Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook: Home Collection [Hardcover]

Editors of Thunder Bay Press (Author), Le Cordon Bleu School (Compiler)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2002

From the worlds most famous cooking school comes a comprehensive collection of fresh, modern recipes for any occasion. From simple dishes for home cooking to impressive dinner party fare, Le Cordon Bleu shares the secrets of their famous kitchens with an invaluable collection of recipes, all beautifully photographed, and offers inspiration for the successful home chef.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Thunder Bay Press; 3rd printing edition (May 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571457151
• ISBN-13: 978-1571457158
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #613,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding & inspiring -- my favorite French cookbook!, December 29, 2003

By 

French Home Chef (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook: Home Collection (Hardcover)

...Top reasons why I turn to this cookbook more than any other:

* The recipes WORK! And they are GREAT! Some recipes I've tried: Shrimp Bisque (amazingly, in comparison to a recipe I tried from Cook's Illustrated, the one here is a bit simpler AND tasted better!), Apple and Parsnip Soup (great Thanksgiving soup!), Duck Salad with Plum Dressing (if cooking this for appetizer, I would use a lot less duck breast than asked for in this recipe--7 oz per person is too much), Duck a l'orange (awesome! My guests loved it!), Cider Apple Chicken with Mushroom Sauce (delicious--I substituted regular brandy for Calvados, a French apple brandy which I couldn't find), Roast Pork with Prunes and Armagnac (truly a hit when I cooked it as the entree for Christmas), Pears Poached in Red Wine (better than a recipe I got from a class).

* Each and every recipe is beautifully illustrated with a picture of the dish. For me, the "occasional but serious home chef", the pictures inspire me and quickly give me an idea of what to create for the finished product. None of the other books have such beautiful pictures for every recipe.

* Each recipe comes with an estimate of Preparation Time and Total Cooking Time. This gives me a quick idea of how complicated the dish is gonna be. A word of caution though: the given times are for pros! When I first started cooking French, I found that I had to DOUBLE the times given in this book; now I add an extra 50%! However, on a relative scale, this feature is still helpful.

* It's mostly adjusted for ingredients available in USA (at least in Northern California) and terminology is mostly American.

Like Lindas review below, I think Adrianas review below is unfair--the book does state that it is a collection of Le Cordon Bleus best recipes-thats one of the reasons I wanted it and do not have an issue with it being a copycat. Ultimately, I am grateful for this book because it has helped me create many successful menus and dinner parties. So much so that it compelled me to write my first review on Amazon.com! Bon Appetit!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Correcting a previous review, December 21, 2003

By 

Linda Starr "Freedom Lover" (Chatsworth, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook: Home Collection (Hardcover)

I am giving this 5 stars (I own it, and the recipes are actually within the reach of the home cook unlike the first Le Cordon Bleu cookbook I bought) partly to offset the "copycat" review of Adriana. It is clearly stated in at least two places that this is a collection of the best of the previous single-subject cookbooks, both in the Forward and on the back flap of the jacket. This is exactly the reason I bought it. I really like the fact that only the best have been included from all the previous books. It's not fair to imply that they were trying to pull a fast one on consumers when they made it clear what they were doing.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars impress your guests, August 3, 2005

By 

Khaki (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook: Home Collection (Hardcover)

How many cookbooks do you have on your shelves where you might cook just one or two recipes from the book, and the rest don't appeal? I am fussy about buying cookbooks since there are so many "free" recipes available through friends, magazines, newspapers and the Internet. But I have not regretted buying this one and I also bought a copy for my son, a francophile.

The roast quails with rice stuffing (page 215) initially looked daunting but the glossary gives step-by-step instructions on how to bone out a quail. Amazingly, it worked and I presented this dish recently to a dinner party of eight. I doubt I have ever served a more impressive looking course or one that tasted so superb. The sauce was to die for.

The poussin recipe in herb butter was also wonderful (my son served it to us one night and then I served it to guests, knowing in advance it would be great), as was the chicken en croute. So far I have not been disappointed with anything I've tried.