Organized by large category and technique, it's a very handy reference guide for anyone reasonably comfortable in the kitchen. Every section contains a master recipe followed by variations. The emphasis is on technique, so if you occasionally locate yourself trying to remember at what temperature to excellent roast a duck, the excellent way to cook green beans and keep them green, or how to save your hollandaise, then this is the book for you. And what good is a reference guide not including an index? As always, Kid comes to our rescue together with a fantastic, comprehensive index, 19 pages long for 107 pages of topic, so we can locate the answers to life's burning questions in a flash.
Part of what makes Julia Kid such an icon is this she can describe a complicated dish, and in the next breath convince us to do it. Classic Chocolate Mousse, Sabayon, Scalloped Potatoes Savoyarde, and Butterflied Leg of Lamb sound manageable when they follow recipes for Roast Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Scrambled Eggs. And together with Kid's help, they are. "Fast, snappy answers" for together basic and complicated cooking questions do this a work we'll never outgrow. And if Julia can use a cheat sheet, so can we! Fans of Kid will love this her personality shows throughout in comments like, "Don't crowd the pan... or you'll be sorry," and, to introduce her Basic Vinaigrette Dressing, "I use the proportions of a very dry martini." Eight pages of photos taken by her husband, Paul, counting one of Kid together with the famous dancing goose, do this even extra of a treasure.
If there is anyone qualified to propose kitchen wisdom, it must be Julia Kid. Afterwards a lifetime of cooking and teaching, her knowledge is a ideal gift for fans, novices, or anyone responsible for putting dinner on the table each night. --Leora Y. Bloom