On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (5th Edition) [Hardcover]

Sarah R. Labensky (Author), Priscilla R. Martel (Author), Alan M. Hause (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 013715576X | ISBN-13: 978-0137155767 | Publication Date: January 14, 2010 | Edition: 5

Attractively designed and extensively illustrated with color photographs, line drawings, charts, and sidebars, this contemporary introduction to cooking and food preparation focuses on information that is relevant to today's aspiring chef. Comprehensive and well-written, it emphasizes an understanding of cooking fundamentals, explores the preparation of fresh ingredients, and provides information on other relevant topics, such as food history and food science. This introduction to cooking outlines professionalism, food safety and sanitation, nutrition, recipes and menus, tools and equipment, knife skills, kitchen staples, dairy products, principles of meat, fish and vegetable cookery, garde manger, baking, and presentation.  Exciting, new features to this updated edition include:

• Healthy Cooking chapter (Chapter 23) combines materials on basic nutrition (Chapter 3 in On Cooking, 4^th edition), healthy cooking techniques and cooking for special diets such as vegetarian diets or allergic diets. 
• Over 250 new photographs emphasize procedural aspects of cooking.  Virtually all recipes are now illustrated with photographs.   
• Updated concept changes to meet the Food Code revision (Chapter 20) 
• Fresh design, including over 300 new photographs and line drawings Content updates to reflect current trends in the Culinary Arts

This book is an excellent reference for Chefs, Restaurant Managers and others in the food service industry.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chef Sarah Labensky , CCP was Founding Director of the Culinary Arts Institute at Mississippi University for Women. She taught cooking and management courses, and administered the school’s four-year baccalaureate degree program in Culinary Arts. Prior to joining MUW’s faculty, she was a Professor of Culinary Arts at Scottsdale (Arizona) Community College. Before teaching, Chef Sarah spent many years as a working pastry cook and caterer.  In April 2006, Sarah purchased The Front Door and Back Door restaurants, located in downtown Columbus, MS. She quickly expanded the operation to add a gourmet retail shop and an evening fine dining restaurant. Sarah purchased The Green Olive Italian Restaurant, located in northwest Columbus, MS in September 2006.   She is active in several professional organizations and is a Past President of the 4,000-member International Association of Culinary Professionals.   

 

In her former life, Sarah was a practicing attorney, with a J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University. She also holds a B.S. degree in Political Science and Public Administration from Murray (Kentucky) State University and a Culinary Certificate from Scottsdale (Arizona) Community College. She has been repeatedly included in Marquis’ Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who of American Women.  Sarah is originally from Murray, Kentucky, and has also lived in Phoenix and Nashville.  In addition to good food, Chef Sarah is passionate about travel and animals. She is Mom to three Rhodesian Ridgebacks, two Weimaraners and four cats of questionable pedigree.

 

 

  

Priscilla Martell is a graduate of Brown University, and currently operates a consulting business called All About Food, that services the food, baking and restaurant industries. She’s a prolific freelance writer, and her articles have appeared in a number of newspapers and magazines such as Cooking Light, Food and Wine and Flavor & Menu magazine.  She also works with the American Almond Products Company as Culinary Research Director and she has taught as an adjunct at Connecticut Culinary Academy and Boston University.  She and and her husband Chalie van Over opened and ran an award winning restaurant for a number of years in their hometown of Chester Ct. called Restaurant du Village  

 

 

Allen “Skip “ Hause “ Is co-owner and directing executive of Fabulous Food, which he and his wife founded in 1995 to fulfill their vision of unique custom catering. A graduate of New York’s renowned Culinary Institute of America, Hause has stellar credentials in all facets of the culinary world. His experience includes the noted Williamsburg Inn (Williamsburg, VA), corporate work for Omni International Hotels (Atlanta, GA), and 16 years as Executive Chef for a leading Phoenix catering company.  As Fabulous Food’s Executive Chef, Skip Hause oversees all aspects of the business. He is ably assisted by an exceptional kitchen and planning staff, whose combined talents is the reason the company earns its name in both taste and presentation.

 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1224 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 5 edition (January 14, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013715576X
• ISBN-13: 978-0137155767
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Hospitality, Travel & Tourism
  • #31 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Culinary Arts & Techniques

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poor Quality, November 15, 2010

By 

Steve Prom - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (5th Edition) (Hardcover)

The information in the book is terrific, if you can keep the book together. This book is junk compared to previous additions. The pages fall right out, everyone in my class is experiencing the same problem. This is a book a student is going to want to keep, but can't because it is so poorly made.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Quality of book, July 20, 2010

By 

22emz - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (5th Edition) (Hardcover)

The content of the book is OK it is comprehensive and delivers basic information. I do not care for the recipes embedded in the instructional portion of the chapters I find it a bit of a distraction. I was disappointed to find that the publisher has changed the quality of the construction of the hard cover book the paper in the 5th edition and the binding are of a lesser quality than the 4th edition and the DVD is no longer included in the price of the book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent text for basic skills., December 27, 2010

By 

hill3 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (5th Edition) (Hardcover)

Although I was also disappointed that the book did not come with the CD, I have found it a great read with a wealth of useful information presented in an organized, easy to read fashion. This is a staple book used in culinary programs, and I will be keeping this book long after I graduate. I have recommended it to friends who want to learn to be better cooks without going to school for it. The chef who is teaching one of my culinary classes told us that if you only have two books on cooking, he'd recommend this one and The Joy of Cooking. Another great feature of this book is that the pages are coated (that's what makes the book so incredibly heavy) so that they last longer when you inevitably spill something on them while using the book in the kitchen. I agree that a spiral binding might have been a better choice but I have mostly found the book will lay flat no matter where you need it kept open to.