La Technique: An Illustrated Guide to the Fundamental Techniques of Cooking [Paperback]

Jacques Pepin (Author), Leon Perer (Photographer)

Product Details

• Paperback: 470 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (November 15, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671707116
• ISBN-13: 978-0671707118
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #994,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jacques Pepin is the author of twenty-one cookbooks, including the best-selling The Apprentice and the award-winning Jacques Pepin Celebrates and Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home (with Julia Child). He has appeared regularly on PBS programs for more than a decade, hosting over three hundred cooking shows. A contributing editor for Food & Wine, he is the dean of special programs at the French Culinary Institute in New York City. Before coming to the United States, he served as personal chef to three French heads of state.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent how to manual for the non phobic, September 17, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: La Technique: An Illustrated Guide to the Fundamental Techniques of Cooking (Paperback)

This is a fabulous how-to for those who are somewhat handy with kitchen tools, though by no means does it require those with experience. The photographs and instructions are clear and explicit, and the book is written in an easy to read and non pretentious style. The recipes for pastry's and cakes are easy to follow, and WORK. I first came across this book when working as a bakers assistant at a patisserie, and found that it explained and showed me everything I needed to know for taking home what we were d

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars French Cuisine, September 18, 2006

By 

Patrick M. Mcdonnell (Santa Fe, New Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: La Technique: An Illustrated Guide to the Fundamental Techniques of Cooking (Hardcover)

This book along with Pepin's following book "La Methode" were probably the first succesful attempt to demystify traditional French cusine for the non-professional chef.

Pepin has become a great teacher but was a fine chef long before he became a media celebrity. He worked under Lucien Diat at the legendary PLaza Athenee in Paris and under Pierre Franey at Le Pavillion in New York city. At the time Le Pavillion was arguably one of the best French restaurants in the world. He went on to do a number of interesting things all centered around food before linking up with Julia Child and launching a media career but beneath all was a solid understanding of flavor and technique and great ability.

The execution of these two books was a milestone in how to marry pictures and techniques in a format that brought tricky French culinary executions like brioche, choux pastry and puff pastry to life. This should be a great historical addition to any serious cooks library.

Patrick McDonnell - Culinary Director - Food Arts Magazine

Senior Partner McDonnell KInder & Associates

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal effort, if you see a copy of this grab it quick, you won't be disappointed!, June 20, 2006

By 

Amalfi Coast Girl (Mid-Atlantic, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: La Technique: An Illustrated Guide to the Fundamental Techniques of Cooking (Hardcover)

A passionate home cook that has been honing her cooking skills for the last 25 years, concentrating on Italian cooking for the last 10 years, writes this review. My favorite cookbooks are "The Professional Chef" by the Culinary Institute and "Culinary Artistry". Even with more than 500 cookbooks in my collection I would not consider giving up this book.

The book is subdivided as follows:

The Basics

Shellfish and Fish

Vegetables

Poultry and Meat

Carving

Desserts and Pastry

This book is not a book of recipes, although there are recipes that are used to illustrate techniques. This book covers all the techniques that anyone can imagine. It begins with how to hold a knife, and ends with angel hair made of sugar. Every step in a technique is described and then photographed. This book is almost a good as a cooking class. The only reason that I say almost is that you have to be self-motivated to go through a book. I have taken many cooking classes and when I come home I find that what I learned was contained in this book had I bothered to review the book; the cooking class would have been unnecessary.

If you ever run across a copy of this book grab it before someone else does. Time has not affected the usefulness of this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is serious about cooking.