Favorite Culinary School Books?

I agree with Baconator.  Also pick up of copy of "The Joy of Cooking" by Irma Rombauer, most of us own a copy of it and a lot of people turn to it as the Bible of basic recipes.  It's an excellent reference book.

Oh and obviously, grab "la guide gastronomique" by escoffier.  In the original french, if you speak it.

RBandu, would you recommend any specific printing of the joy of cooking, or just any version?

I'd actually recommend a more recent printing, though the original is a collector's item of sorts for guys like me.  I've got 3 copies, (1 in my office, one on my shelf at home, one on my son's bookshelf) the newest one is "recompiled" by Irma's daughter and her husband and includes conversion charts (metric/imperial stuff) etc etc.  Just hit up a bookstore and grab it, I promise you you'll be thanking me for years to come.

So there is no difference in the actual content? When I got Larousse I was told to get as earlier a printing as possible (I ended up with a version from 1981ish), so I just wanted to check if I should be looking for an older one or the newest printing. Cheers

just want to point out - you need to tell us more...

there are too many good books out there.

what kind of food do you want to cook?

what kind of food do you do... (insert a thousand questions)

then we can really start to offer advice on books

Joy of cooking a good book for home cooks but certainly not a book I would list as any sort of Culinary school text. I'd even hesitate slightly to suggest The Joy of Cooking today as "The New Best Recipe" by Cooks illustrated/Americas Test kitchen is a much more in depth book for a basic cook book.

Go To Culinary Text;

Escoffier

Larousse

The New Professional Chef

The Art of Garde Manger

I'd also add a copy of On Food and cooking by Harold McGee.

Dave

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckFat 

The New Professional Chef

The Art of Garde Manger

On Food and cooking by Harold McGee.

 

 

These should be your first three purchases IMHO, they are exactly what I was going to recommend and have a TON of valuable information in them.

As for Escoffier and Larousse, although I own and have read both, I wouldnt rush out to get these first thing as a home cook.   They are cool to read for their sense of history and everyone should read them for their historical value, but a book like The New Professional Chef is going to contain most of the important principles and  techniques from those books anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyfishnsparky 

Thank you Micheal,

 

To be a bit more specific.  My goals are to give myself a strong foundation of cooking skills, being self taught I realize there are huge holes, since I don't work in professional kitchens.  I would like suggestions for text books or go to books for those that are learning the trade from the inside.  I have books like Mastering the art of French Cooking and Joy of Cooking, what books did you use in cooking school day for savory items?  Hopefully this doesn't muddle the issue. 

 

Thanks

 

Brian
 

"The professional chef" is what you are looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Chef-Culinary-Institute-America/dp/0470421355/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337021360&sr=1-1

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyfishnsparky 

 I would like suggestions for text books or go to books for those that are learning the trade from the inside. 
 

These books are all text books used by schools including the CIA.

1) The New Professional Chef

2) The Art of Garde Manger

3) The Art and Science of Culinary preparation.

The New Professional Chef is a must have. Here's a few links you might find helpful.

Dave

http://www.ciachef.edu/admissions/academics/reading.asp

http://www.ciaprochef.com/fbi/books.html

In my 3rd year at JFCI and the first book required is

ON COOKING, A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals - ISBN 9780137155767, we refer back to it our entire time there. 

Two other books required for specific classes,

Professional BAKING- ISBN 9780471783480 and

The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen, GARDE MANGER,CIA - ISB 9780470055908

These are excellent instructional guides with recipes.

Just thought I'd share our required texts and and let you know they are very easy to understand if on your own.

Thanks for the answers, here are a few I'd recommend for you:

Ratio by Ruhlman,

Bakewise and Cookwise by Corriher

The Flavor Bible by Page

Sauces by Peterson

Cooking for Geeks by Potter

Complete Techniques by Pepin

Skip any silly expensive ones, they don't have any real secrets except for what questions will be on an exam.

Every school has a different focus and different attitude - you aren't in school and don't have to get a certain grade in order to continue, nor do your mushrooms need never meet water!

I'm not saying the above books are bad or not useful - it's just that some are silly expensive and if you only need to know how to make something rather than recite a certain persons way of making it ... then go for the cheaper one with the same result.