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Title: More recipe, not enough food science
Review: I gave two stars because I was looking for a book filled with food science and basics that can be embellished. I found less than half of what I wanted. The recipes are good, but very simple and much of the book is just variations on these recipes. An example might be a salad with walnuts and gorgonzola...on the next page it might say, "rather than using walnuts, try pecans and bleu cheese" (I don't have the book in front of me so I can't give an example straight from the text; I've already given the book away). I was hoping for explanations of food science (e.g. it is difficult for meat to brown in an acidic environment) and techniques such as reducing and deglazing. I would have liked to see an explanation of the four different classifications of french sauces as well. In any event, the book is clearly written, but I would not recommend it to anyone who had any previous cooking knowledge/skill.
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