Cooking School Secrets For Real-World Cooks (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Carucci has no TV program or series of books to her name. She is, foremost, a teacher who has worked her way through the ranks of culinary America for 20 years. Trained at the California Culinary Academy, she went on to become one of the IACP's Cooking Teachers of the Year. If this first cookbook is any indication, that was a well-deserved honor. There's much to learn here, and Carucci presents the information clearly without dumbing it down, whether she's addressing the crucial roles of salt and butter or the fact that an enzyme in some people's saliva makes cilantro taste, to them, like soap. The first 50 pages cover cooking basics and dig into topics like understanding the palate and using knives. Drawings throughout illustrate such feats as slitting squid and butterflying boneless chicken breasts. Of the 100 recipes offered, the best combine Carucci's formal training with her Italian ancestry. There are cinematic mega-dishes like Double-Crusted Timpano with Fusilli, Ricotta, and Tender Little Meatballs; staples like Chicken Cacciatore, and Braised Calamari in Red Sauce; and four different risottos. Adventuresome dishes include Vietnamese-Style Honey-Glazed Pork Skewers, and Turkey Mole, with over two dozen ingredients. Chocolate appears not only in that mole but also in a handful of rich desserts like Devil's Food Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache. However, the greatest pleasures are the scores of tips and secrets alluded to in the title. "Beware of scallops that look pure white." "Potatoes cook evenly if you start with cold water." Who knew? (July)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811842436
• ISBN-13: 978-0811842433
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #128,722 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift-Worthy Cookbook! Treat Yourself & Your Family!, June 22, 2005

By	Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I just finished browsing the cookbook section of a local bookstore, searching for something inspiring and unusual for a wedding shower gift. Linda Carucci's "Cooking School Secrets For Real-World Cooks: Tips, Techniques, Shortcuts, Sources, Hints, and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, Plus 100 Sure-Fire Recipes to Make You a Better Cook" came out recently, and after thumbing through it pretty thoroughly, I decided this was the one. In fact, after reading more over coffee, I decided to go back and pick up another copy for myself.

Two major attractions, for me, are the recipes - more than 100 exciting and interesting dishes, from soup to sweets. Since the author is of Italian ancestry, the emphasis here is on Italian food - but not every recipe - there's a wide variety. Many of these I don't have in my own extensive collection. And, the most unique aspect of the cookbook, and second major attraction, is the information included under tips, shortcuts and gourmet cooking secrets. I consider myself a good cook and have been creative in the kitchen for many years now, yet many of these tips, and answers to frequently asked questions, are new to me. In fact, for cookbook lovers, much of "Cooking School Secrets For Real-World Cooks" reads almost like a novel. You have to love cookbooks to understand what I mean!!

The book is divided into three major sections. The first is Cooking Basics, and while I am familiar with much of the information, I found the sections on Creative Cooking, How Cooking Changes The Texture And Flavor of Foods,. Cooking With The Seasons, and Understanding Your Palate to be of particular interest. The page layout is attractive and well organized, and there are helpful illustrations throughout.

The recipes are in Part Two, and there are many sensational suggestions from stocks, ("What is a chinois and why will this make homemade chicken stock better?"), soups, ("Why are Turkish bay leaves preferable to the California variety?"), and broths, to risottos, pastas, seafood, poultry and meat, ("Why is a marinade essential when grilling a flank steak?"), mouth-watering side dishes, special salads and desserts. There are some wonderful versions of favorite comfort foods, like: Tomato Cheddar Soup; Spaghetti and Meatballs; Chicken Cacciatore; Baked Macaroni with White Cheddar Cheese and Buttered Breadcrumbs; Turkey Mole from Mexico; and Braised Calamari in Red Sauce. And then there are dishes worthy of the most special occasions and guests: Grilled Leg of Lamb with Pomegranate Marinade and Muhammara; Pork Loin Roast with Vanilla Scented Applesauce; Risotto Primavera with Wild Salmon; Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Prosciutto, Taleggio, and Pesto; and a fabulous paella. And the desserts - Bittersweet Chocolate Bread Pudding with Kahlua Sauce; Zabaglione with Fresh Berries and Peaches; Grilled Peach Ice Cream Sundaes with Short-Cut Caramel Sauce, a chocoholic cake....and so many more.

The last part, Part Three, deals with seasonal recipes, sources, and includes twelve special menus for casual and special occasions.

Linda Carucci has worked in the food industry for over 20 years. She is dean of the California Culinary Academy, has been awarded Cooking Teacher of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, (IACP), and is the Julia Child Curator of Food Arts for Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts in Napa, California. You cannot go wrong with this cookbook! It's terrific!
JANA

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything useful, June 30, 2005

By	Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A must for every cook's reference shelf, this is packed with useful and well-organized information on techniques, tools, and ingredients and includes 100 recipes that convey a further wealth of general and specific information.

After an intro on the basics, from mise-en-place to plate presentation, the book is organized by course. Each chapter begins with a chart of recipes showing which are quick, make-ahead, and/or vegetarian, a "Secrets of Success" feature which offers guidelines for shopping, storing, and cooking, and a few frequently asked questions.

In addition each recipe includes more "secrets." French Onion Soup, for instance, advises a Dutch oven and European-style unsalted butter for the slow onion caramelization, a food processor for the vast quantity of onions, several methods for keeping oniony tears to a minimum, advice on cutting the bread, and the tip that onions and potatoes stored together cause each other to rot.

The amount of information is vast, but the book is so well organized it never seems overwhelming. A cooking class between covers, it includes all the basics, from stock to risotto, from brining meats to sweating vegetables, from planning a menu to picking the perfect melon. Carucci hits on safety issues in storing, cooking and cooling foods and tells which dozen fruits and vegetables should be purchased organic in order to avoid 90 percent of ingested pesticides. She doesn't shy away from recommending brands either, be it coconut oil or cookware.

Recipes like Braised Short Ribs, Poached Salmon with Shortcut Hollandaise, Turkey Mole, Wild Rice Pilaf, Polenta, Roasted Root Vegetables and Devils Food Cake lend themselves to advice that can be used in numerous other contexts. Invaluable for the beginner, this opinionated, lively book contains useful tips and ideas for cooks at any level of skill.

- Portsmouth Herald

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My new favorite cookbook!, June 23, 2005

By	M. Wallingford - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have had this book for a few weeks and am declaring it without a doubt my new favorite cookbook. It has already become my go-to for all occasions. The weeknight chili has become my latest quick and satisfying dinner, I took the zucchini olive oil cake to a party last week and was deluged with requests for the recipe. Everything is delicious and the recipes are so easy to follow! This will be my hostess gift, wedding gift, birthday gift and housewarming gift for the seasons to come!