Larousse Gastronomique
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Book Reviews of Larousse Gastronomique
Book Review: Nice, but not what I'd hoped.
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is not what I thought it would be after reading the reviews here, and, had I looked at in a store, I probably wouldn't have bought it. Unfortunately, my local bookstore didn't have it, so I bought it blind.
This book is not, despite what the first review on this site claims, a book for those who are learning how to cook. This is a book for those who are interested in expanding their culinary knowledge. It is, no doubt, a stellar reference in that regard. If you like just learning about different kinds of food and regions, this book will provide you endless amounts of reading time. It is, without a doubt, an "interesting" book on my shelf, and I turn to it if I'm looking for ideas for a particular ingredient I'm not familiar with. Then, once I have an idea of what I can do with it, I turn to my other cookbooks and the internet for detailed recipes.
All that said, if you are trying to develop some basic cooking skills, this is not the book to shell out $$$ for. There are far better books and online resources to help with that.
Book Review: I would give it more stars if I could
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is an absolute "must" for anyone who is interested in culinary arts, food and wine related topics. I love cooking and have an extensive collection of cookery books, but this is a reference book "par excellence" and is fascinating. I read a little at a time and allow time for each subject to sink in and often have to cross reference. I still have many topics to go, it will probably take me all year to complete this book.
Often I have used this book as a dictionary to find out about a type of food and it has been the topic of many a conversation with friends.
This book is not a recipe book nor for the faint hearted and a sound knowledge of the French language is a definate advantage since so many culinary terms are in French and not translated (and often not even translatable), this book assumes that you already have the basic cullinary language before you start.
This is not a book that I would take a chance on buying as a gift for anyone unless they had specified an interest.
A wonderful book!
Book Review: This book is not for the Hamberger Helper types.......
Summary: 5 Stars
but if the amateur chef wants to be enlightened and take his or her skills to the next level one notch at a time, this is the book. There are techniques, recipes, definitions, in-depth instructions - just about anything the culinary enthusiast wants or needs to know, and it's all in alphabetical order. This book has been updated several times in the last 75 or so years so this is certainly not an evening's read - it is 1300 or so pages. The only thing I did not like about this book is that it was printed in China and the ink used in the printing is awful - it smells like a roof that is being tarred. I put the book outside to air out and it sure helped. For a book as sophisticated as this, I wish it would have been printed using a quality food-friendly ink.Book Review: The granddaddy of all culinary reference books!
Summary: 5 Stars
The grand-père of culinary references, this bills itself as "the world's greatest culinary encyclopedia," but the emphasis is still, oh! so French. The stiffness inherent in translation shows; among other things, Larousse uses the wonderfully awkward term "cookery correspondent" to mean a food writer. Try looking up common American edibles--the martini, say, or meatloaf--and you'll get nowhere. French toast is listed as a dessert, not a breakfast. If you can put up with occasional snootiness, though, you're in for a treat. This is good enough to be read, paged through, nibbled at like a fine cheese, as it's as much a history book as a reference. Absolutely fascinating stuff abounds here, and the photography is splendid.
Book Review: More bulk, less beauty than the 1988 edition
Summary: 4 Stars
I've owned the 1988 edition of this masterpiece for several years. As a combination go-to resource, inspiration, and backgrounder on all things culinary, it is unsurpassed. The typeface, layout, and abundance of perfectly placed color photographs and illustrations make it a warm volume, despite its weight. However, I recently purchased this new edition as a gift. The recipient is happy, but I'm a bit disapointed. Though the new scheme makes distinguishing recipies a snap (red titles), the typeface is steril and the number and interest of photographs has declined substantially, largely consisting of full-page stock photo stuff.
Nevertheless, a great book, but one that has lost some of its beauty. I'm happy to own the 1988 edition!