Prosper Montagne, Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Cookery Encyclopedia Reviews

babrahams's review has yet to be rated - Be the first!
Report this review

Good Points: A must for all serious cooks.

Bad Points: It is very expensive, and somewhat complicated in places.

General comments: Larouse Gastronomique is a must for any serious cook's collection! You can't be called a serious cook until you have this.

What can I say about it? If it is not in this book, it simply does not exist! A real classic! From every kind of fish to any imaginable dish you may have come across on your travels - they are all in there.

Half of it is an encyclopedia, which tells you the origin of an item, how it is best cooked, where it is raised, grown, and caught etc. The second part is for the recipes of all the items listed.

I do find many of the recipes include ingredients which are incredibly difficult to find, even in today's modern convenience society, but if there is something special you wish to cook that is out of the norm, then this is the book for you.

It is very expensive - prices ranging, I've seen from £70 - £35 depending on where you purchase it.

I feel it is more of a reference book to help learn about particular foods, but if you want to cook something really authentic such as a bouillabaisse, then there is really nowhere else to look (unless you are lucky enough to own an Elizabeth David book, which also lists all these delicious Mediterranean delicacies).

Definitely worth having, if you can justify the expense.

bubblemachine's review has yet to be rated - Be the first!
Report this review

Prosper Montagne Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Cookery Encyclopaedia is more for the enthusiastic cook rather than the beginner. This well-illustrated cooking encyclopaedia contains many illustrations, charts and maps and details almost every style of cooking that has ever existed. It also contains information on how nutrition has developed to what it is today and which kitchen appliances will work best for different recipes. A big and beautiful book. Recommended