My Master Recipes

Starred review from January 16, 2017
In this superb tutorial, Wells (The Provence Cookbook) shares master recipes from her classes to inspire confidence in home cooks. She includes simple techniques such as blanching, steaming, simmering, and poaching that serve as the foundation of her recipes. She advocates for cooking seasonally, substituting honey for sugar whenever possible, replacing butter with olive oil when appropriate, and using organic ingredients (for which she makes a strong case). She also includes a helpful list of essential equipment. Each technique is followed by several recipes utilizing that approach with an occasional side bar on related topics such as parchment paper lids, what to do with leftovers, and trussing poultry. Recipes sometimes include wine pairings, cooking tips, or suggestions for variations. Those who already possess confidence in the kitchen can dive right into the wealth of appealing recipes, likely learning a thing or two along the way. Wells’s chapter on infusing is spectacular, including not only oils and butters but salts, cheeses, and sorbets. Asian chicken and cilantro meatballs, falafel, and mushroom brioche rolls are just a few of the immensely satisfying recipes she includes in this welcome addition to her cookbook repertoire.

Starred review from February 15, 2017

Imagine you're in France with a marvelous teacher, learning to turn artichokes, simmer soups, and poach perfect eggs. Renowned author and cooking instructor Wells (Bistro Cooking) calmly guides readers through essential techniques (e.g., blanching, steaming, braising) and offers illustrative "master recipes" to learn and reinterpret. Simple, seasonal dishes such as steamed cod with rosemary and seaweed butter, seared beef rib-eye steak with mint chimichurri, and individual rose and raspberry pavlovas will send gourmands to the kitchen for leisurely cooking. Don't expect shortcuts; Wells's recipes are fiercely precise and personal. If you're missing a particular tool or appliance (e.g., tea strainer, food processor, baking stone), you'll need to devise an alternative. VERDICT Wells's latest is beautiful and instructive, and her recipes and notes are a pleasure to read. If you're lamenting the loss of Julia Child and Richard Olney, this is a must.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.