Cook book on technique

HitMan009 · Oct 19, 2008

Please recommend me a cook book on technique

I am in search of a cook book on techniques. I am a pretty decent cook but now I want to sharpen my skills and really start doing refined cooking. What would you recommend as the best cook book on technique? I want to get one for each of the major cuisines in the world. I would like to keep my focus on pure technique books but other suggestions are always welcomed.

Thanks

DocHolliday · Oct 19, 2008

Best cooking book money can buy: Anne Willan's "La Varenne Pratique." The book on technique, and on, well, everything. You could eat well for the rest of your life without another.

MrDaniels · Oct 19, 2008

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer. Between the two, you will be able to do almost anything in the kitchen.

jdcpa · Oct 19, 2008

Doc is 100% correct on the Anne Willan recomendation. I have a few of her books. "French Country Cooking" etc. They are all very practical and easy to follow. I have been shocked at how many recipies turn out perfectly, even though some of the dishes seem impossible to prepare.

XdryMartini · Oct 19, 2008

Jacques Pepin has a book called "Complete Techniques" that is very good as well. It even has LOTS of PICTURES!!

jpeirpont · Oct 19, 2008

How To Cook by Julia Child

JohnRov · Oct 19, 2008

Originally Posted by XdryMartini

Jacques Pepin has a book called "Complete Techniques" that is very good as well. It even has LOTS of PICTURES!!

This is what you want. It is a combination of his technique and method books. The Joy of Cooking will give you essentially nothing in terms of technique, although it is still a necessary book to have. You can also shell out for The Culinary Institute of America's text, which will also serve you well technique-wise.

DocHolliday · Oct 19, 2008

"La Varenne" has 2,500 step-by-step photos, and they're in color, unlike Pepin's "Complete Techniques." I have both, but if I were to lose them, I'd replace only one. "La Varenne" is worth the full retail price, and I don't say that about many things.

Grayland · Oct 19, 2008

Essentials of Cooking by James Peterson is a an excellent choice too.

GQgeek · Oct 19, 2008

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

Best cooking book money can buy: Anne Willan's "La Varenne Pratique." The book on technique, and on, well, everything. You could eat well for the rest of your life without another.

Yes, this is THE book for technique.

Originally Posted by MrDaniels

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer. Between the two, you will be able to do almost anything in the kitchen.

Completely disagree. I have all 3 books, and these two are not geared to techique at all. Actually, I've barely touched the JoC since I bought it. Sure, it has recipes for everything, but for that reason I find it generic and unfocused, and it doesn't put detail in the recipes the way good cookbooks do. It does have some good parts though, like the chapter on heat. Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a good book, but is not a technique book like LVP. You do pick-up some technique in it scattered throughout the recipes (much much better book than JoC), but LVP is totally focused. When i did a leg of lamb from Keller's Bouchon, LVP is where i went to learn how to debone it, and each step was illustrated, in color.

MrDaniels · Oct 19, 2008

Originally Posted by GQgeek

Yes, this is THE book for technique.

Completely disagree. I have all 3 books, and these two are not geared to techique at all. Actually, I've barely touched the JoC since I bought it. Sure, it has recipes for everything, but for that reason I find it generic and unfocused, and it doesn't put detail in the recipes the way good cookbooks do. It does have some good parts though, like the chapter on heat. Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a good book, but is not a technique book like LVP. You do pick-up some technique in it scattered throughout the recipes (much much better book than JoC), but LVP is totally focused. When i did a leg of lamb from Keller's Bouchon, LVP is where i went to learn how to debone it, and each step was illustrated, in color.

JoC is an excellant reference and resource and in my opinion no cookbook collection is complete without it.

La Technique by Jaques Pepin is also invaluble...is "Complete Technique" as mentioned previously a re-title?

GQgeek · Oct 19, 2008

Originally Posted by MrDaniels

JoC is an excellant reference and resource and in my opinion no cookbook collection is complete without it.

La Technique by Jaques Pepin is also invaluble...is "Complete Technique" as mentioned previously a re-title?

That's what I was told so when i went on a cookbook purchasing binge, so I bought it, but i've looked at it maybe twice in two years. I guess it depends on what else i on your shelf. I have a lot, with very good books on Italian and french cooking and a complete book on sauces, so i never had much desire to look at it. I think it's a good book for the housewife (or I suppose, anyone else) that's not that in to cooking. It provides lots of different things to try with decent advice, but it isn't exactly inspirational. I don't think it's a book for someone that is serious about cooking in the way that Manton or Iammat are, for example. To contrast, Keller's books get me excited about cooking whereas reading the JoC is like reading a dictionary.

As for the second part, I looked at both books, but it was a while ago. I believe that Complete Technique is just the sum of La technique and another book in pretty much unaltered form. I obviously went with LVP for my technique book. The Pepin book may do its job, but the big color pictures in LVP are really nice to have.

fritzl · Oct 19, 2008

Originally Posted by HitMan009

I want to get one for each of the major cuisines in the world.

Ewald Plachutta: The best of Viennese Cuisine

JohnRov · Oct 19, 2008

Originally Posted by MrDaniels

JoC is an excellant reference and resource and in my opinion no cookbook collection is complete without it.

La Technique by Jaques Pepin is also invaluble...is "Complete Technique" as mentioned previously a re-title?

Yes, it is La Technique and La Methode in one volume.

Spatlese · Oct 19, 2008

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

"La Varenne" has 2,500 step-by-step photos, and they're in color, unlike Pepin's "Complete Techniques." I have both, but if I were to lose them, I'd replace only one. "La Varenne" is worth the full retail price, and I don't say that about many things.

This book has been on my mind forever, but I just kept forgetting. This thread was a good reminder.

Cook book on technique

Senior Member

Stylish Dinosaur

Distinguished Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Distinguished Member

Well-Known Member

Stylish Dinosaur

Distinguished Member

Stylish Dinosaur

Distinguished Member

Stylish Dinosaur

Stylish Dinosaur

Well-Known Member

Distinguished Member

FEATURED PRODUCTS

Similar threads

Featured Sponsor

Plain hem

Cuffed (1.5 inches or less)

Cuffed (more than 1.5 inches)

No preference, as long as the proportions work

Forum Sponsors

Forum statistics

FOLLOW STYLEFORUM ON: