NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The definitive cookbook on French cuisine for American readers: "What a cookbook should be: packed with sumptuous recipes, detailed instructions, and precise line drawings. Some of the instructions look daunting, but as Child herself says in the introduction, 'If you can read, you can cook.'" —Entertainment Weekly “I only wish that I had written it myself.” —James Beard Featuring 524 delicious recipes and over 100 instructive illustrations to guide readers every step of the way, Mastering the Art of French Cooking offers something for everyone, from seasoned experts to beginners who love good food and long to reproduce the savory delights of French cuisine. Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle break down the classic foods of France into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of dishes—from historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. Throughout, the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations—bound to increase anyone’s culinary repertoire. “Julia has slowly but surely altered our way of thinking about food. She has taken the fear out of the term ‘haute cuisine.’ She has increased gastronomic awareness a thousandfold by stressing the importance of good foundation and technique, and she has elevated our consciousness to the refined pleasures of dining." —Thomas Keller, The French Laundry

Presenting nearly 200 recipes, each illustrated with full-color, step-by-step photographs, and expert instruction from master chefs, Cooking School is more than a cookbook—it’s a complete gourmet education. Recognized as one of the most renowned chefs and restaurateurs of his generation, Alain Ducasse also operates an acclaimed cooking school in the heart of Paris. Now as a gift to cooks and lovers of French cuisine around the world, he presents a new, fully updated collection of delicious recipes and expert lessons to give readers a complete course in French cuisine at home. Thoughtfully arranged in three sections based on difficulty, Cooking School builds at the reader’s pace, introducing new methods with careful instruction. The step-by-step methods are detailed in thousands of photographs, which show cooks how to achieve picture-perfect results. Exhaustive indexes provide a wealth of descriptive knowledge, illuminating equipment, ingredients, and techniques the way a master chef would to a class of culinary students. From recipes for simple condiments and fundamental sauces to the iconic dishes of French cuisine and international cooking, including sushi and curries, and pastry recipes, including composed cakes and confections, Cooking School turns readers into true masters of their own kitchens.

Ferrandi, the French School of Culinary Arts in Paris—dubbed “the Harvard of gastronomy” by Le Monde newspaper­—is the ultimate pastry-making reference. From flaky croissants to paper-thin mille-feuille, and from the chestnut cream–filled Paris-Brest to festive yule logs, this comprehensive book leads aspiring pastry chefs through every step—from basic techniques to Michelin-level desserts. Featuring advice on how to equip your kitchen, and the essential doughs, fillings, and decorations, the book covers everything from quick desserts to holiday specialties and from ice creams and sorbets to chocolates. Ferrandi, an internationally renowned professional culinary school, offers an intensive course in the art of French pastry making. Written by the school’s experienced teaching team of master pâtissiers and adapted for the home chef, this fully illustrated cookbook provides all of the fundamental techniques and recipes that form the building blocks of the illustrious French dessert tradition, explained step by step in text and images. Practical information is presented in tables, diagrams, and sidebars for handy reference. Easy-to-follow recipes are graded for level of difficulty, allowing readers to develop their skills over time. Whether you are an amateur home chef or an experienced pâtissier, this patisserie bible provides everything you need to master French pastry making.

Discover all the essential kitchen skills for cooking with vegetables—chop shallots, peel and seed vegetables, clean mushrooms, master the brunoise dice cut, turn an artichoke—more than 45 culinary techniques are explained in over 150 step-by-step illustrated instructions. Prepare 80 simple and sophisticated flexitarian recipes— including Savory Cheesecake with Multicolored Tomatoes, Belgian Endive and Ham Soufflé, Kohlrabi Tagine with Dried Fruits, and Pont-Neuf Potatoes with Piquillo Ketchup— to brighten your meals and delight your dinner guests.