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The Chef's Companion: A Concise Dictionary of Culinary Terms, 2nd Edition

by Elizabeth Riely
 
Book Description

Any food professional or aspiring chef will quickly build confidence in the use of culinary terms with this indispensable guide to the correct spelling, pronunciation, definition, usage, and origin of over 4,500 terms. The updated Second Edition of The Chefs Companion succinctly covers all the latest terms relating to cooking techniques, food preparations, herbs and spices, varieties and cuts of food, wine terminology, and equipment for the professional kitchen, as well as notable figures in the history of food and gastronomy.


Review

Elizabeth Riely has amassed a library of resources (see the enviable bibliography) and has carefully chosen a comprehensive collection of culinary terms for this book. The cross-pollination of categories is rich, from the scientific to the ethnic, from the technical to the colloquial. Of her knowledge and research capabilities, I'd say she's a force to be reckoned with. With people like Elizabeth Riely and Sharon Tyler Herbst in this world, rest assured that when a culinary term is needed just fingertips away, we can depend on their talents to give us responsible information. I also like the pronunciation guides, as I am prone to guessing incorrectly more often or not. For anybody who's into food as more than a hobby, The Chef's Companion (published by the textbook makers VNR, and I hope, available to more than culinary school students) reads like a satisfying novel. Lick a bookplate and stick it in the front cover of this book; you'll keep it forever.
Reviewer: A reader