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BASIC FRENCH COOKING
No one has more logically or appealingly cracked the code to French cookery than Len Deighton. Now in this redesigned and updated new edition, his culinary classic Basic French Cookery Course is looking better than ever.
Through the minefields of menus and cartes des vins he steers a reassuring course, outlining: a lexique of French/English culinary terms plus a guide to the French menu and wine list; a comprehensive and easy to follow chart of sauces; cheese, charcuterie, French butchery and ways with the vegetable; and the celebrated Deighton cookstrips that ingeniously reveal techniques and vital food facts at a glance.
The essential guide for 1992, Basic French Cookery Course solves the mysteries of French cuisine ... while retaining its mystique.
Revised from Où est le garlic? (1965) and Basic French Cooking (1979).
Through the minefields of menus and cartes des vins he steers a reassuring course, outlining: a lexique of French/English culinary terms plus a guide to the French menu and wine list; a comprehensive and easy to follow chart of sauces; cheese, charcuterie, French butchery and ways with the vegetable; and the celebrated Deighton cookstrips that ingeniously reveal techniques and vital food facts at a glance.
The essential guide for 1992, Basic French Cookery Course solves the mysteries of French cuisine ... while retaining its mystique.
Revised from Où est le garlic? (1965) and Basic French Cooking (1979).
- GenresNonfiction
215 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 1987
27 people want to read
About the author
Len Deighton
239 books909 followersDeighton was born in Marylebone, London, in 1929. His father was a chauffeur and mechanic, and his mother was a part-time cook. After leaving school, Deighton worked as a railway clerk before performing his National Service, which he spent as a photographer for the Royal Air Force's Special Investigation Branch. After discharge from the RAF, he studied at St Martin's School of Art in London in 1949, and in 1952 won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1955.
Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.
Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.
He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.
Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.
Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.
Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.
He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.
Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 4, 2015
An absolute essential on any good cooks bookshelf. Len Deighton's very informative 'cookstrips' create a visual memory to aid the learning of basic French cuisine (techniques and terms). The 'family trees' of sauces are a hugely helpful navigational aid as well as aide-memoire. This is really good for getting a fast and accurate grounding in the fundamental concepts and techniques of French cookery.
The knowledge that this book effortlessly imparts will ALSO enable any cook to subsequently confidently assess whether or not a receipe from a third party is likely (or not) to succeed. Too many cookbooks are badly written. If a cook is unable to identify the good from the bad, then considerable risks are taken in any or all of: time, the cook's temper, the cost of ingredients, and the cook's reputation.
The first half of the book is a primer of key facts in French cookery, the second half gives the visual diagrammatic cartoon strip ‘how it’s done’, i.e. a form that’s quick for the brain to grasp and assimilate, before reading the text underneath.
Units of weight are given in pounds and ounces, but annoyingly for British readers today, temperature is stated in Fahrenheit (does anyone in the UK today have an oven marked in °F?) The other irritation is that this book would have been better spiral bound so that it lay flat on opening. However, a book-holder which holds the pages open).
Even if the reader isn't remotely interested in rolling up their sleeves and cooking for themselves; this book is a valuable read for anyone who enjoys eating French cooking. Definitely very well worth reading and using before opening any French cookbook of recipes.
The knowledge that this book effortlessly imparts will ALSO enable any cook to subsequently confidently assess whether or not a receipe from a third party is likely (or not) to succeed. Too many cookbooks are badly written. If a cook is unable to identify the good from the bad, then considerable risks are taken in any or all of: time, the cook's temper, the cost of ingredients, and the cook's reputation.
The first half of the book is a primer of key facts in French cookery, the second half gives the visual diagrammatic cartoon strip ‘how it’s done’, i.e. a form that’s quick for the brain to grasp and assimilate, before reading the text underneath.
Units of weight are given in pounds and ounces, but annoyingly for British readers today, temperature is stated in Fahrenheit (does anyone in the UK today have an oven marked in °F?) The other irritation is that this book would have been better spiral bound so that it lay flat on opening. However, a book-holder which holds the pages open).
Even if the reader isn't remotely interested in rolling up their sleeves and cooking for themselves; this book is a valuable read for anyone who enjoys eating French cooking. Definitely very well worth reading and using before opening any French cookbook of recipes.
August 14, 2012
An expansion on his cookstrips from his earlier book. The best way I know in how to get a grounding in the subject.
December 24, 2014
A classic from before the age of coffee table cookbooks. This little volume is all about the practical with great illustrations. A must for any culinary bookshelf
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews