The New Professional Chef (TM) [Hardcover]

The Culinary Institute of America (Author), Mary Deirdre Donovan (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Culinary Arts Series) | Publication Date: November 7, 1995

Thoroughly revised encyclopedic classic used by professionals for decades. The definitive reference is easier to use and is packed with the most up to date information with 1000 reference recipes conveniently located in one section.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Produced by the Culinary Institute of America as a textbook for chefs-to-be, The New Professional Chef, Sixth Edition, is a book for all who love to cook, as well as students of the craft. It's a cooking school between covers, a teaching and reference work of extraordinary breadth.

In the first two of four parts, arranged in a progressive, logical sequence, the book provides a brief historical overview of the chef's role and discusses matters of interest to all cooks: the identification and purchasing of ingredients, nutrition, food safety, and sanitation, among other matters. The third part explores the techniques that underlie all cooking, from mise en place (readying ingredients), through sauces and soups and the dry- and moist-heat cooking methods, to charcuterie, baking, and pastry. This section, illustrated as elsewhere in the book by step-by-step color photos, line drawings, tables, and charts, is an unendingly informative book in itself. The book concludes with the recipes, arranged as a professional would want them, in chapters devoted to food categories such as sauces and entrees; breakfast and pasta dishes; and breads, cakes and pastries, among others. The hundreds of recipes (500 new to this edition) are designed for 10 or more servings; though reducible, their outstanding usefulness lies in revealing dish anatomy--the way recipes work. Updated with a 50-page chapter on international fare, and containing cooking trucs throughout, material on dietary substitutions, historical and anecdotal information, and serving suggestions, The New Professional Chef is an A to Z resource no culinary library should lack. --Arthur Boehm

From Library Journal

The last edition of this text appeared in 1974, and much has happened in the culinary world since then. Although it is written for the professional, nonprofessionals should find parts of it useful as well. Sections on nutrition, sanitation, and equipment are followed by identification guides, information on fabrication (basic techniques), basic preparations, and--the bulk of the book--cooking methods and recipes. The close to 1000 color photographs are invaluable, whether depicting an ingredient, a step in a difficult technique, or a stage in cooking a specific dish. The 700 recipes represent a wide range of cuisines, old and new, and most are geared to reasonable (rather than institutional size) yields, but nonprofessionals will be more likely to consult this as a reference work than as a cookbook. For most reference collections.
- Judith C. Sutton, Sutton's Place Cuisine, New York
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1216 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 6 edition (November 7, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471286796
• ISBN-13: 978-0471286790
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #75 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Professional Cooking > Quantity

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Professional Praise, November 1, 1999

By 

David Levine (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Professional Chef (TM) (Hardcover)

After 29 years in the Hospitality Food Service Industry I have finally found one book that encompasses most of what one needs to know as a Chef, Professional or Amateur. Concise, precise and easy to comprhend this book is a God-send. I have been living and working in Asia/Thailand for the last seven years and for the last year I have had this book as my constant companion in conveying to the local chefs who work for me the ins and outs of Western Cuisines.

Despite the fact that English is their second language they all reach for this book first for reference and ideas. I think it may even "disappear" one day.

It's practicality and no nonsense approach is a universal one and can not be denied. I wish I had written it.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you Needed ONLY One Book In The Kitchen, Get This!!, August 22, 2000

By 

sherri j. thorne (brooklyn, new york United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Professional Chef (TM) (Hardcover)

My mother wanted me to learn how to cook. I had no interest, and often gave her the slip. Why learn, when she was an excellent cook? Once, on the pretence of "helping" her bake a pound cake, she tricked me into doing the whole thing by myself! It is a different story now, because if I don't cook, I don't eat. Take out has its limits in more ways than one. The New Professional Chef is perfect for someone like me. The title did not scare me one jot, because I needed professional help. The truth is, that this book is REALLY for everyone. Perfect for ANYONE really, who if forced to have just one general reference/cookbook, which would be kept close at hand in the kitchen, could find EVERYTHING one needed to know about: Nutrition and Healthy Cooking, Equipment Identification(knife identification, hand tools, pots & pans), Raw Ingredients (excellent illustrations on various cuts of meat, poultry and game birds, fish & shellfish, a wonderful section on grains), and my favorite section, Mise en Place, which shows you the necessary skills & techniques that you will need in the preparation of ANY meal. Various cooking methods are also presented, and a great many recipes are available to chose from. This is the perfect gift for anyone from a college graduate who is setting up their first apartment, to newlyweds. I rely on it often, and it is a trusted reference book that I would not do without!

My mother would be ecstatic if she could see me now.

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The essential cooking reference!, August 11, 2000

By 

Michael Fletcher (Murrieta, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Professional Chef (TM) (Hardcover)

The New Professional Chef is a wonderful, albeit unwieldy, collection of recipes and cooking techniques for the aspiring professional or amateur chef.

My wife and I had the good fortune of dining at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in picturesque St. Helena, California right in the middle of Napa Valley. The Wine Spectator Greystone restaurant on the campus is a wonderful place to dine and I heartily recommend it. The atmosphere is inviting and it's great to watch the chefs preparing mouth-watering dishes in the open kitchen. It was a treat for me, as a cooking enthusiast, to visit this presitigous cooking school.

After visiting the CIA, I found this book and knew I had to have it as a reference foundation for my cooking skills. It has step-by-step techniques and recipes presented in a concise and easy to follow manner. I would recommend this book to anyone serious about learning the skills that professional chefs use every day.

Please note that a kitchen scale is highly desirable when using the recipes. Most recipes use weight measurements instead of volume. Additionally, you will find that the recipes will need scaling down to feed average families, since they are designed for the professional restaurant chef.

Great for the serious cooking enthusiast!