Roll over image to zoom in
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol.1
£17.90£23.80 (-25%)
“This isn’t just any cookery book. It is “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”, first published in 1961, and it’s a book that is a statement, not of culinary intent, but of aspiration, a commitment to a certain sort of good life, a certain sort of world-view; a votive object implying taste and appetite and a little je ne sais quoi. Julia Child was like Amelia Earhart, or Eleanor Roosevelt: she was a hero who’d gone out there and made a difference. Her books are a triumph, and also a trophy.” (AA Gill, “The Times”). This is the classic guide to French cooking, with over 1,000 clear, authentic and delicious recipes for everything from Boeuf Bourguignon to the perfect omelette. Bon appetit!
Note: It is a reissue of the book containing imperial measurements
Read more
Additional information
| Publisher | Penguin (3 Mar. 2011) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 784 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0241953391 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0241953396 |
| Dimensions | 16.2 x 4.9 x 24 cm |
by Mel
Like other reviewers, I bought this book after watching “Julie and Julia”. I listened to other reviewers and paid more to buy the hardback version. I cannot comment on the paperback version or compare the two, but I am very pleased with the content, explanations, descriptions and diagrams in the hardcover book.
When the book arrived I picked it up to flick through it (as you do when a new book arrives), but I became engrossed reading the book and ended up sepnding 5 hours reading it! And in that time (and since that time too) I have learnt so much about food and cooking. This book is an excellent book and can teach you a lot about cooking – especially the basics of cooking.
The only slightly negative feature of this book is that a lot of the recipes and techniques require you to flick between pages and recipes, which can become slightly confusing while you are trying to follow a recipe. To overcome this you should read the recipe(s) and techniques throughly in advance of cooking the dish. That said though, I have still become confused and ended up cooking it ‘my way’ despite reading the recipe(s) before cooking them.
I really like this book and I am pleased that I have bought it – it has become my little kitchen bible!
by Derbo77
Most rubbish cook book I love Julia Childs but book is rubbish
by Veverita
I bought the paperback edition of this book a few months ago, after having watched the film (of course!). And I must say I didn’t expect it to be this good: I didn’t really believe I could cook anything French. I still don’t know if I can (as I haven’t been to France), but what I do cook from Child’s recipes tastes really good. I love the way the ingredients are listed (in the order they are to be used), I love the information on preparing certain parts of the dish in advance, the giving of reasons why one should or shouldn’t do this and that, the exhaustive explanations on each step of the recipe, and I love the witty comments on various things, which make the book an enjoyable reading instead of a mere cookbook. Therefore, Nigella Lawson’s books (which for me are the total opposite of this book – no explanations and no satisfactory results) are gathering dust on my shelves, and this one has been in constant use lately. I’m neither English nor American, so I’m not used to Fahrenheit degrees, pints, pounds, ounces and so on, but there are tables for conversion in the book itself, and the internet will provide whatever was left out of the tables (not that I’ve found anything missing so far).
Print quality is not so good, letters are quite small, the text densely packed on the pages, the paper not so white, and the soft cover prone to water or sauce damage. The book is small and thick and doesn’t stay open by itself. But on the other hand, it wasn’t expensive, so for me all these physical details are not really an object of complaint. The book is written with a great sense of humour, the recipes detailed and easy to use, the dishes I’ve cooked are tasty, so for me there’s nothing more to ask for!
by M Cotton
I bought this as a replacement for my original 1972 copy which is literally falling to pieces from constant use. I’ve long been a devotee of both Elizabeth David and Julia Child (ok, I know it’s +Breck and Bertholle) and was very pleased to find this edition which is identical to the original.
I agree that it packs a lot into a small volume but the dimensions are actually a bit larger than before and unlike some other reviewers I don’t find the print too small. I’m just delighted to have it back in a form I can use easily
by Gjam
This cookbook is a super book if you want to learn some good old cooking. I have tried many of these recipes and everyone loves the food!
by Amazon Customer
Enjoyed this book; would have liked it more if the pages stayed put but sadly each time I turned a page, it came away from the spine!
It looks brand new too
by W F Heyes
I bought this book after watching the film ‘Julie and Julia’ and I’m not disappointed with the in depth methods described in each recipe. It’s rather quaint the way the ingredients are listed down the side of each page, along side the methods. In fact, it beats looking up and down the page as you follow a recipe for the first time, something which irritates me in the more conventional cookery books as I find it easy to get lost sometimes. As for the recipes themselves, they are truly inspirational and informative, even for experienced cooks like myself. There is something there for everyone to pick up on and learn. I love the sauces section – it’s too easy these days to ‘cheat’ with ready made products,but, this book has shown me how easy it is to do them for yourself all over again. When you think about it, how many dishes do you eat out at fancy restaurants that have these sauces at the heart of their recipes? Once I’ve been through this book I’ll definitely be buying volume two! And one more tip, I’ve invested in a good, quality cast iron casserole dish which cooked Julia’s roast chicken with divine flavours! A must for this sort of cuisine I feel – quality cast iron to bring out the flavours!
by JB
I was given this book for Christmas 1969 and I still own it and use it frequently – although more for just checking my memory over some detail. these days. Its pages have browned and cracked over the years but is still usable (just) I might well replace it at some point. A friend who was staying with me recently asked me to copy out 2 recipes for her. As my arthritic hands find typing accurately a real pain I decided to buy her a copy instead – the one I have just bought.
It is a real classic and gives clear and easy to follow instructions for many basic processes which are invaluable for the less experienced and which are the foundation for a lifetime of cooking. The only gripe I have with this particular edition is that the text is so tiny in this later edition than mine which I had not seen before. It does not fit too well with contemporary notions of healthy eating given the richness of the recipes but should be useful for so many classic recipes, the foundations of cooking with a desire for attention to detail and the goal of perfection, as well as occasional treats.