Mastering Sauces

May 4, 2015
In Volland’s fourth book (after Green Black Red), she tackles the taxing art of making sauces, an endeavor that requires confidence and skill, a delicate hand, and a discerning palate. She groups sauces by flavor and texture, getting deep into specifics—which thickeners to use, how to create specific flavors using particular seasonings—and then applying those lessons throughout the book using practical examples. The extensive list of recipes includes the classic French sauces such as jus and béchamel, as well as lots of sauces from all over the globe, including Arkansas Chocolate Gravy and Hara Masala (Indian Green Spice Base). Volland also advises on using the correct pot for each sauce so as to risk the, say, burning the contents. This book should be added to the list of necessary equipment for making sauces, right after the whisk and double boiler.

July 1, 2015

Volland is a trained chef who served as an editorial assistant for the six-book masterwork Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. Here she provides thoughtful and in-depth coverage of modern sauce-making fundamentals, teaching readers to maximize flavor, season confidently, and navigate cooking vocabulary (they'll know when their sauce is mucilaginous). Discussing cooking temperatures, reduction times, thickening agents, and troubleshooting tips, Volland expertly answers the technical and scientific questions most readers will have. VERDICT This is an excellent culinary reference with a thoroughness that recalls titles such as Shirley Corriher's Cookwise and Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg's The Flavor Bible. Highly recommended, along with Martha Holmberg's Modern Sauces.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.