Carey (Creole Nouvelle
), founder of the Memphis Culinary Academy, offers a far-reaching look at the craft of cooking. Although he provides a wealth of varied recipes from Thai Chicken Satay to Arroz con Pollo to Blanquette de Veau, he is careful to point out that this is not a recipe book. Instead, it's a handbook focusing on the five distinct cooking techniques: cooking with dry heat, boiling, cooking with fat, cooking with fat and liquid combined, and extraction. Carey contends that mastering these five techniques allows the cook to produce any savory dish perfectly. He provides step-by-step instructions on everything home cooks need to know to produce professional-quality dishes, from the classic mother sauces to clarifying consommé to grilling fish. Recipes range from the complex (Coquilles St. Jacques à la Parisienne) to the easy (Mashed Potatoes), and even include instructions for a three-hour Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey, dressing, cornbread, cranberry sauce, pie, gravy, stock and haricots verts. Instructive illustrations and helpful tips are provided throughout. This book is an excellent addition to any cook's library. (Apr.)
