Michel Roux Sauces
Classics reign in this age of back to home and hearth. French restaurateur Roux embraces this trend by presenting 200 traditional and new (but not nouvelle) sauces to cook and serve. Modern forms mix well with centuries-old liquid enhancements, such as hollandaise and bechamel. Moreover, the author accompanies the basic building blocks of sauces--stocks, for instance--not only with eminently practical tips but also with full-color, step-by-step photographs that leave no doubt of what to do when. Listen to his voice: "A sauce-maker is like a bartender mixing cocktails." And to his advice: Always add cold water to stock ingredients. Crush garlic in a mortar and pestle with a large pinch of coarse salt. This chef's counsel will open wide the eyes of even experienced kitchen hands.Barbara Jacobs