Customer Reviews

Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, Completely Revised and Updated

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This a a reference A to Z book on world food, but still overweighted on French cuisine. The earlier editions had even more of a French focus and I would imagine that future editions will be even more balanced. I find this edition superior to the 1961 edition Larousse Gastronomique Encyclopedia of F 1961 Ed, which was 95% focused on French food. The current editions contain fewer receipes than the 1961 edition, but you don't buy this book for recipes. You buy it for A to Z entries. I can recommend this book for French cuisine (more modern coverage) and other cuisines (no competition with previous editions but still not great). Off course, this book is a bit like the winner writing history. The book contains some historical sections and they are not very good because they do not go back to original sources. So if Careme considered a dish French it is likely that Larousse will say so too - even if a more detailed analysis would find strong Italian roots. Still, I don't imagine people would buy this book to get historical information.

An alternative is Davidson's The Oxford Companion to Food 2nd Ed. That book is more quirky since it is the work of one person. Both are good, but I would consider the current book as a better general reference.

Update 2010: Having given two positive recommendations I must ask myself how much I consult these two books. The answer is 'not very much'. If I want to know something, I do a google-search or I look it up in a more specialised cookbook. So if you already own several books about food, you probably do not really need this reference book.

I had written a review of the 1961 edition as well, but I think it has disappeared. Some reviewers praise that edition. I do not agree. Even French food develops and a book written 50 years ago is just not up to date. Still, that edition is very interesting if you are a foodie and really like to see how things have developed. In a way I find it more fun to browse the 1961 edition than then brand new edition. Still, if you need a reference book, there is no doubt that you should buy the new edition.

Oh what fun it is to peruse through Larousse Gastronomique. I bought it for my French boyfriend as his was very outdated and falling apart. Being a chef, he has always referred to this culinary gem and I can see why. His old version is in French and I was never able to quite understand the details. Now, I see the light. This latest version has many color pictures and added recipes. My complaint is the quality of paper. A bit too thin. And also, enough of the celebrity chefs. Dear God.

In essence, this volume is an attempt to define French cuisine, French gastronomy, French cooking, and French food. Yes, now you can find the molecular gastronomy influence (look up nitrogen, liquid in this encyclopedia), and you can find ingredients sneaking in from each corner of the Earth, Pacific Island taro, South American tanko beans, and New Zealand spinach. Mole Poblano shows up and there's a turkey mole recipe. French cooking is not just the old cordon bleu, but the vocabulary of that sort of cooking, seasonal and fresh, elaborate preparations of few ingredients is the basis for this. The exquisite souffle section confirms that. Or turn to the basic cooking process/item of panada: seven recipes for the basic repertoire.

Each edition of the book has gotten larger, covering still "French" cooking but it's that subject which is getting larger. Larousse discusses the rodent, informing us that in 1870 Paris (under seige) rats were sold for 10-15 sous, and it discusses wine production in the United States. There's something for everyone who is interested in food.

Since the book is expensive, it's worth noting that most anyone who wants to save some money could sensibly consider the recent editions from 2001 or 2005, and if one is interested in the classic form of French cooking then the 1961 (first English translation) is also worth considering. Just don't complain about the use of butter or lard in the recipes.

This book is a tell all about all foods and a must for those who love to cook but dont know everything about it. Its a dictionary of foods and has the best photos ever. A must have.

This will add to your collection of cookbooks and it's really wonderful to go to the Culinary Institute of America to see some of the older versions and how they compare. It covers just about every aspect of French cooking aside from what to do about the added pounds you will put on from all the butter and heavy cream.

The recipes are very easy to follow and have been wonderfully translated to English to allow us single language chefs to understand Larousse's techniques. If you need to get back to basics or clarify an issue in cooking class, this work is the go to for the answer. The two main books I use are my CIA Pro Chef 9th version and Larousse's Culinary Encyclopedia.

I keep it handy and available for any and all questions or for my get back to french basics when needed. This copy is very similar to the latest versions form 2000 on, but if you have an older version it's worth the expense to update to this edition. True the internet is fast for points of reference, but if you need a book at hand this is the one to choose.

The book is overall very good but there are some weak areas I would like to point out:
1. Very little about Scandinavian food and in particular Norwegian and Swedish.
2. Amazingly little about the gastronomic marvels that I've found in the Portuguese kitchen.
3. The same can be said about big gaps in acknowledging the unique Vietnamese kitchen.
Apart from that it's a very good referance book for food lovers and easy to find almost all you're looking for except the areas I pointed out.

Got it for my girlfriend and she seems to love it! Oh and she asked for it for Christmas, I didn't just get my gf a cookbook. That would be a miscalculation if she didn't specifically ask for it.

I was put onto this book when doing a "Pasta Making Course" and find the references invaluable - so often I have read something and had no idea what it meant or how to do it - this book answers every question and more!! What cuts of meat, different ways of cooking things, basic recipes and more. Absolutely fabulous!

Bought this for a gift and the recipient couldn't be happier. It covers everthing you need to know about cooking.

I bought this book last Christmas for my mother, who teaches cooking. She absolutely loved it and its worth the investment. She keeps it out on the counter and when people come over, they often peruse it looking at the pics and really learning so much about food! It's got great descriptions about the history of ingredients, cuisine and culinary techniques. I couldn't recommend it more highly.