The Way to Cook

This is the kind of cookbook you can actually just read. The photographs are beautiful, plentiful, and helpful. And the book works in the old-fashioned way most hotly marketed cookbooks today don't; you get a master recipe, and then several variations on the theme, or ways to use the master recipe as a part of other dishes. Some of the more elaborate items I haven't had the courage to try (like dripping hot sugar over a broomstick to decorate my yule log). There are a lot of short articles on subjects of all kinds (like the physiological consequences of eating plenty of beans), full of Julia's humor and pragmatism. This gorgeous book will probably be of most use to more experienced cooks with plenty of time and kitchen space. But anyone show more can learn a great deal about how food works, and you can adapt the size or scale of the recipes to suit your own taste. Comprehensive and lush. show less

This was my treat to myself about eight Christmases ago. I love to cook (and, unfortunately to eat my own cooking ) and I was throwing a dinner party for six of our closest friends. I wanted to really blow their sock off, some of them are certified chefs, so that isn't easy. Anyway, this cookbook is wonderful, not only do you get recipes, you get tips on how to alter recipes. I've gone through close to a third of the recipes and referred to this book when I've run into difficulty at the stove. If you ever watched Julia Child on TV you know how she talked and worked, the book is absolutely the same. She even takes pot-shots at other cooks and cooking fads.

Sometimes Julia just assumes we have a completely stocked kitchen with every gadget imaginable....still, this is a useful cookbook to have around.

This was my first cookbook, and still my favorite. Julia Child taught me everything I needed to know about cooking. I cooked my first Thanksgiving straight out of this book, and had a great time learning how to do it right.

Of the various Julia Child cookbooks that I own, I go to this one more than any other. It is a wonderful compendium of recipes, wisdom, and colorfully presented.

Great cookbook for French cuisine. It includes recipes for dishes that Julia Child considers "master recipes" which are dishes she considers standards. Not for the person who wants quick and easy recipes, although if you've spent time in a kitchen, nothing in here should scare you off.

An outstanding cookbook that covers Julia Child's interpretations of French cuisine. It includes master recipes that are staples of the genre.