This is the classic cookbook, in its entirety—all 524 recipes.
“Anyone can cook in the French manner anywhere,” wrote Mesd... read full description
“Anyone can cook in the French manner anywhere,” wrote Mesd... read full description
reviews
Jan 30, 2012
Dottie
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I’ve had Volume One of Mastering the Art of French Cooking on the shelf for forty years and although I’ve not utilized in quite the way Julie what’s-her-name did by cooking all the recipes and writing a book about it, I have cooked a bit from it but more importantly, I’ve LEARNED so much from it. Julia Child and cohorts were great instructors in processes and whys and wherefores. So I finally got Volume Two just to have them side-by-side on my shelf – haven’t dipped into that one yet but I w
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Mar 09, 2011
Amanda
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My husband bought me this book for Valentine's Day because we had recently watched "Julie and Julia" and I had mentioned how I couldn't believe that after all these years of cooking, I hadn't yet acquired this book.
It's popularity since the movie might seem a little cliche, but really, this is the most thorough, easy-to-understand, and excellent cookbook I have ever owned. The only comparable book is "Good Housekeeping's Illustrated Cookbook," which I also own and use More...
It's popularity since the movie might seem a little cliche, but really, this is the most thorough, easy-to-understand, and excellent cookbook I have ever owned. The only comparable book is "Good Housekeeping's Illustrated Cookbook," which I also own and use More...
Mar 13, 2011
Ryan
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It seemed reasonable to "read" the cook books created by Julia Child after reading about her - I checked out (from the library to avoid any commitment inherent in purchasing a cookbook) volume 1, volume 2 and From Julia Child, but read most in volume 1. Her cook books are different from Joy and my others - its a lot like being in the kitchen with her, having her adjust your hand on the knife or point over your shoulder to say "yes, that is the color it should be". My thought
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Mar 09, 2010
Freda
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How can you judge a book like this one, one who is so critically acclaimed?! You really don't. You just judge what your personal experience was.
My experience was easier than I thought. I woke this morning with the idea, a soup recipe would take hours, because it's French and Julia Child's, but it didn't. We were eating at 4:30 pm. That is an early supper, but it was a good one.
Honestly as I was making the soup, I actually wondered if I would like it when it finished. I was becoming t More...
My experience was easier than I thought. I woke this morning with the idea, a soup recipe would take hours, because it's French and Julia Child's, but it didn't. We were eating at 4:30 pm. That is an early supper, but it was a good one.
Honestly as I was making the soup, I actually wondered if I would like it when it finished. I was becoming t More...
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Nov 15, 2011
Matriarchy
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Mine is the 1971 printing inscribed to my mother from Helen, her mother-in-law (my paternal grandfather's third and final wife, whom we disliked). Helen was a pretentious cook who liked to show off - she thought of herself as a cultured Southern belle living a romantic drama - she had her bad poetry published by a vanity press. My mother was a modest homestyle cook from PA Dutch farm roots, who enjoyed baking birthday cakes. Helen gave this book to my mother to belittle her cooking skills. I
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Sep 14, 2010
MaryBeth
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I have had this cookbook on my to try list for some time, but always seemed a bit intimidated by it. However, I read my Life in France by the author, and realized it was a how to book (though some recipes are more complicated than others). Anyway, this book is a true classic, a first in its field. The first recipe I tried was her roast chicken. I've made many a roast chicken in my time, but this was delicious. Next up is one of her soups (maybe the garlic one she mentioned in the book). I l
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Jan 24, 2009
Yes this classic cookbook seems formidable. But, really, it is anything but. Julia Child's way of walking the cook through her recipes guarantees no missed steps. The ingredients you need for each step are clearly laid out, along with the time each step takes, the equipment needed, and any variations that may work. This is more than a cookbook; it is an entire cooking class, just as Julia Child intended. Even now, forty years later, the recipes are just as current as ever, especially since Julia
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Jan 03, 2010
Sweetman
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A must-have for all who have their "own" kitchen. It's a monument, the sign of someone who knows how important it is to be able to present a beautifully roasted chicken, a perfect white sauce or asparagus done to the "nth" degree of tenderness.
Keep in mind I said someone who knows how important it is to cook this way. The actual execution of nearly ALL of my beloved Ms. Child's recipes require a professional kitchen, an arsenal of specific and expensive cooking tools an More...
Keep in mind I said someone who knows how important it is to cook this way. The actual execution of nearly ALL of my beloved Ms. Child's recipes require a professional kitchen, an arsenal of specific and expensive cooking tools an More...
Oct 24, 2010
Christina
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This book has so many good recipes and many of them are basics. Julia made learning the basics, like making a white sauce or risotto, very easy to follow. Plus, she provided techniques in using different methods for cooking these recipes. I found out that I've been holding the knife wrong all my life. The only thing that turned me off was the recipes that had tongue as the main ingredient. Some recipes are generational and I would never consider them. Also, when making the recipes, be mindful of
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Apr 11, 2010
Angela
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My friend got this book for me for my birthday and I was ecstatic! Like others, I too was inspired by the movie Julie&Julia. I would have loved to be friends with Julia Child, and reading this cookbook is almost like having a conversation with the woman herself. She describes each dish and cooking technique with precision and detail. I've attempted a few of the recipes, but others are quite challenging. There are some black and white sketches in here for the visual learner in us, but I woul
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Jun 14, 2011
Laurel
rated it:
I love to cook, but this book might be the death of me. It's worth reading because Julia Child is a master of efficiency. She's not a purist, and I love that. There's a lot to learn from her. For example, I've wondered why American croissants are nothing like French croissants. No comparison. Child explains that French butter is not a new, sweet cream, but a nutty, aged cream, and that French flour is not the same, either. Because EVERYTHING (no exaggeration) in French cooking begins wit
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Sep 14, 2009
Kelly
rated it:
Checklist for Impressing New In-Laws:
1. Plenty of face smoothing make-up (that is, if they are the "look don't touch" types)
2. Wear your best (depending on if your father-in-law-to-be is a pervert or not, wear something slimming and fantastic)
3. NO: hemming, hawing, donkey calling. Laugh cutesy.
4. Whatever you do, don't forget the garlic bread...AND..
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. There never was a better dead person to confer to abo More...
1. Plenty of face smoothing make-up (that is, if they are the "look don't touch" types)
2. Wear your best (depending on if your father-in-law-to-be is a pervert or not, wear something slimming and fantastic)
3. NO: hemming, hawing, donkey calling. Laugh cutesy.
4. Whatever you do, don't forget the garlic bread...AND..
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. There never was a better dead person to confer to abo More...
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Feb 15, 2009
Linda
rated it:
My first Julia Child cookbook - it has a "Bon Appetit! Love Aunt Aldean 1973" inscription on the front page. Lots of opportunities to reminisce and laugh with this cookbook. I'm sure my husband wondered what he had gotten himself into with my (ad)ventures into the world of French cuisine, but he stuck by me anyway. The cover is extremely tattered, the pages are falling out - a sure sign that it's a treasure. Alright, I just finished flipping 50+ crepes for tomorrow's 7th and 8th g
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Mar 02, 2010
I been dieing to buy this book . I saw the movie and loved it . I even draged my husband to see the movie and we laugh, cry, didnt imagine how great this movie was and the star did a wonderful job with her caracter . Julia was a great strong women especialy the support of her HusBand . Just to think that she never had any children to share her
life that made me cry . Julia always wanted to have children And i know she would have been a perfect mom . I can't wait to star cooking . In More...
life that made me cry . Julia always wanted to have children And i know she would have been a perfect mom . I can't wait to star cooking . In More...
Feb 01, 2010
Jeremy
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I have made the boeuf bourguignon 3x, and it was superb every time. (The wine matters.) Other recipes demonstrate an excellent way with words, and around the kitchen. It isn't the all-purpose cookbook that its current mainstream popularity (that damned movie!) would have you think it is. The majority of its recipes and many of its ingredients are somewhat outside the bounds of what you would be likely to cook in the kitchen, even if you were, say, blogging about it every day. But I'm in no posit
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Mar 14, 2011
Simon
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The Oeufs en Cocotte section of the book intrigued me so much that I decided to make them myself.
Since my mother loved the movie so much, she decided that she absolutely had to have "Mtaofc" herself.
After the movie's success, many other people apparently had the same idea, and for the longest time, Sold Out signs sat on the place where the cookbooks should be.
Finally, after watching "How To Train Your Dragon" for the second time, we went to the Indigo acro More...
Since my mother loved the movie so much, she decided that she absolutely had to have "Mtaofc" herself.
After the movie's success, many other people apparently had the same idea, and for the longest time, Sold Out signs sat on the place where the cookbooks should be.
Finally, after watching "How To Train Your Dragon" for the second time, we went to the Indigo acro More...
Feb 05, 2008
Samantha
rated it:
OK, so coming to America I had heard of Julia Child but other than a vague familiarity I didn't think about her much. Food I think about all the time and it was whilst reading a comment by Anthony Bourdain that when in doubt he turns to Mrs Child that I though for the first time, she sounds interesting. One doesn't think of Julia Child and Anthony Bourdain together. Then about 2 years ago now there was a discussion on a foodie site about making croissants and I became filled with the desire to c
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Nov 27, 2010
Janis
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Say what you will - out-dated, dense, whatever criticism you can offer - Mastering the Art... Vol. 1 & 2 are still the seminal books on the art of French cooking a la haute cuisine. I worked my way through Volume 1 years ago, when I thought my ex-husband (being Portuguese and having lived in France many years) would appreciate it. I stopped doing it for him when he poured Tabasco all over my Beef Bourguignon without tasting it first, but I continued cooking "Julia" for myself.
Jun 10, 2009
Megan
rated it:
I learned it is impossible to read a Julia Child book without hearing her voice in your head.
Actually, I was thinking of cooking every recipe in this book over the course of a year and blog about it, then get a book deal. Then I could get Nora Ephron to write the screenplay for a movie about my book and get Amy Adams and Meryl Streep to star in it. Apparently that has been done. So I will cook every recipe in Nora Ephron's book "Heartburn" and blog about that instead. Take that!
Actually, I was thinking of cooking every recipe in this book over the course of a year and blog about it, then get a book deal. Then I could get Nora Ephron to write the screenplay for a movie about my book and get Amy Adams and Meryl Streep to star in it. Apparently that has been done. So I will cook every recipe in Nora Ephron's book "Heartburn" and blog about that instead. Take that!
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Mar 21, 2010
Jenny
rated it:
I have spent a lot of time reading about Julia Child and her work. I am convinced that she is a great cook, a pioneer in her industry and I am sure the recipes in here are every bit as definitive as she was, but I can't get past the fact that not much of it sounds appetizing to me. And, I don't consume alcohol or use it in my cooking, so I would have to make substitutions in many places. I have pulled out some recipes to try. I like the clear, concise directions. I will update this review afte
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Mar 31, 2009
Monica
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This is the cookbook that taught me to cook. It is a classic, and it deserves its status as such. Using this book as your guide, you will learn basic concepts that let you cook and bake wonderful food confidently. Even better, once you have a firm foundation and knowledge of ingredients and techniques, you can use your creativity to invent new recipes with flavor and class. This is a cookbook I'd give to anyone who really wants to learn to cook.
Dec 22, 2011
Jean
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I got the first volume of this book (now only 1 volume in this edition)about 30 years ago. My old book was so besplattered I got myself a new one. The excuse was to get my hands on the superb recipe for Orange Bavarian Cream. Don't get scared off by the fact that often it takes more than a page for a recipe. It's carefully written. Everthing--and I do mean everything--is delicious. I haven't read every single page, but most.
Jan 11, 2010
Hasanuddin
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Memasak adalah seni, penikmatnya adalah pengagum seni memasak. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, adalah buku seni memasak masakan Prancis yang dibuat hingga tujuh jilid. Bayangkan saja, Julia Child mengkhususkan masakan pasta untuk satu jilid, aneka olahan bebek satu jilid, ayam dll. Intinya, tiap jilid buku dikelompokkan sesuai jenis dan cara mengolah. Wow, isinya tentang makaaaaaaaaan... :)
Jan 26, 2010
Sara
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Not surprisingly, this cookbook is an absolute delight. I jumped on the Julia/Julia bandwagon and bought the book after reading through Julie Powell's memoir, and I'm glad that I did it. Given the fact I like to read cookbooks just as much as I like to actually use them, I appreciated Julia Child's (sometimes lengthy) introductions to her recipes.
Having said that:
I've had to tweak some of the recipes, mainly cutting the amount of salt used in a given recipe and increasing the More...
Having said that:
I've had to tweak some of the recipes, mainly cutting the amount of salt used in a given recipe and increasing the More...
Dec 18, 2008
Emily
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This edition was published in 1963! It's my friend Roxanne's. She didn't have many cook books on her shelf, but this was one. I learned that it is best to boil brussel sprouts in a big salted pot of water, for about 6 minutes. Drain them carefully, cooling them on a dish towel. Then you are ready to do some last minute sauteing with them, with the flavorings of your choice.
May 06, 2010
Aloha
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I don't want to disparage the grand dame of cooking, but I hated all the recipes I've tried from her vol1 & 2 books. Maybe because I'm used to the nouveau fusion cuisine of today, but all of the recipes are too heavy handed for my taste. I enjoyed her recent books better. I'm glad Julie Powell found success with Julia's cookbooks, I certainly didn't.
Aug 01, 2011
Christopher
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So Its Julia Child, a big name in cookery in the States but not so much here in Ireland where she was relatively unknown untill the film Julie and Julia. I didnt read the full book but most of what I read was very detailed and written in a way that there is no way you should make a mistake because she covers all eventualities and what to do if you do go wrong. I tried some of the recipies but found alot of them to be quite retro and also some of the same recipes can be found in simpler forms in
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May 26, 2009
Nancy
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I received this book as a birthday gift and stayed up late and read the whole thing. Many wonderful looking recipes. My rating might go up to 4 or even 5 stars once I start cooking from it and find it as easy as she alleges it should be. But in reviewing the recipes, they look sort of involved. I am a tad bit intimidated already!
Apr 05, 2010
I can certainly see how this is a classic reference, but based on the amount of time and richness of ingredients, the art of French cooking does not appear to be terribly suited to my graduate student lifestyle in general and Berkeley-hippie diet in particular.
Disclaimer: I didn't actually make any of the recipes.
Disclaimer: I didn't actually make any of the recipes.
Feb 11, 2010
Melissa
rated it:
No, I did not read this 'cover to cover.' I borrowed it from the library after reading & watching Julie and Julia. I really enjoyed this book. I will probably try to own it someday, although I think I will start with the second volume because it has more baking things which I like. But it was very interesting.
