Overview

"In 1975, Anne Willan, a culinary icon who, along with Julia Child, Jacque Pepin, and James Beard, launched the modern culinary industry, founded Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris and educated some of today's most notable chefs – among them Steve Raichlen, Gale Gand, Virgina Willis, Martha Holmberg, and Alexis Guarnaschelli. Upon enrolling at La Varenne, all students received a helpful and easy reference tool: 'La Varenne Basic Recipes'. The booklet was based on chef Albert Jorant's belief that ""there are only fifty basic recipes in the culinary repertoire, and all other dishes can be made from them."" Edited by Anne Willan, 'La Varenne Basic Recipes' was a treasure-trove of essential recipes for any aspiring chef. Now, for the first time, the 50 essential recipes from the La Varenne curriculum are available to chefs, culinary students, and passionate cooking enthusiasts in 'Secrets from The La Varenne Kitchen'. Not a cookbook of finished dishes, this is a collection of the sauces, creams, pastries, and other elements that make up a dish. Above all it is a working tool, to fashion professional excellence. It is a practical book for practical cooks – both professional and home enthusiasts."

Full Product Details

9781940611150

Table of Contents

Reviews

I'm a cookbook accumulator -- I have more than 1,000, all well chosen for their excellent contents and designs. But do I cook from any of them? Very rarely! There is one exception, however, and it's a scruffy little book that was given to me when I was a student at La Varenne: the Basic Recipe book. My copy is more than 25 years old now, and has a few stained pages, due to the fact that I find myself referring to it for just about every recipe development project I've done. Whether it's checking the ratio for a thick bechamel or reminding myself how many yolks per cup of milk for a custard, I always appreciate the solid foundational recipes that help me create my own dishes. I've still never used the fondant recipe, however, and I'm pretty sure I never will! Martha Holmberg - former editor and publisher of Fine Cooking magazine, award-winning food writer, and author of Modern Sauces and Fresh Food Nation This is the only book that I've kept at my side for over 20 years that still triggers perfection and inspires me to master beautiful technique. For any level of cook or chef, this book is a must-have reference to basics or advanced skills to remind us always what it was and what it's supposed to be! Ana Sortun - James Beard award-winning Mediterranean chef and owner of Cambridge, MA-based Oleana This compact booklet holds the key unlocking the secrets to basic stock making, French sauces, and indispensable pastry components. If you can only have one basic book, this is it! Gale Gand - co-founder of Spritz Burger and Tru, best-selling author or Lunch!, and two-time James Beard award-winning pastry chef There are few books more well worn than my tattered copy of Secrets of the LaVarenne Kitchen. It's my go-to guide for foundation recipes. There are hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of these sorts of recipes in print and on the internet, but I am certain that these work and work well. LaVarenne and Anne Willan continually guide me in the kitchen and in my food writing nearly each and every day. I am a better cook and writer because of it. Virginia Willis - Southern food authority, best-selling cookbook author, and named by Chicago Tribune as one of Seven Food Writers You Need to Know. My copy of LaVarenne Basic Recipes, which I was given when I first arrived at Chateau Le Fey as a stagiaire in 1989, still sits at eye level on my cookbook shelves. It's an excellent quick reference for the kind of detail that can slip any cook's mind. What's the correct temperature for caramel, again? How much pastry do I need for a 12-inch tart shell, as opposed to an 8-inch? Why was it I'm not supposed to boil the fish stock? The book is full of tricks that take good cooking to great, along with recipes which form the essential foundation of any home cook's repertoire. I'd be lost without it. Laura Calder - James Beard award-winning chef, best-selling cookbook author, and host of French Food at Home La Varenne founder Anne Willan taught a generation of Americans how to cook. This timeless reference book has been my go-to guide for the fundamentals of French cuisine since my student days in Paris. It remains an indispensable resource for any serious student of the culinary arts. Steven Raichlen - barbecue expert and host of Primal Grill

La Varenne founder Anne Willan taught a generation of Americans how to cook. This timeless reference book has been my go-to guide for the fundamentals of French cuisine since my student days in Paris. It remains an indispensable resource for any serious student of the culinary arts. Steven Raichlen barbecue expert and host of Primal Grill

I'm a cookbook accumulator -- I have more than 1,000, all well chosen for their excellent contents and designs. But do I cook from any of them? Very rarely! There is one exception, however, and it's a scruffy little book that was given to me when I was a student at La Varenne: the Basic Recipe book. My copy is more than 25 years old now, and has a few stained pages, due to the fact that I find myself referring to it for just about every recipe development project I've done. Whether it's checking the ratio for a thick bechamel or reminding myself how many yolks per cup of milk for a custard, I always appreciate the solid foundational recipes that help me create my own dishes. I've still never used the fondant recipe, however, and I'm pretty sure I never will! Martha Holmberg - former editor and publisher of Fine Cooking magazine, award-winning food writer, and author of Modern Sauces and Fresh Food Nation This is the only book that I've kept at my side for over 20 years that still triggers perfection and inspires me to master beautiful technique. For any level of cook or chef, this book is a must-have reference to basics or advanced skills to remind us always what it was and what it's supposed to be! Ana Sortun - James Beard award-winning Mediterranean chef and owner of Cambridge, MA-based Oleana My copy of LaVarenne Basic Recipes, which I was given when I first arrived at Ch teau Le Fey as a stagiaire in 1989, still sits at eye level on my cookbook shelves. It's an excellent quick reference for the kind of detail that can slip any cook's mind. What's the correct temperature for caramel, again? How much pastry do I need for a 12-inch tart shell, as opposed to an 8-inch? Why was it I'm not supposed to boil the fish stock? The book is full of tricks that take good cooking to great, along with recipes which form the essential foundation of any home cook's repertoire. I'd be lost without it. Laura Calder - James Beard award-winning chef, best-selling cookbook author, and host of French Food at Home There are few books more well worn than my tattered copy of Secrets of the LaVarenne Kitchen. It's my go-to guide for foundation recipes. There are hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of these sorts of recipes in print and on the internet, but I am certain that these work and work well. LaVarenne and Anne Willan continually guide me in the kitchen and in my food writing nearly each and every day. I am a better cook and writer because of it. Virginia Willis - Southern food authority, best-selling cookbook author, and named by Chicago Tribune as one of Seven Food Writers You Need to Know. This compact booklet holds the key unlocking the secrets to basic stock making, French sauces, and indispensable pastry components. If you can only have one basic book, this is it! Gale Gand - co-founder of Spritz Burger and Tru, best-selling author or Lunch!, and two-time James Beard award-winning pastry chef La Varenne founder Anne Willan taught a generation of Americans how to cook. This timeless reference book has been my go-to guide for the fundamentals of French cuisine since my student days in Paris. It remains an indispensable resource for any serious student of the culinary arts. Steven Raichlen - barbecue expert and host of Primal Grill

There are few books more well worn than my tattered copy of Secrets of the LaVarenne Kitchen. It's my go-to guide for foundation recipes. There are hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of these sorts of recipes in print and on the internet, but I am certain that these work and work well. LaVarenne and Anne Willan continually guide me in the kitchen and in my food writing nearly each and every day. I am a better cook and writer because of it. Virginia Willis Southern food authority, best-selling cookbook author, and named by Chicago Tribune as one of Seven Food Writers You Need to Know.

Author Information

Anne Willan is recognized as one of the world's preeminent authorities on French cooking. She founded École de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris in 1975. Inducted into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame in May of 2013, Anne has more than 50 years of experience as a teacher, cookbook author, culinary historian and food columnist. She has written more than 30 books, including the influential La Varenne Pratique and the 17-volume, photo-illustrated Look and Cook series, showcased in her 26-part PBS program. Anne has given cooking demonstrations and lectures throughout North America as well as in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Chile and was a regular guest on The Martha Stewart Show. Her book, The Cookbook Library: The Cooks, Writers, and Recipes That Made the Modern Cookbook (University of California Press, 2012), has received the prestigious Gourmand Hall of Fame Award and the Jane Grigson Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Anne's memoir, One Soufflé at a Time: A Memoir with Recipes, was released in Fall, 2013, and won the prize for Best Literary Food Writing from the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 2014.

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