In this unrivaled practical guide, one of America's most widely respected chefs/teachers/cookbook authors distills his vast knowledge and experience into the more than one hundred essential techniques that every cook needs to know. One hundred fifty recipes and I, 100 photographs unravel the mysteries of the method and provide practical application on the spot. Here are answers to just about every cooking question, from the simple (whyyou shouldn't leave slices of apple sitting in water) to the sublime (whyyou should want to roast a whole saddle of lamb).

Basics

HOW TO:

Peel Vegetables

Shuck, Stem, Trim, and

 Seed Vegetables

Cut Up Vegetables and

 Herbs

Prepare Fruits

Take the Meat out of a

 Coconut

Make a Chicken Broth

Make a Fish Broth

Make a Crustacean Broth

Make a Green Salad

Make a Vinaigrette

Make Infused Oils

Make a Mayonnaise

Make a Hollandaise Sauce

Clarify Butter

Make a Flavored Butter

Make a Beurre Blanc 48

Make a Tomato Sauce so

Make Fresh Egg Pasta

Dough

Roll and Cut Fresh Pasta

Dough

Make Stuffed Pasta

Shapes

Make Gnocchi

Make Blini and Crepes

Cook Risotto, Pilaf,

Fluffy Rice, and Paella

Determine Doneness of

Foods

Vegetables and Fruits

HOW TO:

Roast Vegetables

Make a Vegetable Gratin

Slow-Cook (Braise)

 Green Vegetables

Glaze Root Vegetables

Deep-fry Vegetables

Make Potato Chips and

 French Fries

Grill Vegetables

Steam and Boil

Vegetables

Saute Vegetables

Cook Artichokes

Make Mashed Potatoes

and Other Vegetable

and Fruit PurGes

Make a Vegetable Flan

Make a Chunky

Vegetable SOUD

Make a Creamy

Vegetable Soup

Roast Fruit

Poach Fruit

Fish and Shellfish

HOW TO:

Poach a Big Fish

Poach a Small Fish

Poach Fish Steaks and

 Fillets, Small Whole

 Fish, and Shellfish

Cook Fish Fillets en

 Papillote

Bake Fish and Make a

 Sauce at the Same Time

 (Braise)

Roast a Whole Fish

Deep-fry Seafood

Grill Seafood

Saute Seafood for a Crisp

 Crust

Cook Squid (and Other

Tentacled Creatures)

Stir-fry in a Wok

Steam Shellfish

Shuck Oysters

Prepare Lobster

Prepare Soft-shell Crabs

Cook Crayfish

Use Salted Anchovies

Make Miso Soup

……