What "I" want in a cookbook....

[RPMcMurphy]

I'd like to find a book that is almost like a class.......that you go through from start to finish that concentrates on techniques.

For instance, there is a chapter about techniques, then 5 different recipes that utilize that technique...and not just 5 recipes, but 5 "meals"or menus....so that say, I can do 1 chapter a week, and cook maybe 3 full meals that utilize those specific skills, techniques.

then the next chapter builds on the last, and the menus get more complex....etc....so that by the time I get to the end, I have learned "this this and this" and I've made these menus....

This sounds almost school textbook like, for say, like a math class, where you can't just skip to the end, and do the "problems"

I mean, it's hard to fit everything into 1 book, but perhaps there is a "series" would be better.

I wish I could give some examples of techniques and then a few sample "menus" that correspond, but I guess that's what I'm looking for in a cookbook. maybe the closest is something like an Alton Brown (eh) style DVD set/book?

[CakesBySarah]

That would be awesome! Wayne Gisslen's "Professional Cooking" textbook comes close, but that's more classified like "meat" "veg" "breads" etc. and techniques to cook and handle each item.

[RPMcMurphy]

yeah, Julia Childs Mastering the art...is setup similarly too, and is a great book, but not so much what I'm after.

[RPMcMurphy]

anyone have experience with La Technique: An Illustrated Guide to the Fundamental Techniques of Cooking


I read a blog called The Amateur Gourmet and saw it mentioned few times.

[CakesBySarah]

Maybe we all at ChefTalk should work on compiling one??? There are enough people here, with enough experience and original recipes, that we could probably get it done!

[boar_d_laze]

Yes, I'm familiar with La Technique. The chef is one of the greats of the modern era, the photography is excellent, the writing is not. I'm not sure how to describe its utility, it won't take you from zero to medium, it probably works better for someone who already has a pretty an idea of what to do, and knows he's doing something wrong, than for someone who's purely clueless. Pepin's later books are more helpful; he learned a lot from Sophie. Their collaboration may be his teaching effort.

For what it's worth, the book I'm working on is very technique oriented. One of the problems I'm having is organizing it so that it's very modular and progresses smoothly from very simple to more complex. Part of this is my own confusion and part is the nature of the beast. Techniques may be independent, but most interesting recipes are inter-dynamic and rely on several fundamental techniques.

My original idea was to organize the book into several sections, each stressing a particular set of techniques, and each section including "teaching" recipes -- with very complete "how to" descriptions of the particular techniques; about 30 teaching recipes in all, to cover all the basic techniques. And another 150 or so recipes that are simply recipes -- breakfast, lunch, dinner, salads, starters, desserts, from several different cultures. But, I'm having trouble fitting the material into this kind of organization. It's a struggle.

"Plating," menu organization, party organization, recipe writing, recipe improvisation, besides things like searing, sauteing, bread-baking, etc., will be among the techniques taught. I'll also write a very strong section on outdoor cooking -- including grilling and smoking.

At this time, the overall style is "New American Bistro," because it expands to include a variety of ethnic and regional cuisines, elevates the familiar, stresses thematic simplicity; and for the way it uses highly adaptable "French" technique to achieve it all. The overarching goals are to teach culinary confidence and competence. And fun.

The target audience is the home cook who wants to be able to produce restaurant quality food and have fun doing it. No level of competence is presumed. I believe that anyone who likes to eat can learn to cook well, no matter how little they know -- without being a slave to a recipe and a set of measuring spoons. I plan to stress that my ways are not the only ways and to encourage exploration and creativity. And, naturally, to include the usual corny stories and tangential trivia.

You've all seen some of my "teaching" recipes (the very long ones with lots of explanation and description of technique). What do you think? What would you like me to change in the way I write them?

It would be very helpful if you could tell me as specifically as possible what you'd like to learn from a cookbook. What techniques? What recipes? What about buying guides? What intimidates you? What do you wish you could do?

"Input. Need input."

Thanks in advance,
BDL

[RPMcMurphy]

BDL,

I like your writing. Tonight I had a dinner party (nothing special just the inlaws) and made 2 dinners actually (mom is one of "them" that we don't speak of!) and followed you're steak recipe again. Let me actually put some more thought into it tomorrow and jot down a few more details of what I'm looking for that may be helpful to you.

[RPMcMurphy]

OK, so to elaborate more (and to give BDL "5" his input!), most cookbooks, of the techniques kind, not a "recipe book" aren't really "useful" in every day practice, because no one wants to just "practice" techniques. They want to cook food.

Heck, I'd love to dive into say....mastering the art of french cooking and make every sauce then move on to spending a week just cooking eggs, but that is just not practical.

Take me, a typical guy, 9-5 job. I try to cook...like REALLY cook at least 3 nights a week. and learn while doing it.

I'm not sure how you would separate the "curriculum" but I can see if I can give you an example......

knife skills:
Explain a-z knife skills, heck, break it up into numerous parts.....for each part have 3 complete meal recipes that utilize the skills learned in that section. to start off, the recipes would have to be basic, but build on the techniques over time.

Maybe another section is saute'ing. So at the end, you can have a meal that uses Tourined (sp) Carrots (from the knife skills section) and so on.

You don't have to keep building on techniques, but if chapter 1 is on knife skills, the recipes shouldn't be to flambe or make a soufflé if you get my drift.

And for the recipes, make them more...."challenges" and maybe rate them.....

so say you have a knife skills chapter.....

have 5 complete menus (each with an appi, main, a side or 2, and maybe even a dessert) rated from easy to difficult....

want to appeal to a wide audience? make 1 of those 1..."master challenge" that is the most difficult of the knife skills tought in that chapter. it gives the reader confidence that he has a good handle on knife skills if he can apply it and some chef that wrote the book says "if ya can swing this menu you are pretty **** good at knife skills"

confidence.

make it fun, have "challenges"

but in the mean time....the guy or girl who is reading the book, has a good meal as a result of learning as the MAIN reason a lot of us (and ALL of us home cooks) cook, is...well....heck, we need to eat!

Heck do it as a multibook series. DVD's, webcasts, what have you....

but set it up like a mathbook. or better suited....a "chemistry" book.

Call it the "Chemistry of Cooking" series........make each section an "Element"

have a neat periodic table with cooking stuff in it..maybe herbs/spices/proteins/veggies....

I don't know what techniques I need to know and in which order I should learn them in....so I can't elaborate on that much.


Let's face it....with the media and TV and the internet...EVERYONE wants to be a chef. Top Chef, Kitchen Nightmares, the Food Network, etc....but not all of us can up and enroll in the CIA....a book series would satisfy a lot of the wannabes and be useful to the serious wannabes.

[RPMcMurphy]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

Techniques may be independent, but most interesting recipes are inter-dynamic and rely on several fundamental techniques.

Agreed, but thats the challenge, to put together meals at the end of each technique that employ that technique and make the rest of the meal, somewhat easy. But build on them.

My original idea was to organize the book into several sections, each stressing a particular set of techniques, and each section including "teaching" recipes -- with very complete "how to" descriptions of the particular techniques; about 30 teaching recipes in all, to cover all the basic techniques. And another 150 or so recipes that are simply recipes -- breakfast, lunch, dinner, salads, starters, desserts, from several different cultures. But, I'm having trouble fitting the material into this kind of organization. It's a struggle.

which is why I can't buy that book off amazon right now....it's a tough one to write.

"Plating," menu organization, party organization, recipe writing, recipe improvisation, besides things like searing, sauteing, bread-baking, etc., will be among the techniques taught. I'll also write a very strong section on outdoor cooking -- including grilling and smoking.

sounds good

The target audience is the home cook who wants to be able to produce restaurant quality food and have fun doing it. No level of competence is presumed. I believe that anyone who likes to eat can learn to cook well, no matter how little they know -- without being a slave to a recipe and a set of measuring spoons. I plan to stress that my ways are not the only ways and to encourage exploration and creativity. And, naturally, to include the usual corny stories and tangential trivia.

that should ONLY be assumed before page 1. Afterwords you should PRESUME and make it a POINT to presume, that the cook KNOWS everything/techniques, etc. Like a mathbook.....turn to chapter 5. it PRESUMES you know chapter 1 2 3 and 4...but not 6. because 6 is tough....so no problems with 6 in chapter 1. Now...I'm not saying if the first section is knife skills that you ONLY employ knife skills in a meal....thats silly, but let's not make soufles in chapter 1.

You've all seen some of my "teaching" recipes (the very long ones with lots of explanation and description of technique). What do you think? What would you like me to change in the way I write them?

It would be very helpful if you could tell me as specifically as possible what you'd like to learn from a cookbook. What techniques? What recipes? What about buying guides? What intimidates you? What do you wish you could do?

"Input. Need input."

Thanks in advance,
BDL

I'm tired of seeing books broken down by "beef, poultry, veggies, pork"

I wanna see things like: (in no particular order)

knife skills,
preparing meats
preparing vegetables
sauteeing
roasting
braising
plate presentation
menu design
sauces

go julia childs in depth,

so chapter 10...you have a menu that employs the toughest knife skills, with some pretty complex sauces.

I think this is a very tough book to do, but broken down, its really 2 books. a techniques book......then a recipe book.

now put 100 recipes on 1 side and 25 techniques on the other, and draw lines matching each with each, and lay it out in a logical fashion in a book.


Ill also add, a lot of people don't realize that you can apply techniques to various foods....proteins. etc. they see a recipe for braised pork, but would be dumbfounded if you asked them without researching to jot down a quick recipe for braised beef...(maybe a bad example but you get what I'm saying) I may be generalizing but in my opinion a lot of people I know, don't learn cooking, they learn "recipes"

[GhettoRacingKid]

RPMurphy,

You know what you need to read. The Julie/Julia Project.

Its about a chic who does MTAOFC (mastering the art of french cooking) in 1 year. ITs actually becoming a movie right now. Itsa good read. and she learned alot so maybe try that.

Other then that. I think some culinary school text books might help you out. While experience and pressional training cant come from a book it can help or at least get you in the right direction.

[RPMcMurphy]

That looks interesting. It seems there are 2 books on Amazon, both seem the same, but different titles?

[phoenix 12]

"On Cooking" by Labensky & Hause. Chapter by chapter will have it's subject, then have recipes at the end of each chapter.

Mike