written by reviewkitten on 03/10/2012
I have been cooking since a child and have relied upon the knowledge I gained from my family, school and recipe books. Last Christmas I was given Larousse Gastronomique as a gift. It is a very heavy book with lots of information about techiques, food products and the history of dishes making it a great tool to consult when I am attempting something new like French pastry making. Like my other well loved source book (my battered old Dairy Diary from 1996) this has been a great help in understaning different cuts of meats as well as just being an interesting read. I doubt I will ever read everything as it is so vast but for people that wish to develope their skills it's worth getting hold of a copy.
written by babrahams on 06/03/2006
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.
written by bubblemachine on 16/02/2005
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
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