Sauces Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making Second Edition James Peterson "After a couple of decades of anarchy and chaos in the kitchen disguised as la nouvelle cuisine, a treatise such as Sauces, grounded in common sense, infuses one with renewed faith." So says no less an authority than Richard Olney, who as the acknowledged master of the contemporary culinary arts, possesses the perspective to judge what is merely history, and what is truly historic. Since its publication in 1991, Sauces has proven itself a landmark work, winning The James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook of the Year award, and garnering worldwide acclaim for its author, James Peterson, who with his very first book established a reputation as one of the most literate and knowledgeable individuals among the vast ranks of culinary writers. By marrying the best of well-practiced techniques and methods with the adventurous innovation of the contemporary art, Peterson has forged a new direction for sauce making that rings as true for home cooks as it does for professional chefs. Sauces has been as much a celebration of cooking as it was a teaching volume because it is, at its heart, a reflection of Peterson’s romance and devotion in the kitchen. Sauces is firmly dedicated not only to broadening the cook’s appreciation and understanding of sauce-making’s traditional principles, but also to empowering the reader to become an adept improviser. We are reminded that cooking is an art, and no art can thrive without the freedom to change and evolve. More than just a compendium of recipes, Sauces explains how and why the ingredients of a sauce are combined. Structured around the framework of classical French cooking, it provides in thorough detail explanations of, and instructions for, preparing both traditional and contemporary versions of most every sauce imaginable. Classic white and brown sauces, both starch-thickened and flourless; popular meat and fish sauces made with drippings and juices; sauces based on egg yolks, including béarnaise, hollandaise, mayonnaise and their variations; sauces made with butter, including the beurre blanc-based sauces that revolutionized modern cooking; vegetable purees; dessert sauces, and many more. The Second Edition addresses the growing appreciation for Asian cuisine, whose bold flavors have helped make it a staple of the modern healthy diet. Peterson serves up an overview of both ingredients and techniques for a collection of favorite Asian recipes. Pasta sauces, which were absent in the first edition, get Peterson’s meticulous treatment here, and the techniques for making other types of sauces can be used here to create flavorful and satisfying dishes. Peterson goes straight to the heart of the culinary art to explain, in plain language, how ingredients work together, and groups the recipes according to their basic ingredients such as olive oil, seafood, and vegetables. As always, Peterson reminds the reader that the recipes are ultimately a guide, and encourages cooks to explore great new tastes through their own creative efforts. Joining the more than 500 recipes in the Second Edition are the author’s 190 color photographs that clearly illustrate the fundamentals of good sauce making. Peterson also provides a practical discussion of pairing wine and food, as well as guidelines for improvisation and tips for restaurant chefs. A new bibliography and source list of purveyors enables readers to expand their knowledge and enhance their creativity, all in all making a must-have reference for one of the most exciting and challenging areas of cooking.

The winner of the James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year Award when it was first published nearly two decades ago, Sauces is, in the words of Mark Bittman, "the single contemporary reference on the subject that is both comprehensive and comprehensible." Through two successful editions, it has established itself as a modern cookbook classic—and an essential reference for every serious cook.

James Peterson trained as a chef in France, and the book offers a thorough grounding in the art of classical French sauce making, from velouté, béchamel, and demi-glace to hollandaise, mayonnaise, and crème anglaise. But Peterson also presents a wide variety of lighter contemporary sauces—including pan sauces, purées, and vinaigrettes—as well as sauces from around the world, including salsas, pasta sauces, and Asian-style dipping and curry sauces. Best of all, he includes recipes not just for sauces, but for finished dishes. These recipes give Sauces a broader scope, showing how good cooking and sauce making are intimately related—and demonstrating how a correctly prepared sauce can transform a well-cooked dish into something truly sublime.

Now, with this new edition, Peterson has thoroughly revised and expanded Sauces to make it even more indispensable. You'll find more than sixty all-new recipes for dishes that showcase the leading role of sauces in cooking, such as Chicken Tagine with Harissa Sauce, Osso Buco with Julienned Vegetables, Lobster à la Nage, and Gold-Plated Chicken with Ginger, Saffron, and Almonds. There are intriguing historical recipes from medieval and seventeenth-century Europe as well as broth-based classics such as Pot au Feu and Bollito Misto. And, by popular request, Peterson at last includes a recipe for traditional American Roast Turkey with Giblet Gravy.

This new edition has been completely redesigned to make it easier to use and includes more than thirty beautiful new color photographs of finished dishes with sauces. If you're a fan of the book's previous editions, you should note that Peterson has not cut any recipes for this edition, and that he has reinstated the popular sauce charts that appeared in the first edition.

Lively, erudite, and authoritative, Sauces remains the definitive modern work on the subject. And with this edition's additional recipes—there are now a total of 440—it is now even more valuable as a general cookbook. You'll find all the techniques and know-how you need to master the art of sauce making, and you'll also discover how sauces can take your cooking to a whole new level.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [583]-588) and index.

James Peterson trained as a chef in France and worked at several notable French restaurants before opening his own restaurant in New York in 1979. He has taught professional and home cooks at The French Culinary Institute and Peter Kump's New York Cooking School (now called The Institute of Culinary Education). He is the author of thirteen widely acclaimed cookbooks, including the James Beard Foundation Award–winning Glorious French Food and Vegetables, the IACP Award–winning Fish &Shellfish, and, most recently, the James Beard Foundation Award–winning Cooking. His Web site is jimcooks.com.

A Short History of Sauce Making.

Equipment.

Ingredients.

Stocks, Glaces, and Essences.

Liaisons: An Overview.

White Sauces for Meat and Vegetables.

Brown Sauces.

Stock-Based and Nonintegral Fish Sauces.

Integral Meat Sauces.

Integral Fish and Shellfish Sauces.

Crustacean Sauces.

Jellies and Chauds-Froids.

Hot Emulsified Egg-Yolk Sauces.

Mayonnaise-Based Sauces.

Butter Sauces.

Salad Sauces, Vinaigrettes, Salsas, and Relishes.

Purees and Puree-Thickened Sauces.

Pasta Sauces.

Asian Sauces.

Dessert Sauces.

Appendix.

Glossary.

Sources.

Purveyors.

Bibliography.

Index.