The Zwilling J. A. Henckels Complete Book of Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to Use, Techniques and Care
Zwilling J. A. Henckels introduced his legendary German cutlery in 1731, and now his chefs have created a textbooklike guide on how to use the blades of the present. A kitchen-technique book of this depth and precision is a useful read for home cooks and aspiring culinary students alike. Authors Elliot and DeWan break each skill into small intricate steps, which allows the gourmands among us to follow along with ease and confidence. Once we have our mise en place, we’re invited to peruse the kitchen as we learn how to chop, dice, rondelle, and chiffonade our way through the pantry. The chef-authors clearly outline which tools and practices are necessary to fabricate poultry, fillet fish, shuck oysters, or butterfly chops. Chapters alternately discuss the proper way to cut for presentation and cooking accuracy while focusing on procedure and safety. This step-by-step manual of age-old culinary tradition will have readers who are looking to sharpen their kitchen skills preparing frenched lamb rack with tourné potatoes and fluted mushrooms in no time. --Brian Lesson