Over 200 culinary techniques are demystified in this fully-illustrated and comprehensive guide to French gastronomy. Essentials of French Cooking offers the step-by-step kitchen techniques that are the secret to success. The book opens with a guide to the fundamentals of cooking: knife techniques (chopping, slicing, paring), cooking methods (braising, grilling, frying, steaming, poaching, roasting), sauces and stuffings, eggs, and dough. Each method is explained in text and photographs; 24 are further clarified on the 90-minute DVD that accompanies the book. Organized into courses, 125 classic recipes quiche Lorraine, onion soup, tarte Tatin are simplified for the home chef and provide ample inspiration for mealtime. Each recipe is graded with a three-star rating so that the home chef can gauge its complexity and gradually expand their cooking abilities through experience. Eight recipes from France s Michelin three-star chefs and culinary artisans offer the ultimate challenge. Cross references throughout to techniques, DVD footage, glossary terms, and complementary recipes make navigation easy. The volume is completed with practical resources: visual dictionaries of basic kitchen equipment; cuts of meat; types of herbs, grains, spices, pasta, dried beans; a glossary; conversion tables; and indexes of the recipes, main ingredients, and culinary techniques. With an introduction by the legendary French chef Paul Bocuse, this impressive volume is an essential guide for novice and established cooks alike.