The Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chef’s Craft for Every Kitchen
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Product Description
Modeled on Strunk and White’s The Fundamentals of Style, The Element of Cooking is an opinionated reference work destined to stand alongside the shelf among the fantastic works of the kitchen: On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee, Escoffier, The Joy of Cooking and the CIA’s The Professsional Chef. Unlike persons monoliths of the kitchen, this book is slim, clear and very to the point: here are the things you need to know how to do, here are the words you need to speak the langauage of food, and, most importanly, here are the ways you need to reflect about an approach food, the absolute essentials that every, not only excellent but fantastic, cook knows.
Just as Strunk and White sits on the desk of every student and professional who has to write a sentence, The Fundamentals of Cooking is destined to be the go-to book for any amatuer or professional cook. It defines terms, offers the basic ratios of vital preparations (sauces, cakes, etc.) so that you will never need a recipe again and provides countless, simple chef’s “secrets” that every home cook should know.
In eight introductory essays, Ruhlman has pared down the essentials of fantastic cooking: understanding how to salt food; building stock; building sauces; using heat properly; effective with eggs; having the right tools (there are only 5 essentials); what to read and use as a resource; and finally, and most importantly, the use of finesse, that extra attention to detail that turns food glorious.
Simply written, this is a book that can be read in an afternoon and it’s lessons be practiced for a lifetime.Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best of the Month November 2007: Inspired by the Strunk and White classic, Michael Ruhlman’s The Fundamentals of Cooking will quickly prove to be an essential culinary reference for both seasoned cooks and novices who might not know gravlax from gremolata. After a thorough “Notes on Cooking,” Ruhlman, a prolific cookbook leader and well loved blogger, settles in for an opinionated and informative A-Z roundup (from Acid to Zester) of cooking terms, lessons, and techniques cut-rate to their essential essence. Even with only one recipe (for veal stock), it’s a must-have for every kitchen library–a book that will help you re-reflect your approach to food. –Brad Thomas Parsons
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I would never have bought this book if I knew how aggressively and one-sidedly Ruhlman pushed for the use of veal. Modern cooks consider both the benefits and ethics of their choices and–whatever one may choose about veal–veal stock is NOT an essential for the home cook and it seems irresponsible to present it as such.
The issues around veal (like persons around foie gras) deserve much more reflection than Ruhlman is willing to provide. (Then again, that goes with the generally dated feeling of the book).
There is some excellent information here, but as mentioned above, it is hardly comprehensive (despite the title, this is not the Strunk and White of the kitchen). More importantly, the terms and focus seem to be mired in cooking philosophies of the previous century–or earlier. Of course, that’s not automatically a terrible thing, if that’s what you’re looking for. But with ingredients from all over the world now easily available in supermarkets–and varied ethnic influences commonly distressing today’s cooking choices–this book already seems surprisingly limited and out-of-date.
Hopefully a name else will be inspired to make a more comprehensive reference, one that covers the diverse ingredients that might really appear routinely in the home kitchen….today.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
If you like to cook or are just interested in what cooks do, this book is pretty indispensable. When you read a recipe and come across a term or cooking method, you don’t know, look in Fundamentals, and you’ll probably find it — clarified in an understandable, thorough and engaging way.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
This book is a must-have for anyone who knows how to open a fridge or turn on a oven. You don’t have to be an practiced cook or “foodie” (I despise that word) to appreciate this book and the advice and guidance it offers. In fact, this might be the very book that helps a name get over the hurdle of nuking a Lean Cuising every night and encourage them to make a salad or cook a perfectly edible omelet after a long day at work. The writing and the tone of this book is very straightforward and really approachable — it’s nearly like having a friend in the kitchen with you to help guide the way.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
Lacks table of contents (WHERE is the book going? Where may I turn first?) AND lacks an pointer (where can I find information about X?).
Conclusion: only for persons who like reading about cooking… browsing… and otherwise appears foolishly unconventional as a non-fiction book.
I know that sounds harsh. It was just such a disappointment.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
I just received my copy of “The Fundamentals of Cooking” in the mail today. This book is fantastic! It clearly lays out terminology anyone could be looking for if they are simply the home cook, or aspiring for a more lofty goal in the culinary world. Sorry to say, no pictures, so the food-porn value is low, but the quality of the book and the rest of the content within, in relation to it’s size is superb. What better way to become better informed about how the food you eat when dining out is prepared, or give you some huge words or phrases to drop in front of your friends and family tree as you prepare a meal.
I would also recommend this one to anyone who spends a lot of time in front of the tv watching FoodNetwork, Top Chef or PBS cooking shows to get a leg up on what it is persons people in the magic box are talking about all the time.
Well done, but not overdone.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5