Food & Libations

Cookbook Review: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

• Posted By: Anna & Kristina

Julia Child was essentially America’s first celebrity chef. She emphasized technique and made cooking a passion for thousands of North Americans. We dive into the world of French cooking and take our best shot at re-creating some of Julia’s classics.

Anna says:
This book really is more like a textbook than a regular cookbook. I’ve tested a dozen or more recipes and it’s definitely not easy. One thing I don’t like about this book is that recipes are constantly referring back to steps in other recipes.

That said, I really enjoyed cooking from this book. The lessons about the basics of French cooking were very helpful. I learned a lot.

I would say that for anybody who is interested in becoming a better cook, and who already has some experience in the kitchen, this is an essential addition to your cookbook library. I give this book the A&K Stamp of Approval.

Kristina says:
Initially, I found it hard to get through this book. It felt like I was reading another language. I’m not much of a home chef, at least I wasn’t until we started to shoot this show, and this was the first time I’ve actually sat down and read an entire cookbook.

I used this cookbook for a big family gathering, which turned into a bit of a disaster! It’s definitely an advanced cookbook. While some recipes are simpler, others are quite complicated. That said, there are some very good recipes and I enjoyed cooking some of the easier dishes. I also liked some of the lessons on the basics of French cooking.

I think maybe one day I will graduate to Julia Child, but it's going to take a while. If you’re more than just a novice like me, you will probably really enjoy this cookbook for it delivers so much information about cooking French cuisine. Even though it was a bit beyond me, I think the book deserves the A&K Stamp of Approval.

Does this cookbook earn the A&K Stamp of Approval?
Yes. We both agree that this book delivers on its promises. Mastering the Art of French Cooking gets the A&K Stamp of Approval. We recommend it for more advanced chefs. It’s definitely not for beginners.

Recipes we made on this show: Pâté de Canard en Croûte Onion Soup Green Beans Scallop Potatoes Chocolate Soufflé

Other items we tested in this episode:

• Onion Slicers
• Duck 

Our guest chef judge was Alain Rayé, chef and owner of La Régalade, an award-winning French bistro in Vancouver. Chef Rayé brought Domaine Luche de Cessanne 2005 Vin de Pays d’ OC Grenache/Merlot, a red wine that goes well with duck.

 Flowers for this episode provided by
Special Moments Flowers & Gift.

 

More Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag Cookbook Reviews

• Season 1
• Season 2
  

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