Julias Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking by Julia Child

Julias Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking Reviews

• 
  Steven Peterson

  Julia Child describes the focus of the book thus (Page ix): So often you can be in the midst of cooking and you just can't remember whether that leg of lamb should roast in a 325 degree or a 350 degree oven. . .This book aims to give quick snappy answers to many of these questions."
  
  Chapters within this book include: Soup and sauces; Salads and dressings; Vegetables; Meats, poultry, and fish; Egg cookery; Breads, crepes, and tartes; Cakes and cookies; Kitchen equipment and definitions.
  
  Examples of coverage. Main salads for meals. The first example is Salada Nicoise. A recipe is provided. More interesting? Child supplies variations on the basic recipe, such as cold meat roast salad, Syrian lamb salad, and Pheasant (or duck or chicken or turkey) served in salad.
  
  The chapter on meats, poultry, and fish features discussion of different cooking techniques, such as sautéing, broiling, roasting, stewing (braising and poaching). Interesting concept. Child notes Beef bourguignon as a basic recipe. Then, she discusses variations on this master recipe, such as Coq au vin and Ossobuco.
  
  This book is straightforward, the recipes are quite doable, and there is a lot of useful information. A nice work by Julia Child.
  
• 
  Bailey

  This book is basically a crash-course in making delectable treats for those who might be too intimidated by the behemoth that is Mastering the Art of French Cooking, kitchen novices, or people who want to brush up on their kitchen skills. Not all of the recipes are simple, but she provides a good amount of detail and there really isn't a lot of questioning the methods - they're straightforward and understandable. I like that she sometimes explains why a certain technique works scientifically, because it is always fun to learn while you do. And the nicoise salad I made was delicious! My brother is a picky eater (good luck getting him to try a vegetable he hasn't eaten for the last 26 years), and when he finished (after practically licking the salad bowl and soaking up the remaining dressing with a roll), he said "Not bad." High praise, indeed!
• 
  CJ

  A small book, a little over 100 pages, packed with 'a lifetime of cooking' expertise of Julia Child. The book arose from Julia's looseleaf notebook she kept in her kitchen. A Cliff Notes, as it were.
  
  The book assumes the reader knows his/her way around a stove and has a reasonably furnished kitchen. What is does is present a 'master receipe' and several different ways to change it to be something else that is wonderful. More than once, Julia tells the reader to consult a larger cookbook for more details.
  
  I enjoyed the book because it is a consise gathering of receipes and methods that work.
  
  
• 
  BespectacledBookGirl

  For someone who doesn't know super basic things about cooking (what even is an endive? how do you cook meats? it's possible to MAKE mayonnaise??) such as myself, I'd recommend grabbing a physical copy of this to keep in your kitchen as a quick reference. Split up into the basic meal types--ie, salads, fish, eggs, etc--the book has Julia's basic, go-to recipe for everything, provides a few variations, and includes one slightly more elaborate recipe per section. Favorite part = sauces! And the pro tips on things discussed in that section found in inserts. Learned lots, can't go wrong. (Only slight negative is that the meat section involves a lot of stuff that maybe your average post-grad isn't too keen on making on a regular old night, like duck. And I think I'm going to swear off making "roasts" until I'm middle aged.)
• 
  Nichole

  Loved the simplicity of this book. Julia provides some easier "Master Recipes" but reminds us that once you know a recipe, you don't necessarily need to glance at it every time you prepare a dish.
  
  I highlighted a lot of "master recipes' and some beautiful take homes that only Julia:
  
  Once you have mastered a technique you hardly need look at a recipe again, and can take off on your own.
  
  When you have a few cake formulas and filling ideas in your repertoire, you will find that it’s pretty much an assembly job—you can mix and match a different way every time. Please note that there’s only one cookie recipe—no more room!
  
  Overall it was a good, quick read that read like a novel and less like a cookbook. It provided recipes and kitchen wisdom and wit.
• 
  Ellen

  If you have ever wished you could make a perfect omelette or poached egg, thought clam chowder was too difficult, wailed over a broken hollandaise sauce, or ruined a beautiful big roast, Julia Child rescues you with this book. The chapter on eggs justifies its purchase without any help from the other chapters, and the index is a meal-saving powerhouse. With Julia’s effusive encouragement, I felt emboldened to try techniques I otherwise would never have considered. It’s not an all-encompassing encyclopedia of cooking, but it will give you confidence in your cooking and maybe even the moxy to try something you thought was beyond your skill level.
• 
  Jessie

  I didn't realize this is more of a reference book than a read-through type of cookbook, but I greatly enjoyed it anyway. Julia talks to her readers as if they are her friends, and she is original, infinitely knowledgeable, and funny without trying. She knew about all manner of now-trendy practices -- for example, putting a poached egg on just about anything -- before they became trendy. But she would never toot her own horn. She just lays the information before her readers, straightforwardly and good-naturedly, and gives credit where credit is due.
• 
  Trina

  I just love Julia Child, as you read her recipes you can see that she has a REAL love for food. You know that every recipe she wrote she injoyed it. She wouldnt write anything that she wouldnt eat herself. And you dont see that with much cheifs this days. God Bless Julia Child.
• 
  Kathleen

  a great book for a beginner cook who wants to learn a few very adaptable recipes and techniques to start out with. if you're an experienced cook and already have a lot of cookbooks, this one probably isn't so useful for you.
• 
  Mel

  this is such a beautiful, uncomplicated, straightforward look at basic cooking rules. Julia is full of inspiration and ideas for simple ways to make beautiful food. Especially take note of the section on eggs...if it doesn't inspire you to make some eggs then I just don't even know what to say. :)
• 
  Crazy Librarian

  Ultimate crash course in French cooking - consider this book a ‘greatest hits’ of Julia Child’s extensive culinary career (providing an overview of Mastering, her PBS series, memoirs, interviews, & biographies etc,).
  
  Julia Child’s clear voice, easy to follow instructions & passion for cuisine shine through. A MUST READ for fans & novices; die hard fans will rediscover new foods & techniques & newbies will hopefully want to ‘go deeper’ into the recipes & pick up ‘Mastering’ and learn more about Julia’s amazing life.
  
  Totally worth reading for the soups & sauce sections alone - her classic & magical French Onion soup is on pg 7 - go cook it for yourself:)
• 
  Ioana

  Everything this amazing woman does is just like that: AMAZING!
  This one's a concentrated volume to have at hand while trying your best at cooking the glorious dishes provided in the masterpiece MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING. I am into reading food-related books these days and this was an enjoyable encyclopedia for the curious passionate beginner home chef. I can't wait to get my hands on MTAFC so I can finally make the Boeuf Bourguignon I've been drooling over since Julie & Julia. Oh, the simple joys of cooking.
• 
  Tim Post

  A delightful reference
  
  Handy for the drawer, this book is the ultimate cheat sheet for things we tend not to cook often enough for all things to be readily available in memory. The book assumes you know how to cook rather well, and puys useful bits all so easily confused or forgotten within easy reach. Still very relevant even in modern kitchens with A.I. voice assistants, tablets and phones.
• 
  Jessica

  I'd consider this Julia's greatest hits. If you don't have one of her volumes in your kitchen, this is the one to pick up.
• 
  Mickey Stallone

  Thoroughly enjoyed!
  
  Such good concise instructions! I sure do miss her. I was only in 10th grade when her show came out. She is my role model for the love of cooking.
• 
  Lisa

  Helpful. Some info a tad dated.
• 
  Johnnie Gee

  Its a cookbook by Julia Childs. How bad could it be? IT IS A COOKBOOK!
• 
  Elizabeth

  A quick version of Julia's basic techniques- it's geared for anyone who needs some reminders and encouragements to get cooking!
• 
  Hailey Lombardo

  She writes exactly as she talks! I couldn't help but read many of the lines with her voice in my mind. So many basic and useful tips and tricks. I'll be keeping this one around the kitchen!
• 
  Tbone

  Master recipes followed by condensed recipes that build upon the base
• 
  Mary Ellen Woods

  This is a wonderful resource for both the experienced and new cook as it provides good basic traditional techniques and information, such as both English and French cooking terms, as well as discussion of cookware, gadgets, and appliances.
  This is not the traditional recipe book, though there are basic recipes with variations provided such as roasts with subsections for beef, chicken, lamb and cakes with a variety of toppings and garnishes.
  There are 2 downfalls. One is that it is somewhat dated in method and ingredients, specifically it does not match with the modern desire for easy preparation and healthy eating. The recipes are often multi-step and have a good deal of fats, especially butter.
  Secondly, there are no pictures given of the methods and prepared dishes.
  Worth having on your shelf if you want a quick reference or don’t have Julia’s other more expansive books but redundant if you do.
• 
  LJ

  Hardy har har. I love Julia Child, I really do. I think her "Mastering the Art..." cookbooks belong in a museum, let alone in the kitchens of people everywhere. However, let's not kid ourselves that ANY of this is simple or basic. For pete's sake her recipe for making hard boiled eggs is almost a page long! That being said, she is still adorable and her love affair with food is definitely admirable, if not contagious.
  
  So this book is not the "cooking for dummies" that I thought it might be, but that is just a marketing problem. Julia's little tips come alive in this book, you get the sense that you are once again little, watching t.v. in the rec room and have stumbled upon this hilariously large enthusiastic woman playing with geese carcass. Her words are truly hers, and if you love her, you'll love this book.
  
  

  "[This book:] is aimed at those who are tolerably familiar with culinary language..." p.ix
• 
  Terry

  This book is not a standard cookbook. It does provide recipes, but is not meant to provide exhaustive collections for every dish and variation. Rather, it emphasizes a way of cooking based on mastery of fundamentals, or as she puts it, a small set of master recipes. Using a master recipe as the basis, one can eventually developing a familiarity and ease with technique for whole classes dishes derived from the master recipe, leading perhaps to improvisation and certainly improvement of one's cooking ability.
  
• 
  Ashley

  This is a useful book, although I imagine it was more useful 10 years ago before the internet was so prevalent. It has some basic recipes, but also lots of hints and tips from JC. I think, though, that many of her hints are easily available online now. I got this book for free from Borders when they launched their e-Reader iPhone app, and I'm glad I flipped through it, but unless you cook a lot of fancy/french food, it's probably not worth paying a lot of money for.
• 
  Nomad

  VERY good for the home cook. All the tips are arranged in a logical manner and the recipies that make the best demonstrations of said tips are immediately following the tips.
  
  I think this is a kitchen essential. No home chef should be without it. It doesn't matter if you want to cook French food or if you would rather skip Ms. Child's other cookbooks. This is all solid cooking advice that defies genre. Well worth the money.