Culinary Artistry Paperback – Illustrated, November 14, 1996

Let me clarify what this book is and what it isn't:It's not a cookbook. This isn't some grand tome one picks up to select the perfect recipe for a certain occasion. This book is a companion for those who write their own recipes. When you're putting together a dish and you're stumped on that one last component to put it over the top, chances are you'll find it here. Maybe you have a dish you love and want to adjust it seasonally? This is a great resource. Hmmmmm, I do this Spanish dish and I think it would be fun to give it a Korean flair but I want to keep it grounded, sensible and delicious. There's good advice to be had here.I'm a professional chef and to be honest this isn't the first book I grab when I'm looking to get inspired, but it's usually the last book I put down when I'm putting the finishing touches on a dish. Those of you in the business will understand, you know when you're tasting that dish and it's really good but it just needs that little something and you can't quite put your finger on it? before you go down that hellish road of a pinch of this and a dash of that after a grand tour of your walk-in please thumb through this book! You'll save yourself a lot of aggravation. Usually after about a minute or two of browsing this book's charts you'll have that 'Aha Moment' and take your dish where it needs to go.This isn't a book for novices though. Not that one needs to be a professional to use it, the ambitious home cook can certainly find many uses, but I don't see how this book would be useful for a beginner. Keep that in mind.I highly recommend this for any advanced cook, I've found it incredibly useful.

Don't buy this for recipes. This is about flavor combinations and menu development.

I bought a copy of this 10 years ago when I was in culinary school. My sous chef from the restaurant I worked in recommended it to me to help give me ideas for recipes and dishes I had to present in classes. While in advanced baking, my final was to create a signature dessert. I wanted it to be elegant, but not overdone. Classic, but layered. I needed flavors that melded together to create something unique.In this book I learned which spices compliment fruits, vegetables, proteins. Which herbs bring out the best flavors. What foods compliment one another and which are opposites you should steer clear of. I learned that spicy, smoky peppers not only add to chocolate, but also oranges, creams, cherries. And I was able to craft my signature dessert!Not only did I ace my exam-- I have referenced this book hundreds of times over the years for inspiration in the kitchen. If you want to learn how to mix, mold and layer flavors-- buy this book!

This book was recommended by my culinary school teacher, i was able to get it second hand, and it has helped so much in class and at home!

Have you ever found yourself stumped trying to decide what goes with what? Are you confused about how to build flavors and balance out a dish?Cooking is an art and preparing a satisfying meal that you will be proud of when your guests rant and rave requires that you understand what you are doing and why. If you are able to understand the fundamentals behind the technique, you open the doors to being able to create your own masterpieces without the assistance of a cookbook using your artistic talents and knowledge.Culinary artistry is a book that is required reading for any individual that wishes to understand the fundamentals of cooking and be able to move beyond basic usage of cookbooks following each step, basically blindfolded. It is a book that should be read from cover to cover but can also serve as a reference guide. On the surface you can look up various ingredients and see what goes best with what or you can read the entire book and gain valuable knowledge, as for example, why cranberry sauce goes well with Turkey at your thanksgiving dinner table.

An excellent presentation of what it takes to move seriously up the ladder of professional cooking. Even for the home cook there is solid information on how to improve skills, increase knowledge, and develop understanding of flavor combinations. Thorough and detailed in presentation. Just wish there were pictures to illustrate.

This was purchased as a gift and it was well received.

I am a pretty good self-taught cook. I really don't like to follow recipies as I like to experiment and make up my own dishes. I was really lacking in the knowledge of making some flavors pair up with others so I asked an old Chef-friend of mine what she suggested for me to read to gain this knowledge. This book was what she suggested. I cannot tell you how excellent this book is and if you like to cook, I think it is a must-read. Flavors and textures are so important in making the difference between an edible dish and one that is simply outstanding. This book gives you the basis you need to be able to develop your own style of attaining this ballance. I will be buying a copy of this book for everyone I know that loves to cook for x-mas.