Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Kevin's been spending a few weekends volunteering at the WETA-FM 90.9 telethon drives. While he was there he got me a gift! Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Because of my lack of upbringing with American home cooking, I am not sure if I can fathom how influential this book was to American cuisine. Originally published in 1961, this book was a huge breakthrough. The writing is clear and concise, the information is so useful. Thinking about all the other books I've perused, I can't think of any other cookbook that has laid things out in such a sensible manner. It is not surprising that this book has become the standard in cookbook writing. The recipes are so tempting, with variations of preparation and presentation. All without the aid of color photographs!

Never having been to France, and having only eaten French meals at a few restaurants, my depth of knowledge on French cuisine is slim. (Does watching Julia and Jacque count?) Needless to say, I've learned a lot about French cuisine from this book. Every kitchen should have it. And of course, if you own it, perhaps this post will serve as a reminder to dust it off and make some recipes out of this oldie but goodie.

Look forward to adaptations on some of these French dishes on the blog!