Subjects / French cooking
Best books to learn French cooking, in order
French cooking is a system of techniques more than a book of recipes, so you start with the foundations, knife work, stocks, and the mother sauces that everything else is built from. Then you graduate to bistro classics that drill those skills, and finally to the refined, multi-step cuisine that only makes sense once the fundamentals are automatic. Learn the techniques in order and the famous dishes stop being intimidating.
Reading paths for french cooking
Provençal and Southwest French Cooking: The Best Books to Read, in Order
Intermediate14books118 hrs4 stages
French cooking: the best books to master the classics at home
Beginner10books97 hrs5 stages
Popular french cooking books
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Frequently asked questions
- How should I approach learning french cooking?
- French cooking is a system of techniques more than a book of recipes, so you start with the foundations, knife work, stocks, and the mother sauces that everything else is built from. Then you graduate to bistro classics that drill those skills, and finally to the refined, multi-step cuisine that only makes sense once the fundamentals are automatic. Learn the techniques in order and the famous dishes stop being intimidating.
- What's a good book to start french cooking with?
- A strong starting point is French provincial cooking by Elizabeth David. The ordered reading paths above show exactly where it fits and what to read next.
- What should I read after french cooking?
- Once you have the fundamentals, explore closely related subjects like Thai cooking, Vietnamese cooking, Chinese cooking.