All About Roasting [Hardcover]

French trained chef Molly Stevens does an admirable job of taking the reader through all the detailed nuances of mastering the art of roasting. Whether it is a beef tenderloin, a lamb loin, a whole chicken, or potatoes, asparagus and brussels sprouts, how to expertly roast, garnish and complement it is covered in All About Roasting.
We especially like the section on "Quick Go-Withs for Roasted Foods", spotlighting recipes beyond roasted dishes also included in this heavy volume. We were surprised to discover that some fruits lend themselves very well to the roasting process, including grapes, cherries, pineapple and plums.
Chef Stevens nicely lays out basic traditional roasting techniques, then builds upon that by including options to bring a creative twist to a classic and popular cooking process. All About Roasting is definitely a worthy addition to every cook's reference and recipe library.

All About Roasting is an fabulous cookbook. I have a couple of books on roasting, but Molly Stevens has done such a wonderful job of taking me step by step through the process of roasting meat, poultry, fish, and even vegetables and fruits, that when I cook from this book I feel I have a teacher right in the kitchen with me, walking me through each step and ensuring I am serving the best from the oven to my family.

Before Christmas we bought a rib roast, it cost a lot and I was afraid to cook it. Because the family didn't want rib roast tartar I turned to All About roasting. The book took me step by step in preparing, trimming, seasoning, and finally roasting my rib roast, it was delicious and looked just like the picture in the book.

At first glance the recipes might seem intimidating, four pages long, but as I read the recipe I realized the initial recipe isn't that long, it's just she adds options on at the end, plus glazes or sauces or vinaigrette. So One recipe can change with a few easy extra steps. It's great to get the technique down with the main recipe, then get to experiment and play with the additions or changes.

I really like the layout of this book, the ingredients, step by step instructions that are numbered and easy to follow along, and pictures, beautiful pictures of finished food, of step by step instructions, of techniques. Some of the techniques she shows I've done for years, and still learned something from her instructional pictures.

While I wouldn't recommend this book for a vegetarian there is a wonderful section on roasting vegetables and fruits. Roasting Vegetables brings out flavors and textures that are new and exciting and makes a welcome addition to a proteincentric book.

Whether your book shelves are sagging from the weight of your many many cookbooks, or you're looking for your first cookbook to learn how to roast, or a gift for someone moving into their first home, this cookbook is one that will fit all purposes, from the most seasoned of cooks to the beginner, this is a great book.

*ETA, last night made the spice-crusted roast pork tenderloin on page 177. If you have this book, make this recipe! So delicious, so flavorful, so fast to put together, a perfect after work recipe. Yummy!

I thought I had the best book on roasts already in my collection, but I guess this will have to join the cookbook shelf and share the grandeur of roasts together. Molly Stevens includes recipes for; beef and lamb, pork, chicken and other poultry, fish and shellfish, vegetables and fruit.
One of the best things about this book is the amount of useful information it gives in the introduction. There is a chart for what goes with specific dishes, and page numbers, many worthwhile conversion charts. The introduction includes information about the history of roasting, the science behind it, how to roast and basic methods, the effects of basting, brining, salting, steps to make a pan sauce, carving, the equipment, and ovens, even shopping instructions.

There are not many photos of the finished recipes themselves, but there are very good photos of techniques and how to accomplish specific instructions along with the directions on how to prepare the recipes. There are suggestions for wine, serving amounts, roasting time and options are included.
Sources with web sites, telephone numbers (all in the U.S.) and an index is included.
So far we have tried and enjoyed whole roast duck with hoisin sauce(lazy person's Peking duck), and the roast goose, which is supposed to be for Christmas, but we could not wait and a very good recipe for British roast potatoes.

This indeed would be a good cookbook and gift for beginning cooks and even those a bit more experienced.