Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. I and Vol. II by Julia Child and Simone Beck

Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking is probably the most influential cookbook of all time. Child conveys techniques, both simple and complex, in clear, thorough detail, but amazingly she does it without being intimidating or boring. Her ability to mix clear instructions with fun, witty writing has been emulated by many authors for decades to come. Not only that, Julia Child, and her equally influential cooking show, introduced many home cooks to a whole new world of gourmet cooking, and changed the whole American concept of home cooking forever.

The best part of the book is that the recipes do work. Mastering the Art of French Cooking offers a comprehensive set of French classics. Many of the recipes are not for the faint of heart, but long recipes are conveniently broken into smaller pieces to make them more manageable. Plus the author provides many useful tips on what can be made ahead of time.

So here we are decades after the first publishing of Child's groundbreaking book, and it is still the template for the modern cookbook. The book is still the essential authority on French home cooking, and, more importantly, the book provides such a solid foundation for general cooking techniques that it is sure to enrich anyone's cooking skills.

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