FROM JULIA CHILD'S KITCHEN

by Julia Child ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 6, 1975

What? Julia Child using leftovers for stuffed cabbage and moussaka? . . . The French Chef herself orchestrating ""your own homemade pizza"" and traditional roast turkey (pardon, dinde roti au four)? Viewers of her second TV series, where the recipes collected here first appeared, will have taken all this in stride, and by now they may be ready to take another look at the lasagne a la francaise that raised the hackles of Italian-Americans and the curry dinner based on the all-purpose curry powder and coconut that purists scorn. Yes, this is far more eclectic and personal than any previous Child cookbook, but don't get the idea that just any shortcuts are countenanced in Julia's home kitchen. The point to French cooking, she says, voice booming in anticipation, is ""to do something to the food"" whether you're working on hard-boiled eggs, a perfect hollandaise, or ragout d'oie au chou. Nor are there any faddish concessions to the new wave of French cuisine; the ""so-called Young Turks"" who would banish roux from sauces get the back of her hand. And despite the somewhat greater emphasis on down-to-earth foods--the lentil, New England fish chowder--Julia insists that there's no money-saver like learning to cook right--roulades, tartes, your own charcuterie. A patient yet demanding teacher as always, Julia turns every dish into a basic cooking lesson with extra emphasis here on how to extrapolate from standard recipes. There's some overlap with her two-volume Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but the how-to photos, new foods, streamlined techniques and extra tips more than pay their way. A big, strapping, marvelously garrulous book--roll up your sleeves.

Pub Date: Oct. 6, 1975

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1975

Categories: NONFICTION