Rating: 
Summary: Cookbook Library Acquisition
Review: Cooks and chefs developing a serious library of refernce books...buy this one. Historic and contemporary applications of methods and techniques are included. Photos capture specific issues very well.
Rating:
Summary: Indispensable? Absolutely
Review: I absolutely love this book. Rather than giving a list of recipes, it tells you hundreds of techniques with which to create for yourself. Perfect for the budding chef or gourmand. It also has hundreds of illustrations of everything from food identification to hand motion. A great addition to any collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Introduction
Review: I found this book to be an excellent reference. It has found it's home in the office at the restaurant where i work so that the chef and i can consult it when we need a little inspiration. I highly recommend it to anyone, regardless or your specific interests in cooking. The guides for selecting and preparing everything from fresh seafood to vegetables are worth the price of the book.
Rating:
Summary: A must-have edition to your kitchen
Review: I found this book to be an excellent reference. It has found it's home in the office at the restaurant where i work so that the chef and i can consult it when we need a little inspiration. I highly recommend it to anyone, regardless or your specific interests in cooking. The guides for selecting and preparing everything from fresh seafood to vegetables are worth the price of the book.
Rating:
Summary: great concept, easy explanations
Review: I had one book of recipes of cordon bleu at home. The recipes are good, but what I loved from it was the techniques section.
This book is a techniques book which go farther in preparations for any kind of food... Must have if you are a low-medium level home cook who likes cooking but has not receive lessons on how professionaly chop an onion, etc. You will get plenty of pages on basic techniques no one had talked to you about!
Like everything in life, if you master the basic fundamentals you will be good in something. Surprisingly, there are not many books that are deep dealing with the basics of things. This is one of rare exceptions who contains enough knowledge to talk a wise lot on the important things.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect for Beginners
Review: I love this book. As the others say, it is more for techniques and there are not very many recipes, but for beginners the recipes are perfect: broth, sauces, pancakes (from scratch!), etc. that are so basic that they are the basis for tons of other recipes. The illustrated techniques are great and everytime I do a new recipe I bring out the Cordon Bleu book to figure out what the recipe says!.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing--perky as a tv show, yet sophisticated as can be.
Review: I love this book. Every technique I have struggled to pick up from other cookbooks, every vegetable I have struggled to prepare, every mystery of French cooking that left me intimidated and terrified is demystified in this easy-to-follow guide to fine French cooking. The recipes are beyond excellent, make you feel like you are following directly in the footsteps of the great masters of grande cuisine. Which you are. It's a great feeling. All the basics are here, as well as variations, as well as some more intimidating stuff which is made less so by lots and lots of bright pictures and snappy hint boxes. I never thought a cookbook by Cordon Bleu would be perky, but this one IS. Seriously, it's like watching a TV show, but in a book. Definitely buy this book, especially if you want to become educated about the techniques of the masters, and have it become second nature. LOVE IT.
Rating:
Summary: Techniques - not recipes
Review: I really like this book. The illustrations are excellent, as well as the explanations that take you step by step through the different processes. Mind, however, that this is *not* a book of recipes. There are many, but they belong to basic courses from which to elaborate. I found specially nice the sections about decoration.
Rating: 
Summary: Kind of fluffy.
Review: I was hoping for detailed knifework photos and more advanced tips and tricks. I don't really need pretty photos of ingredients and finished dishes. Also, not as comprehensive as it could have been... maybe choosing a single cuisine would help, instead of the broad multiculturalism shown here. More of a coffee table book than a highly practical guide to culinary techniques.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive guide
Review: There certainly isn't a lack of illustrations in this book. It serves as a practical guide of cooking techniques and covers all aspects and indgredients of cooking, which includes sauces, vegetables, poultry, meat, seafood, herbs and spices, soups, desserts, bakery, dairy, fruits, and literally anything one can think of. However, do not expect to find many recipes, because as the title suggests, the book will be helpful if it used for cooking techniques. If you are eager to learn some basics, this is the book for you.
|
