292357 Sat Mar 29 16:51:03 -0800 2003 8 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1595468 in addition to improving my baking skills, i would like to improve my sauce-making skills. when i learned to cook i was a vegetarian so i never learned the basics of saucemaking. now i am learning to cook meat; hence the need for a good book on sauces. although i can follow a recipe, i would really like to learn the fundamentals so i can improvise. i have narrowed my choices to two books: james peterson's sauces and michael roux's sauces. it seems that the peterson book is more comprehensive, but the roux book has pictures. have you used these books? which do you think is better for my purposes? if you could only have one of these books, which one would you pick? or is there some other book that i should get instead? i know a lot of people swear by julia child. i have never cooked from julia child, but from following the julie/julia project (highly recommended) i think she cooks with too much cream and butter for my taste. (don't get me wrong, i have nothing against the occasional cream sauce, i just don't want to eat it every night). Sat Mar 29 16:51:03 -0800 2003 0 baking novice 1 1595470 All good sauces start the same way: roast or brown in a saute pan the bones, add mirepoix, add tomato product (if using), deglaze, add bouquet garni, water, flavorings/herbs particular to the sauce you are making, etc. etc. Either of the books are recommended highly; they are both great choices. When you start, however, you'll begin to see a common thread throughout your sauce-making and it will all make sense before long. If you make it often enough, you will just have an innate sense for it too: if you have rabbit carcasses, you'll understand what flavors go with it, what wines to deglaze with, etc. It's really fun to learn how to make sauces and use them. Classic meat-based sauces also go so well with some pastas with bits of meat from the carcass or roast that they came from. Have fun! Liz Sat Mar 29 17:44:50 -0800 2003 1595468 0 Liz 2 1595471 so if you *had* to choose between the two, which one would you pick and why? Sat Mar 29 18:07:26 -0800 2003 1595470 0 baking novice 3 1595524 I hate to do this to you, but the differences are what one would expect, and therefore you must decide: Peterson's book has more different types of sauces, whereas Roux's book is classically french. I, in every aspect of cooking, begin with the foundation of a cuisine, so I guess if it were me, I'd go with Roux first. Someone above did mention what I think are my very favourite cookbooks ever, and if I had to pick a series, it would be the Time Life Foods of the World. They are *outstanding* in every aspect, and are spectacular in scope. I'm in the food business, and I still from time to time refer to them. I last cooked from the Indian book and found it completely authentic and incredibly well researched and photographed. You can find them also on eBay. LIz Sun Mar 30 15:00:54 -0800 2003 1595471 0 Liz 4 1595580 MK recommended the Time-Life "Good Cook" series, which is different from the "Foods of the World" series. Both are excellent. Regarding sauces, I recommend you take another look at Julia Child. Her information is correct and her recipes always work. When you cook from her books, you will begin to understand how foods "work" so that you soon will not have to follow a specific recipe to make your sauce. I got my best cooking education from Julia Child's "Mastering . . ." Volume 1. I also have Peterson's book on Sauces and find it to be reliable. I also recommend Peterson's "Essentials of Cooking", especially as you are learning new techniques. Good luck and have fun! R Mon Mar 31 12:04:55 -0800 2003 1595524 0 Seattle Rose 1 1595475 I think either book would be an excellent choice. I might favor the James Peterson book a bit because I think that it gives more of a global viewpoint of sauces from all over - some of them quite rustic. I've also found Madeleine Kamman's saucemaking discussions and ideas fascinating. I particularly like In Madeleine's Kitchen's sauce chapter. If you have trouble finding that book, there is extensive sauce coverage in The New Making of a Cook. Sat Mar 29 21:22:07 -0800 2003 1595468 0 David 1 1595492 Look in second hand stores,or through Amazon for the Time Life 'Good Cook' series from the late 1970s'.There was a book on sauces,among many others that you might find useful.They have photos illustrating techniques,are inexpensive,and are well researched. Sun Mar 30 08:51:14 -0800 2003 1595468 0 M.K. 1 1595579 I use two. My all time favorite is "The Saucier's Apprentice" by Ramond Solkolov(?) and "In Madeline's Kitchen". After browning my bones I do my demi glaze by placing the stockpot in my oven. I set the temperature to around 250o or where I can control the simmer. This gives my stock and even heat and prevents unattended boiling. Jim Mon Mar 31 12:03:59 -0800 2003 1595468 0 Jim Tarantino 1 1595582 I use two. My all time favorite is "The Saucier's Apprentice" by Ramond Solkolov(?) and "In Madeline's Kitchen". After browning my bones I do my demi glaze by placing the stockpot in my oven. I set the temperature to around 250o or where I can control the simmer. This gives my stock and even heat and prevents unattended boiling. Jim Mon Mar 31 12:07:36 -0800 2003 1595468 0 Jim Tarantino