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Larousse Gastronomique
Since its first publication in 1938, Larousse Gastronomique has been an unparalleled resource. In one volume, it presents the history of foods, eating, and restaurants; cooking terms; techniques from elementary to advanced; a review of basic ingredients with advice on recognizing, buying, storing, and using them; biographies of important culinary figures; and recommendations for cooking nearly everything.
The new edition, the first since 1988, expands the book’s scope from classic continental cuisine to include the contemporary global table, appealing to a whole new audience of internationally conscious cooks. Larousse Gastronomique is still the last word on béchamel and béarnaise, Brillat-Savarin and Bordeaux, but now it is also the go-to source on biryani and bok choy, bruschetta and Bhutan rice.
Larousse Gastronomique is rich with classic and classic-to-be recipes, new ingredients, new terms and techniques, as well as explanations of current food legislation, labeling, and technology. User-friendly design elements create a whole new Larousse for a new generation of food lovers.
The new edition, the first since 1988, expands the book’s scope from classic continental cuisine to include the contemporary global table, appealing to a whole new audience of internationally conscious cooks. Larousse Gastronomique is still the last word on béchamel and béarnaise, Brillat-Savarin and Bordeaux, but now it is also the go-to source on biryani and bok choy, bruschetta and Bhutan rice.
Larousse Gastronomique is rich with classic and classic-to-be recipes, new ingredients, new terms and techniques, as well as explanations of current food legislation, labeling, and technology. User-friendly design elements create a whole new Larousse for a new generation of food lovers.
1360 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
March 20, 2012
If, like me, you're a certain kind of person, a bit of a food snob perhaps, You will aspire to own this book and like me you will enjoy owning it but ever really do anything with it, because it's not really a very useful book, nor is it very enjoyable to flip through. But after spending so much $$ and having far to much misplaced respect for old world traditions, you will fail to realise or admit that a better choice of culinary bible would have been the Oxford Companion to Food and anything by Harold McGee. Don't get me wrong, the world needs this book, but you probably don't.
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January 5, 2010Highly regarded as a French gourmand's Bible, I keep this book close to the kitchen as a culinary dictionary. Entries are organized alphabetically, and brief recipes are filed where appropriate. For example, if you want to find different ways to cook sole, look up "sole," and the entry will provide an explanation of the subject, tips on how to select and prepare the fish, then different recipes that focus on ingredients rather than step-by-step instructions such as "Turn the oven to 400 degrees...."[return][return]My edition is old, from the '60s or '70s, but it is still is useful to have around. Larousse Gastronomique is a companion to the kitchen and certainly not a replacement for a cookbook, as the recipes are there more for inspiration than direct instruction.
October 5, 2015
A reminder that as a child and thru high school my knowledge of the world was greatly dependent on the World Book Encyclopedia and Classic Comics, the precursors to our ability to search for every topic on earth thru the internet. Thanks to Erin and Andrew for this wonderful browsing companion. I find it impossible to read an entry without finding a term or reference that I don't know and need to look up elsewhere in the book.
July 29, 2011
One of the reference books we turn to when we need to know something that we don't know--with the internet, this is less of a necessary item on every cooks bookshelf, but we are book people, we have hundreds of cookbooks, so we of course have this too and use it farily frequently even to this day--there is alot to know...
March 11, 2018
The constant companion. If I were ever to be in the "big Brother" house and allowed to bring only one book in, this would be it. Who knew there were so many ways to cook and egg? This book took me from someone who could make a passable bowl of spaghetti, to someone not afraid to experiment with tastes and flavour combinations.
August 9, 2007
It's only shortcomings are its extraordinary franco-centricity, as well as factual errors here and there. Very useful resource though. Don't bother with recipes from it - obviously not very well tested (it's a reference book, not a recipe book).
May 29, 2020
Just the sheer effort put into this is astounding. It's a massive amalgamation of recipes, history, techniques, and science. Every entry is very easy to read and understand. For anyone super into food, this is a thing of beauty. I've never had so much fun reading an encyclopedia; this is definitely how they should all be put together!
February 4, 2021
I consider myself pretty adept in the kitchen, and cooked and read enough for this book to catch my attention. It wasn't as helpful as I expected it to be, though I picked up a few practical points. I don't think I'm part of the target audience as a home cook, as a lot of the material was irrelevant to my kitchen and the ingredients that I have available or are within our budget. I'm glad I got it out of the library instead of buying it.
I'll add that the team who wrote this know their stuff, unless it's about grilling/BBQ. They seem pretty clueless on that topic, at least from the point of view of an American charcoal enthusiast.
I'll add that the team who wrote this know their stuff, unless it's about grilling/BBQ. They seem pretty clueless on that topic, at least from the point of view of an American charcoal enthusiast.
May 11, 2017
Mình rất tiếc khi bản tiếng Việt của cuốn sách này không được tìm thấy và cũng không biết làm thế nào để thêm vào thư viện Goodread. Đây là một cuốn sách rất độc đáo, viết nên bởi sự tìm hiểu sâu rộng của tác giả về các vấn đề đời sống như thức ăn, quần áo lót, cờ vua và nhiều thứ nữa...Mình đã không ít lần shock khi đọc về cuộc sống của con người cách đây chỉ vài thập kỉ. Bên cạnh những thông tin sách cung cấp, còn có rất nhiều hình minh họa hehe.
Tuy nhiên mình chỉ cho 4 sao thôi vì đôi lúc hình minh họa không được hài hước cho lắm :))
Tuy nhiên mình chỉ cho 4 sao thôi vì đôi lúc hình minh họa không được hài hước cho lắm :))
May 29, 2021
When I started training as a chef I was given a copy of this. I won my current copy in 1993. It is well thumbed and has been my kitchen bible for over 30 years. To interpret the recipes you do need a basic knowledge of culinary terms and basic skills. It’s a must for any budding chef or wanna be domestic goddess...
August 19, 2021
Browse through it- You’ll be in awe of what French cooking entails. This is an encyclopedia! It covers anything and everything from utensils and tools to cooking methods and terminology and etymology. Just wow!
December 20, 2018
The depth of my nerdiness knows no bounds, and the hours of pleasure this behemoth has afforded me are infinite. I first discovered it as a teenager --my mom had an ancient copy-- and I would stand reading it at the kitchen counter until my neck got stiff and everyone else in the house had gone to bed. I know you're not supposed to read an encyclopedia cover to cover, but when the encyclopedia is so full of food and history and such mysterious phrases as "amalgamate the flour", how can one not? I still regularly pull it out, but only when I know I have an hour to spare, because I'm incapable of looking up just one thing and leaving it at that.
I will freely admit I've never actually tried to make one of its aggressively minimalistic recipes, but somehow that isn't the POINT.
I will freely admit I've never actually tried to make one of its aggressively minimalistic recipes, but somehow that isn't the POINT.
October 21, 2022
Great for French cooking and a Franco-centric view of food and the world. The way it markets itself as “the world’s greatest” really bothers me and therefore deserves one star.
“Larousse Gastronomique is still the last word on béchamel and béarnaise, Brillat-Savarin and Bordeaux, but now it is also the go-to source on biryani and bok choy, bruschetta and Bhutan rice.” - I cannot claim to be an expert on the other B recipes but this book is absolutely not my go-to for bok choi, are you fucking kidding me and I would not eat a biryani if someone said they made it following this TOME.
Also, real bold to making these grandiose claims about itself when it was published a whole 35 years after Le Guide Culinaire, if we’re really going to get technical with it.
“Larousse Gastronomique is still the last word on béchamel and béarnaise, Brillat-Savarin and Bordeaux, but now it is also the go-to source on biryani and bok choy, bruschetta and Bhutan rice.” - I cannot claim to be an expert on the other B recipes but this book is absolutely not my go-to for bok choi, are you fucking kidding me and I would not eat a biryani if someone said they made it following this TOME.
Also, real bold to making these grandiose claims about itself when it was published a whole 35 years after Le Guide Culinaire, if we’re really going to get technical with it.
January 17, 2023
This is a wonderful resource to own. I quite enjoyed some of the recipes inside, even though they are written in such a way that takes a bit of deciphering. If you enjoy reference manuals, this is a fun one to read with entries on foods, historical restaurants, preparations, and chefs. I learn a lot of new cake and pastry terms of foods, which provided a springboard to search for new recipes, which I loved.
The lentils with bacon rashers, parsley, onions and vinaigrette was delicious.
The lentils with bacon rashers, parsley, onions and vinaigrette was delicious.
April 20, 2024
Well the book of all books for culinary expedition.. I finally read/skimmed through all the letters A-Z of cooking and learned about different flavors and techniques..
And a little bit of history along the way in the world of cooking and baking..
I'm glad I got to read this book. Grazie mille 🙏❣️
And a little bit of history along the way in the world of cooking and baking..
I'm glad I got to read this book. Grazie mille 🙏❣️
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September 28, 2022good
November 25, 2024
The bible of french gastronomy, I was lucky enough to find a copy from the 60s in good condition and the old black and white illustrations alone are amazingly beautiful
April 14, 2025
If you love food, and like to know more about it ... even that this book was published before WWII it is still interesting and relevant ... and not only from the historical perspective
May 21, 2008
Have you ever read a recipe and said, "what in the world is that?" I run into new things all the time, especially when exploring new cuisines or old recipe books. This book is the way to answer your questions. Granted I got this before I had internet access in every nook of my living space including out by the grill... but even still, I believe in paper reference. Then I can cozy up with my food dictionary and ponder how I want to cook up my left over ingredients by using the recipes and methods described in Larousse.
Of course I have not read this cover to cover (I shouldn't say of course, because I would love to read it cover to cover some day.) It is essentially a dictionary of everything culinary in the western world, and sometimes beyond. Larousse is a must have reference book for any aspiring chef. It follows the typical conundrum of not usually entering one's collection until they are well educated in culinary arts, but I would pick up a copy ASAP if you are thinking of studying food or cooking. Whenever I see used copies for sale I buy them for friends, and sadly that does not happen very often.
It is organized alphabetically by ingredient or concept, which makes it exceedingly easy to navigate as you can drill down on certain topics in a somewhat whimsical fashion, not worrying if you are looking up "whisk" the implement or "whisk" the process. Probably a bad example, but you get what I mean: it is not categorized into sections like so many other food reference materials. You can go straight from "bulgar" to "Bulgarian cooking" without missing a beat.
Of course I have not read this cover to cover (I shouldn't say of course, because I would love to read it cover to cover some day.) It is essentially a dictionary of everything culinary in the western world, and sometimes beyond. Larousse is a must have reference book for any aspiring chef. It follows the typical conundrum of not usually entering one's collection until they are well educated in culinary arts, but I would pick up a copy ASAP if you are thinking of studying food or cooking. Whenever I see used copies for sale I buy them for friends, and sadly that does not happen very often.
It is organized alphabetically by ingredient or concept, which makes it exceedingly easy to navigate as you can drill down on certain topics in a somewhat whimsical fashion, not worrying if you are looking up "whisk" the implement or "whisk" the process. Probably a bad example, but you get what I mean: it is not categorized into sections like so many other food reference materials. You can go straight from "bulgar" to "Bulgarian cooking" without missing a beat.
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April 28, 2013Larousse. (2009) "Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia." Clarkson Potter
Brittany Ballard
Type of reference: Encyclopedia
Call Number:TX349 .L365 2009
Brief Description: This book is a chef's dream! It not only gives recipes, but also histories of the dishes as well. Students can learn hoe to cook as well as the history behind the dish.
Content/Scope: This book is written for high school students and above. It includes over 3,800 recipes, and pictures and descriptions of over 400 restaraunts.It also describes cooking techniques, ingredients, food histories, biographies, and descriptions of cooking equipment.
Accuracy/Authority/ Bias: These books have been in publication since 1938. The information given is a compilation of different techniques and recipes from different chefs, so it is accurate.
Arrangement/Presentation: This encyclopedia is broken into categories and spans over 1216 pages. Each category is then presented alphabetically. There are over 400 pictures of restaurants as well as pictures of the completed dishes.
Relation to other works: While reading other reviews, this seemed to be the readers top pick of cookbooks.
Accessibility/Diversity: This book is accessible to all different types of learners. It also spans over many different types of food from different ethnicities and cultures.
Cost: $ 90.00
Review: Reviewed by Anthony Bordain (Renowned Chef)
Brittany Ballard
Type of reference: Encyclopedia
Call Number:TX349 .L365 2009
Brief Description: This book is a chef's dream! It not only gives recipes, but also histories of the dishes as well. Students can learn hoe to cook as well as the history behind the dish.
Content/Scope: This book is written for high school students and above. It includes over 3,800 recipes, and pictures and descriptions of over 400 restaraunts.It also describes cooking techniques, ingredients, food histories, biographies, and descriptions of cooking equipment.
Accuracy/Authority/ Bias: These books have been in publication since 1938. The information given is a compilation of different techniques and recipes from different chefs, so it is accurate.
Arrangement/Presentation: This encyclopedia is broken into categories and spans over 1216 pages. Each category is then presented alphabetically. There are over 400 pictures of restaurants as well as pictures of the completed dishes.
Relation to other works: While reading other reviews, this seemed to be the readers top pick of cookbooks.
Accessibility/Diversity: This book is accessible to all different types of learners. It also spans over many different types of food from different ethnicities and cultures.
Cost: $ 90.00
Review: Reviewed by Anthony Bordain (Renowned Chef)
February 23, 2014
Buried in some of this book's lengthier entries are gems such as this one, which appears at the end of the 17-page entry (why? why not!) for "banquet":
"During the suppers which Louis XIV was wont to have with the princesses and the ladies at Marly, it sometimes happened that the king, who was very dexterous, amused himself by throwing little rolls of bread at the ladies and allowed all of them to throw them at him. Monsieur de Lassoy, who was very young and who had never before been present at one of these suppers, told me that he was extremely surprised to see bread rolls being thrown at the king, and not only rolls, but also apples and oranges. It is said that Mademoiselle de Vautois, lady-in-waiting to the Princess de Conti, the king's daughter, who was hurt when the king threw a roll at her, threw a salad at him, fully seasoned."
Besides having a penchant for definitional exhaustion of terms of French cuisine, ingredients, techniques, and so on, Larousse possesses a finely tuned sense of comedy.
"During the suppers which Louis XIV was wont to have with the princesses and the ladies at Marly, it sometimes happened that the king, who was very dexterous, amused himself by throwing little rolls of bread at the ladies and allowed all of them to throw them at him. Monsieur de Lassoy, who was very young and who had never before been present at one of these suppers, told me that he was extremely surprised to see bread rolls being thrown at the king, and not only rolls, but also apples and oranges. It is said that Mademoiselle de Vautois, lady-in-waiting to the Princess de Conti, the king's daughter, who was hurt when the king threw a roll at her, threw a salad at him, fully seasoned."
Besides having a penchant for definitional exhaustion of terms of French cuisine, ingredients, techniques, and so on, Larousse possesses a finely tuned sense of comedy.
August 20, 2007
This is a great book for the kitchen of anyone who loves food. This edition of the classic French reference book is quite beautiful. It covers everything--spices, wines, meats, butchery, and all the qualities most important to food snobbery. This is the first place to turn to for any food related question. The only problem: this is only the first place to turn to for any food related question. It's a great reference, quite handy, and pretty enjoyable to just flip through on a lazy afternoon, but it's best at giving you enough information to know how to go about getting more information on exactly what you're looking for. Some might be annoyed at this, but I imagine those to be the same people who got upset when their high school teachers told them their World Book Encyclopedias were, in fact, not a proper nor complete reference on the history and importance of oysters in New York. All in all, it's well worth the hefty price.
January 13, 2015
Although I embrace cuisine as a necessary element of culture, I have hitherto been rather an ignoramus in the field. Not any more. This Christmas treasure, a gift from good (culinary) friends, was originally devised by Prosper Montagnè, with the first edition in 1938, as a comprehensive guide to matters gastronomic, a serious counterweight to Alexandre Dumas' Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine. A skim of the contributors to this (2009 English edition, based on the French, 2007) and earlier versions reveals a pantheon of cordon bleu chefs, restauranteurs, academics, scientists, critics, writers, oenologists, sommeliers, confectioners, etc, etc. From recipes to history to food storage and presentation, if it's not in Larousse, forget it. Nothing is too minor a detail - for example, I learned that if you serve croque-monsieur with an egg on top, it becomes a croque-madame!
May 15, 2017
No foodie has a complete shelf without a copy of Gastronomique. It's part of a sturdy foundation for both professional and home cooks, bursting with tons of illustrations and information. This edition has full color and sharp illustrations and even recipes, an unpretentious look at food and doesn't become condescending when explaining the intricacies of the culinary world. The translation is smooth and even allows for casual reading. Mine needs replacing soon from years of spills and stains and very rarely do I get complaints over my cooking. I really think I owe that to the Gastronomique and a good translation of Escoffier.
January 9, 2008
Absolutely indespensible as a historical guide to classic cuisine, as well as a byzantine collection of oddities, rare recipes, and general foodie goodness. Some of the recipes are indeed quite dated, from ingredients (crow stuffed with juniper, anyone?) to measurements (take 'some' flour...) However, if I had all the information in this in my head, I could easily cook for the Marquis himself. One entry leads to another, to another, to another, in a spellbinding tome that you will want to read in a kitchen by candlelight.
April 9, 2012
Larousse Gastronomique is often cited as the best resource for culinary information. It's an enormous book with recipes, biographies, photos, ingredients, preparation techniques, cooking equipment, and food history. If you're looking for basic information, you'd probably be better suited with another guide. But if you're looking for in-depth or authoritative information, this is what you want.
March 27, 2008
This is the book for anyone that wants to know anything about cooking! It is a very old, very french book that has been translated, however it is like the bible of cooking and techniques! I highly recommend it!
April 15, 2011
We selected the name of our dog from this book. I just sit down, flip open to a random page and begin reading and ooing and aaahing over the pictures. The recipes have all been a success so far. Great book.
October 16, 2011
Although it has great photo's and explanations of techniques, I would not suggest anyone using this book as a "Cook Book". Its useful as a reference book however for the beginner cook to exactly follow the ingredient amounts might not notice that the measurements are often incorrect.
January 31, 2012
You can't argue with the comprehensiveness of this work (although I was looking for a recipe on Panna Cotta the other day and there's no entry for it!), it's just amazing. Obviously there's a big French slant, but that's okay (it's not like you don't know what you're getting).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews