"Here is yet another cookbook that can stand among the best reference works. I suspect it's a harbinger of kindred books to come as publishers begi...
read full description
reviews
Jun 08, 2009
Brian
rated it: 
The first and thus far only cookbook I have read cover to cover, like a book. Peterson gets into the evolution of sauces, from the original ingredients and methods, to the sometimes surprising influences behind them, and the modern interpretations. There's so much amazing detail, about how cookware affects saucemaking, about the contributions and limitations of a huge number of ingredients... I could go on for 10,000 words on this one but I will stop. If you enjoy cooking and have any amount
More...
Aug 29, 2007
Dianne
rated it: 
Another book that will scare off the average cook. I have made bearnaise from this cookbook, following every detailed step he urges upon the cook, and heeding the warning that if the sauce is not made just so, it will turn into a heavy lumpy curdled nasty mess. I have also made bearnaise from The Joy of Cooking, which doesn't insist on exactitude and split second timing.
Both sauces were just fine, excellent with my asparagus, but one of them nearly sent me to the hospital with a n More...
Both sauces were just fine, excellent with my asparagus, but one of them nearly sent me to the hospital with a n More...
Sep 17, 2010
Gobnait
rated it:
This cookbook isn't just for gourmet chefs or even serious cooks. This book is for everyone, because it contains everything from complicated sauces to a simple mayonnaise.
The chapters include:
A Short History of Sauce Making
Equipment
Ingredients
Stocks, Glaces, and Essences
Liaisons: An Overview
White Sauces for Meat and Vegetables
Brown Sauces
Stock Based and Nonintegral Fish Sauces
More...
The chapters include:
A Short History of Sauce Making
Equipment
Ingredients
Stocks, Glaces, and Essences
Liaisons: An Overview
White Sauces for Meat and Vegetables
Brown Sauces
Stock Based and Nonintegral Fish Sauces
More...
Jul 04, 2011
Whoa, nelly. A formidable reference book for the professional, the ambitious amateur, and the historian. Read it for fun: dig the annotated recipes for dinners of ancient Rome or 18th-century France, sauces and all.
As a beginning-to-intermediate home cook, this is hardly Very Necessary; Mark Bittman's quick sauces, scattered throughout How to Cook Everything, are just fine. But this book is a master of taste.
As a beginning-to-intermediate home cook, this is hardly Very Necessary; Mark Bittman's quick sauces, scattered throughout How to Cook Everything, are just fine. But this book is a master of taste.
Jul 29, 2011
Catherine
rated it: 
just too much detail not enough sauces--probably if I were more professional in my approach to cooking I would think it was awesome, but when I got it, I was overwhelmed by the detail...and no pictures :-(
Jan 19, 2009
Jon
rated it:
I wish I had the time and skill to make everything in this book - much better than the second edition - this book is simply the way to make sauces and make your dining companions happy and satiated.
Feb 04, 2011
Paul
rated it: 
So far I have only read up on the Bechamel and Reduced Cream sauces, but the layout and information conveyed by the author fits my needs. I'm currently using it to tweak a Clam Chowder recipe.
Jun 04, 2009
This seems like a good reference book for sauces. Can anyone suggest others that they think are just as good if not better?
Nov 04, 2007
Matt
rated it:
As with almost all of Peterson's books, this one is a great reference. Unless you're bending your will to dominating as a saucier, you probably won't read it cover to cover, but it's wonderful as a reference for everyday sauce making. It's got it all, from hollandaise to updated asian sauces and everything in between.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 09, 2008
Allen
rated it:
This book, quite simply, changed the way I cook. Absolutely VITAL for any serious cook. James Peterson is responsible for all the bizarre experiments I first subjected my longsuffering friends to years ago, and remains a near-daily source of reference. Flawless.
Aug 22, 2008
Michael
rated it:
I'm just starting to delve into this wonderful Christmas gift. I find all of his books to be thorough, concise and easy to follow. Added bonuses include historical background and references. No mole recipe !!
Aug 18, 2007
Frank
rated it:
Teaches you to make almost any sauce you could think of. The author was a chemist, and therefore gives you the science of why sauces work the way they do
Jun 27, 2011
Mckinley
rated it:
This book has what you want to know about sauces - history as well as recipes. Very comprehensive. And very thick - it's heavy.
Jul 27, 2007
An essential read for all aspiring chefs. Very accessible and readable. Do yourself a favor!
Feb 12, 2012
Feb 08, 2012
Feb 07, 2012
Feb 05, 2012
Feb 04, 2012
Feb 04, 2012
Feb 04, 2012
