Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home

Culinary grande dame Child and master chef P pin define ""the basics of fine food that looks good, tastes the way it should and is a total pleasure to eat."" Chapters are organized into appetizers, soups, eggs, salads and sandwiches, potatoes, vegetables, fish, poultry, meats and desserts. Based on the vast experience of these chefs, the book takes a she says/he says approach to home-style French cooking: While Julia finds the dark digestive vein in shrimp ""ugly"" and automatically removes it, Jacques considers it ""perfectly good protein to eat""; Julia prefers seasoning food with white pepper, but Jacques uses black pepper, and so forth. Child and P pin recycle familiar Franco-American classics, like Omelets, Souffl s, French Fries, Sole Meuni re, Roast Chicken, Steak Au Poivre and Cr me Br l e, with a contemporary sleight-of-hand (e.g., stocks that can be made within an hour; a microwave method for clarified butter). Eschewing today's trendy global pantry, recipes emphasize fresh, seasonal ingredients. There is also no shortage of shopping, preparation and technique tips from the pros, such as Jacques's perspective on buying a good steak: ""it's more useful to have knowledge about cuts of meat than a lot of money."" A charismatic tag team, veterans Child and P pin illuminate novice and seasoned home cooks alike, gently reminding readers that ""eating, as well as cooking, should be pleasurable and guiltless."" First serial to Gourmet; Good Cook Book Club main selection; author tour. (Sept.) FYI: Cooking at Home is based on a forthcoming 22-part PBS series.