The Chef's Companion, Third Edition [Paperback]

Elizabeth Riely (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 047139842X | ISBN-13: 978-0471398424 | Publication Date: April 17, 2003 | Edition: 3

The indispensable guide to over 5,000 culinary terms

Even the most international chef sometimes needs help with today's wildly diverse cooking terminology. Now, there's an updated and revised edition of Elizabeth Riely's The Chef's Companion, which professional chefs and aspiring cooks everywhere can turn to when they need quick access to concise and reliable definitions, pronunciations, correct spelling, accepted usage, and origins of culinary terms. This invaluable guide covers all the terms that chefs might use with customers and kitchen staff-in areas such as cooking techniques, food preparation, herbs and spices, varieties of food, wine, and equipment for the professional kitchen. Over 900 new terms have been added to this edition to provide expanded coverage of areas such as wine, pastry, and ethnic cuisines. The Chef's Companion: no kitchen is complete without it.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The indispensable guide to over 5,000 culinary terms

Even the most international chef sometimes needs help with today’s wildly diverse cooking terminology. Now, there’s an updated and revised edition of Elizabeth Riely’s The Chef’s Companion, which professional chefs and aspiring cooks everywhere can turn to when they need quick access to concise and reliable definitions, pronunciations, correct spelling, accepted usage, and origins of culinary terms. This invaluable guide covers all the terms that chefs might use with customers and kitchen staff–in areas such as cooking techniques, food preparation, herbs and spices, varieties of food, wine, and equipment for the professional kitchen. Over 900 new terms have been added to this edition to provide expanded coverage of areas such as wine, pastry, and ethnic cuisines. The Chef’s Companion: no kitchen is complete without it.

About the Author

ELIZABETH RIELY is a journalist and food historian whose articles have appeared in Bon App?tit, Gourmet, the Boston Globe, and The New York Times. She is editor of the Radcliffe Culinary Times, the newsletter of the Schlessinger Library, a contributor to Gastronomica, and the author of the cookbook A Feast of Fruits.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 3 edition (April 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047139842X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471398424
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative & Entertaining, February 16, 2007

By 

David Hurwitz (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chef's Companion, Third Edition (Paperback)

I first read about this in a student's bibliography and had to get a copy for myself. The title pretty much says it all. This is a dictionary of culinary terms, encompassing ingredients, techniques, equipment, and even some complete dishes. Riely has tried to include all the languages likely to be used in an American restaurant kitchen. English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and both Cantonese and Mandarin seem to be the most common, but there are bits of German, Portuguese, and others as well. This can create a problem for the serious user, as foreign terms are generally listed only under their native names. For example, if you wanted to know what was really in Fish Sauce, you'd have to know either the Thai or Vietnamese name before you could look it up. Still, this book is great fun for the casual reader. I bought my copy with the intention of using it in conjunction with the kitchen writings of Anthony Bourdain and Poppy Z. Brite. Even so, I find myself flipping from page to page at odd moments, following see-also references through an alphabet of food lore. Who knew that Anago sushi was Conger Eel? (Okay, I knew it was eel, but I didn't know what kind.) Who knew that Vermouth was flavored with Wormwood flowers? Whether you are preparing to dine at a snooty French restaurant, or whether you just like weird professional lingo as much as I do, this is a great book.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is great, February 9, 2009

By 

R W Warren "robert27545" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chef's Companion, Third Edition (Paperback)

This book is a reference. I have it in my kitchen with other cookbooks. I crack it open and read it while onions saute or pasta boils. Every time I open this book I learn something new. I feel like I should memorize it, but I haven't the time or ability. I guess I shall just have to absorb this book one page, one meal, one pot of pasta at a time....

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book was very useful!!, August 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Chef's Companion, Third Edition (Paperback)

This book is the newest edition to my cookbook collection. The recent, up-to-date definitions, spelling, and pronunciation techniques, made the answer to the infamous question "what's for dinner?" straightforward and effortless.