Customer Reviews:
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 Not for beginners July 23, 2008
This is not a book for beginners. This is a book for people who have some chops, but who want a reference manual.
Ignore everybody who complains about the photos: they will never produce meal after meal. They are too busy complaining.
This is a master-work.
Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques May 2, 2008
This is one of my very first cookbooks purchased at the start of my culinary career. This book is extremely well written with both useful tips and illustrations that we assist even the beginning cook in recreating the masterpieces listed there in. From creating the basic brown stock to stuffing a flank steak, there is something in here for any cook or chef of any culinary level.
Excellent technique!!!! March 24, 2008
Jacques been an incredible chef for the last 3 decades, and this book include almost all the amazing tecniques he use. This is recomended it for a profesional chefs not for domestic use.
Learn the fundamentals from a true master March 20, 2008
Short of having a pro chef standing at your shoulder, this book is about as good as it gets on learning the true fundamentals-things like cutting up and de-boning chickens (which can save you a lot of money), removing corn from cobs, making crepes, souffles, and the like.
Jacques is a true master chef, maybe the most efficient and fluid person you will ever see in a kitchen. In addition to true culinary chops, he almost got his Ph.D. in literature-a disagreement with his major professor over his thesis led to him quitting-so he can actually write. In fact, his English writing is better than 99% of native English speakers!
This is not a traditional cookbook-there are not a lot of recipes. Instead it is a book of cooking techniques, a book on preparing ingredients for cooking. Since studies have shown that 70-80% of kitchen time is preparing ingredients as opposed to cooking (applying heat to food), this book is invaluable as it helps you with the most time-consuming activities in the kitchen.
Complaints? Only one: The pictures would be clearer if larger and in color. This book is an improved version of two earlier books (La Method and La Technique) combined into one and he simply reused the original pictures, which are a little small and dark. I would rate is 4.5 stars if I could.
So, if you want to really learn to cut up a chicken, get this book and a half-dozen birds to practice on, then have a cookout for some friends!
 Complete Techniques, a complete misnomer March 7, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I'm a pretty good cook and went to culinary school. I'm also eager to learn everything I can. I'm hardly a snob when it comes to food and preparation. I also read a lot of cooking non-fiction.
I love Jacques Pepin. I think he's the name man and am currently reading his biography. So, it pains me to give this review, but I gotta be honest, this book sucks. The descriptions are way too brief and half the techniques in here are completely useless with today's cooking. Tremendously disappointing.
Want a real complete technique book? Check out La Varenne Pratique by Anne Willan or The Professional Chef from the CIA.
Sorry Jacques.
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