Best Professional Cook Books for learning methods and terminology

Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Ruhlman

Culinary Artistry by Dornenburg and Page

On Food and Cooking : The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by McGee

Saucier's Apprentice by Sokolov

 

What cheflayne said, plus Complete Techniques by Pepin

 

If you don't mind reading a textbook, 'Professional Cooking' by Wayne Gisslen is a great all-around reference book. Easier to read than competitors like 'On Cooking' by Sarah R. Labensky and 'The Professional Chef' by The Culinary Institute of America.

The other books suggested on this thread are more of a supplemental reading that will prove a lot more useful once you have a solid general knowledge foundation to build on. On their own, I found them to be too random and too detailed in some respects.

I can honestly say that I go back to 'Professional Cooking' by Wayne Gisslen more times than any other books in my collection.

 

The French Laundry cookbook has tons and tons of phenomenal cooking advice, and advice on being a chef and what it means, how to be/act, etc. Great read, a lot more than just a "cheffie" cookbook

 

Couldn’t concur most. Professional cooking, is a great resource from soup to nuts. Basics in clean cooking technique and well illustrated.

 

Jacques Pepin the complete teqniues, food lovers companion , the reach of a chef by Michael ruhlman. Also check used bookshops for things that look interesting to you personally.

Good luck, knowledge is never complete. What they know you can always learn

 

101 Things I Learned in Culinary School by Louis Eguaras and Matthew Frederick is useful.

 

For terminology you can't beat "La Repertoire de la cuisine," but it's kind of overwhelming and dated (meaning almost nobody adheres to the classification any more outside France).

 

There's a slightly more modernized version called 'The Chef's Repertoire' by Gui Alinat. Not as extensive but equally useful.

 

Complete techniques from jacques pepin is a good book but I don't understand why it switches from color images to black and white, it's a little distracting. Professional cooking looks great, will have to check it out. Take a look at modernist cuisine also, I find it explains the why behind each technique a bit more in depth than other books I've read so far.

 

Hi all!

Any advice on portable books? I would like something entertaining that I can carry around, and in the meantime learn some new things.

So basically the main thing is the size, I can't take The Food Lab out of the house without getting a herniated disc or something

 

"834 Kitchen Quick Tips" by Cook's Illustrated. Great book.

 

Taking note, thanks a lot!