On Cooking A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals

"Learning to cook is much more than simply learning to follow a recipe. Consequently, On Cooking, Seventh Edition, is not a cookbook or a collection of recipes. It is a carefully designed text initially published 30 years ago and consistently designed and organized to teach you the fundamentals of the culinary arts and to prepare you for a rewarding career in the food service industry. The goal of On Cooking is to focus your attention on general procedures, highlighting fundamental principles and skills, whether it be for preparing a yeast bread or grilling a piece of fish. Both the how and why of cooking are discussed, emphasizing culinary principles first, not recipes. Only after the principles are introduced and explained are sample recipes offered. This new edition includes many more recipes drawn from various international cuisines. Professional cooking no longer leans solely on French culinary traditions. Chefs now turn to the traditions of Asia, Africa and elsewhere for inspiration and ingredients. On Cooking, Seventh Edition recognized this evolution and includes many recipes created in the style of popular dishes found throughout the world. The content is extensively illustrated with photographs and line drawings to help you identify foods and equipment. Most recipes include photographs of the finished dish ready for service and many procedures are illustrated with step-by-step photographs. Tables and bulleted lists present information in a concise format to enhance your understanding of concepts. To provide you with a sense of the rich traditions of cookery, informative sidebars on food history, chef biographies and other topics are located throughout the book. Sidebars that relate to flavors and flavorings also appear throughout the material to enhance your understanding of ingredients and possible variations. Safety Alerts are shown in red, to remind you of conditions or situations that might pose a danger to you or to diners. Electronic recipe management software accompanying this text provides access to recipes and the ability to scale, convert and price them. We wish you much success in your future career and hope that this text will continue to inform and inspire you long after graduation."--