesty, I've only used two of the recipes from this book so far. Still, I recommend this book. I think that says more about my love for the authors rather than the recipes themselves. The recipes are pretty much classic standards, and for the most part they seem easy and straightforward. It's the personalities of Julia and Jacques that make this book exceptional - definitely a worthwhile addition to your collection. The chemistry between these two icons of great cooking is so genuine, and the love they have for food and cooking is so infectious, that even if you aren't inspired to follow any specific recipe, you will definitely be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen. They complement each other so well, too. It's amusing and enlightening to see how their styles and experiences differ, even in small details. An example of the general format - there are two recipes for scalloped potatoes: his, potatoes boulangere with a chicken stock and onions; hers, potatoes dauphinoise with milk or cream and garlic (he prefers freshly ground black pepper, she prefers white). If you watch the companion series on PBS, you will definitely want to turn to this book. Before I start any of my own recipes the kitchen, I'll routinely consult J & J (e.g. how long would they cook a pork tenderloin?) This book makes an excellent gift, too. Just make sure you buy yourself a copy. The only negative - the page design of the book may be more appropriate for bedside reading or the coffee table, rather than for the kitchen.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for all cooks
Review: Jacques and Julia once again proove that there is more then one way to "skin a cat" or bone a chicken. The tecniques shown in this book are great for either the experienced or novice cook. The recipes range from simple to complex...how to make a truly great hamburger to Boeuf Bourguignon. Yes, it is much more fun to cook with friends.
Rating:
Summary: Good recipes but cumbersome layout
Review: Julia Child and Jacques Pepin make French cooking seem so approachable on television, and this book is consistent with that attitude. Simple recipes, like roast chicken with lemon and rosemary and pan-fried steak turn out deliciously. I must caution that the layout of the book--a point/counterpoint in which each chef presents his/her approach--results in a cumbersome book. For example, directions for one dish may appear several pages later than its ingredients. An accompanying sauce may be five, ten pages back. It wouldn't be a bad idea to use those sticky bookmarks in advance of preparing the recipe. The instructional photos could have been much better. A photo showing how to extract a wishbone, for example, is confusing. I would have liked to see more step-by-step series of photos since a single shot is often inadequate. This is definitely a hybrid--part cookbook, part coffeetable tome. Therein lies the difficulty but also the enjoyment.
Rating:
Summary: Good recipes but cumbersome layout
Review: Julia Child and Jacques Pepin make French cooking seem so approachable on television, and this book is consistent with that attitude. Simple recipes, like roast chicken with lemon and rosemary and pan-fried steak turn out deliciously. I must caution that the layout of the book--a point/counterpoint in which each chef presents his/her approach--results in a cumbersome book. For example, directions for one dish may appear several pages later than its ingredients. An accompanying sauce may be five, ten pages back. It wouldn't be a bad idea to use those sticky bookmarks in advance of preparing the recipe. The instructional photos could have been much better. A photo showing how to extract a wishbone, for example, is confusing. I would have liked to see more step-by-step series of photos since a single shot is often inadequate. This is definitely a hybrid--part cookbook, part coffeetable tome. Therein lies the difficulty but also the enjoyment.
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