If you are a food connoisseur or a culinary student, the Escoffier cookbook, le guide culinaire is probably a Bible for you; maybe even referenced on such a regular basis that it perennially resides on your bed stand.
But for the rest of us lesser mortals, not so gastronomically inclined, planning a meal on the basis of this book could prove to be a daunting task.
Written by renowned chef and restaurateur, Auguste Escoffier, Le Guide Culinaire, first published in 1903, has since earned legendary status; its content having formed the basis of French cuisine as we know it today.
An English translation of the French book came out in 1907 making it accessible to a wider readership.
However the copies you find in bookstores today are the 4th edition, revised in 1921.
The English version of the same was published in 1979.
The Escoffier cookbook is no doubt a treasure trove of recipes, comprehensive to such an extent that possessing it would render useless any other cookbooks you may have on French cuisine.
But if you are an amateur cook, setting out to prepare a nice fancy meal to impress your friends, following this book might not be the best of ideas; you may end up creating less of dishes and more of confusion! For one, the 5000 something recipes included in the latest edition make it that much difficult to identify what you are looking for.
One has to commit to an in depth study of the book and its sections to get a grasp of how recipes are sequenced and referenced.
It is definitely not one for a quick search.
Besides that, the way the recipes are presented assumes that the reader already possesses some knowledge of French cooking, using terms that like releves, braise and croquette, unfamiliar to most of us.
That being said, the Escoffier cookbook remains highly esteemed in academic and professional circles, regarded by many to be the last word in French cooking.
The famous Gordon Ramsey himself has admitted to using this book saying, "I will always refer to authority like Escoffier.
" So if you serious about learning how to cook French food the right way you can depend on le Guide Culinaire.
After all what better way to learn the art of haute cuisine than from the words penned by "the chef of kings and the king of chefs!"
But for the rest of us lesser mortals, not so gastronomically inclined, planning a meal on the basis of this book could prove to be a daunting task.
Written by renowned chef and restaurateur, Auguste Escoffier, Le Guide Culinaire, first published in 1903, has since earned legendary status; its content having formed the basis of French cuisine as we know it today.
An English translation of the French book came out in 1907 making it accessible to a wider readership.
However the copies you find in bookstores today are the 4th edition, revised in 1921.
The English version of the same was published in 1979.
The Escoffier cookbook is no doubt a treasure trove of recipes, comprehensive to such an extent that possessing it would render useless any other cookbooks you may have on French cuisine.
But if you are an amateur cook, setting out to prepare a nice fancy meal to impress your friends, following this book might not be the best of ideas; you may end up creating less of dishes and more of confusion! For one, the 5000 something recipes included in the latest edition make it that much difficult to identify what you are looking for.
One has to commit to an in depth study of the book and its sections to get a grasp of how recipes are sequenced and referenced.
It is definitely not one for a quick search.
Besides that, the way the recipes are presented assumes that the reader already possesses some knowledge of French cooking, using terms that like releves, braise and croquette, unfamiliar to most of us.
That being said, the Escoffier cookbook remains highly esteemed in academic and professional circles, regarded by many to be the last word in French cooking.
The famous Gordon Ramsey himself has admitted to using this book saying, "I will always refer to authority like Escoffier.
" So if you serious about learning how to cook French food the right way you can depend on le Guide Culinaire.
After all what better way to learn the art of haute cuisine than from the words penned by "the chef of kings and the king of chefs!"
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