Maria Guarnaschelli (1941–2021)

This cookbook is considered “authoritative” for good reason. It is a comprehensive compendium not only of recipes, but of all sorts of basic kitchen skills. For example, in the chapter “Shellfish,” you learn about shellfish safety, different varieties of shellfish, how to prepare it - from how to peel shrimp to how to kill a lobster to how to clean crabs, and so on. The chapter “Meat” goes through all the basic cuts, and all the various methods for cooking and storing it before getting into the recipes themselves. “Candy” teaches you about melting, tempering, and molding chocolate, all about fondant, and the difference between praline, almond paste, and marzipan. All of this background and instructions are accompanied by drawn illustrations. A large appendix provides a thorough selection of charts on measurements, conversions, substitutions, and nutritional data.

The recipes are good, but "standard fare." There is certainly value in having access to them. But the real value of the book is in the extensive supplemental matter.… (plus d'informations)