Hamlyn

Contains a General Index of key topics, and a separate Index of Recipes. Weights and measures are given in metric, Imperial, and American standards, with a nice precaution that "it is advisable" not to mix them. Unlike most cookboooks sorted by type of dish or recipe, this encyclopedia presents topics in alphabetical order.

This work is touted to be "the world's most famous culinary reference book" and to provide comprehensive coverage of "every aspect of cookery". This includes history and show more traditions of foods and eating, biographies of chefs, cooking terms, and culinary techniques. For example, how to filet a fish, or make beurre blanc. How to store and use ingredients. Provides over 3,800 recipes, many of which are classic and non-obvious.

Prosper Montagne published the first edition in Paris in 1938. This revised English edition features 90 new biographies and expands the global scope. There is emphasis on techniques of contemporary cuisine -- alongside simmering, braising, roasting and baking, we now find induction or plancha cooking and the use of liquid nitrogen and creating foams. New ingredients such as cactus, eddo, haloumi, potmarron and tonka beans, along with new recipes such as chocolate avocado souffles. With over 800 illustrations and 400 photographs.

Under "Abattoir" is a small section on "Slaughtering in former times", with a surprising observation that "in the language of Homer, to express the idea of the slaughter of livestock, there are no verbs other than those relating to offering up sacrifices to the gods".

What a wonderful thing to repeat -- to recall the days when our food animals were treated with respect, even "religiously". Today, we eat creatures produced in factories and torture chambers. Chickens who live to scratch the earth, are pinned in cages and never touch the ground. Calves are locked in pens and have never spent their youth gamboling the meadows! We have fished to near extinction species we once ate in abundance. We are doing this WRONG. J'Accuse!

Fortunately, many people "care" about food. My takeaway on the attitude of the many authors of this encyclopedia is that transparency, planning and integrity must attend what we eat. Every professional and every consumer should insist that great "care" be taken of our food. show less

Not sure where or why I bought this but my general take is that none of these herbal of other horrible concoctions seem to work. Though the Kama Sutra combinations illustrated throughout might just do the trick for many people. The layout is that of an alphabetical encyclopaedia though if you are going to try and use mustard, for example, as an aphrodisiac there is certainly not enough detail there to explain how to prepare of deliver it. Seems that porn has become the modern aphrodisiac. show more Though the modern drug viagra really seems to work too. But I'm now in the position of having to downsize my library and this book is one of the casualties. Pity but I won't be using it in the future. I give it three stars. show less

This book is full of wonderful fairy tales to include Aesop's Fables, The Wild Swans, Rumpelstiltskin, excerpts from Hucklebery Finn, Gulliver's Travels, and various poems. The illustrations are lovely and the entire book is wonderful from cover to cover. I highly recommend this book to anyone with children, and even those without. It's wonderful for telling a story each night at bedtime.

Its not a bad book if you have a bit of prior knowlege. For example the recipe for a victoria sponge is fine if you know how to prepare the tin, how to fold and how to mix and whisk. I do fortunutly but I can imagine that alot of people my age don't.

If you want to learn this kind of thing then buy Delia Smith's first cookery book first which I would highly reccomend. This does have some really nice recipies in though, especially the vegetarian one which has been a lifesaver for me.