Cooking [Hardcover]

Peterson's masterful survey of kitchen skills is a refreshing dose of tradition for anyone weary of quick-and-simple recipe books. The substantial volume is replete with step-by-step color photos, often 10 to 15 per recipe or process, that show the stages of a steak's doneness or how to make napoleons. The immense store of recipes to learn by is arranged partly by course and partly by main ingredient, with each section proceeding through many of his 10 basic techniques. Peterson is careful to include a range of dishes for every skill level, and cooks with any amount of experience will appreciate the numerous boxes that highlight preparation tips and tricks. Dominated by recipes like Fish Meunière and Boeuf à la Bourguignonne and with a prodigious chapter on sauces, the book feels like an old-fashioned French culinary education slightly updated with some nominally international dishes (Lamb Korma, Chiles Rellenos with Tomatillo Sauce), an attribute that may turn off some modern-minded cooks, but will reward those keen to absorb Peterson's deep knowledge of food and well-honed explanations for how best to prepare it. Color photos not seen by PW. (Oct.)
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James Beard Foundation Cookbook Awards General Category Winner!

"It's heavy enough-and good enough-to warrant a permanent place within easy reach...The text is clear and easy to read. Peterson's ancillary material at the end of some recipes earns special merit as the most varied and interesting factoids in any books we've seen this year."-Washington Post

"Peterson'­s masterful survey of kitchen skills is a refreshing dose of tradition for anyone weary of quick-and-simple recipe books. . . . [Cooking] will reward those keen to absorb Peterson'­s deep knowledge of food and well-honed explanations for how best to prepare it."-Publishers Weekly

"Easier to use than other cooking-school-in-a-book volumes . . . The step-by-step photographs are superb."
-Boston Globe

"Some cookbooks help you get dinner on the table tonight. Others help you become a better cook for the rest of your life-every recipe teaches you something funadmental. James Peterson's 560-page Cooking is a great choice for anyone who wants to become a smarter cook."-O, the Oprah Magazine 

"This 558-page book contains virtually all the culinary knowledge that the average person needs to know."
-New York Newsday

ABC News Web Video: How To Make James Peterson's Perfect Roast Chicken, from Cooking 

"Easier to use than other cooking-school-in-a-book volumes . . . The step-by-step photographs are superb."-Boston Globe
"This 558-page book contains virtually all the culinary knowledge that the average person needs to know."-New York Newsday

"Peterson aims to cram an entire culinary education between these hefty covers, and he comes close."-Charlotte Observer
"Huge and encyclopedic . . . it would be a fine gift for any good cook who wants to become even better."-Epicurious.com
"Peterson distills a lifetime of thinking about food in Cooking. The book's instructions include invaluable frame-by-frame photographs."-New York Times Book Review
"Know someone who'­s beyond cooking basics and wants to learn more? Give him or her this tome and let your chef wannabe learn the same way Peterson did: by cooking through this incredible book."-Chicago Tribune
"His template for a European peasant-style soup was a wonder."-Los Angeles Times
"An extraordinarily comprehensive book . . . best for the cook-to-be who really wants to get down to business."-San Jose Mercury News

"Sure to inspire beginner and skilled cook alike."-Seattle Times

"This marvelous author has another winner . . . this cookbook answers virtually every kitchen question."-St. Louis Post Dispatch

"Lush photos and sophisticated recipes."-Denver Post"Cooking is Peterson'­s return to the most basic techniques, written from the perspective of teacher to student . . . colorful, step-by-step, photos accompany many of the recipes."-San Francisco Chronicle

"For those who want a thorough knowledge of cooking fundamentals."-ivillage.com
"Instructive and authoritative . . . [Peterson'­s] unwavering focus on what a student really needs to know has produced a superior textbook."-Booklist

"Whether you'­re a seasoned chef or just starting out, James Peterson'­s Cooking will teach you more than a trick or two."-Parade
"An intensive course for home cooks in the classic techniques that underlie good cooking, this is recommended for all cookery collections."-Library Journal, Starred Review
"Soup whisperer James Peterson tells cooks how to simmer up greatness"-Pittsburg Post Gazette

"...very informative (and fun to read)"-Orange County Register

"The best new cookbook of the year"-Ashbury Park Press