Thus far, none of Ruhlman's recipes or techniques has steered me wrong, and this book is no exception- it's a wecome addition to my cookbook library and knowledge base.

Sauteing may be the one most useful technique for cooking delicious dishes- and yet, it's more complicated than it seems. Ruhlman does an excellent job of explaining exactly what we are looking for, and then offers a number of recipes/techniques that use this. Since it's a quick cooking method, it is especially welcome when one wants to put a meal on the table fast. Also, often other techniques- like roasting and braising- benefit from a bit of sauteing at some point in the process.

The directions for sauteed mushrooms- and what we can do with them- is probably worth the price of the book itself. Add various other sauteed things- including an excellent chicken-fried steak!- and it is well worth reading cover to cover, and incorporating a better grasp of sauteing into one's cooking.

There are additional recipes, too, that help turn the sauteed items into full meals- like a shellfish stock to benefit sauteed shrimp, as well as several sauces (although my husband and I were not entranced with the onion gravy that accompanied the excellent chicken-fried steak).

Very recommended for thinking home cooks that want to up our game! ( )