Williams-Sonoma Collection: Sauce

Icing may be the last thing one worries about with a cake, but for other courses, the topping spooned over or cooked into a dish can make or break it. This new addition to the Williams-Sonoma library covers a broad range of sauces from around the world, presented in simple and elegant recipes. The first chapter contains French classics such as bearnaise and hollandaise, as well as essential sauces from other cultures (i.e., Mexican mole, Thai peanut sauce and Indian curry). Subsequent chapters offer basic dishes like a roast leg of lamb made luxurious with the addition of red pepper sabayon, linguine enhanced with lobster-tarragon sauce, and mango mousse topped with raspberry coulis. Variations are sometimes suggested, especially for versatile bases like pesto and mayonnaise, and the gorgeous photography bears out the theory that a well-prepared sauce drizzled over a plate can do wonders to stimulate the appetite. Most ingredients used in the recipes are readily available, and the instructions are patient and clear enough for less-experienced cooks. The appendix goes into even more detail about cooking techniques, and each recipe is accompanied by a margin note that either gives advice on buying and preparing ingredients or tells a little about the origins of sauces like Argentinian chimichurri and Cuban mojo. The Williams-Sonoma series is well loved for collecting essential recipes in a beautiful format, and this volume does not disappoint. Color photos.