Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I: 50th Anniversary Edition: A Cookbook Hardcover – Big Book, October 16, 2001

Classic cookbook of French basics, as expected. Purchased with another copy of Julia Child's work.

Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking isn’t just a cookbook—it’s a masterclass in the art, technique, and passion of cooking. It brings back the memories of the quote from Ratatouille "Anyone can cook" and that is very true when you have this book in hand. Making it great for beginners and seasoned home chefs looking to up their game.One of its greatest strengths is how it brings back the fundamentals. In an age where shortcuts and fast meals dominate, it reminds us that great cooking starts with a solid foundation. From knife skills to sauce-making, she breaks down techniques with precision and clarity, making even complex dishes feel approachable.But beyond the technique, the true magic of this book is the darn good recipes that are in it!!If you’re looking to up your game in the kitchen, this book is a must-have. It’s a guide, a teacher, and a culinary adventure all in one. Classic, thorough, and just plain tasty—Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a timeless addition to any cook’s library.

Already read it. Great book

Just as amazing as I thought it was going to be 😁 I would recommend this book to anyone that loves cook books and uses them frequently or someone that just wants to expand their cooking experience

To much for me. The directions were confusing, not easy to follow, no pictures. Not for me

There are lots of recipes in here. Most include some sort of wine. They probably don't mean cooking wine but I don't drink so I got cooking wine. We tried a recipe that called for chicken and onions, etc. We cut the amount of onions down considerably and the onions were still really strong. I believe the recipe was supposed to have a strong flavor though. We made it for the almond flavor but the onions overpowered any chance of tasting the almonds. The onions were yellow onions. About 1/2 of an onion browned with garlic and butter. It was not like the french cuisine I had at a 4 star french restaurant. That french cuisine was smooth, not overpowering. It (the restaurant food) was so good of a flavor, you didn't want to stop eating and looked for things to dip the sauce into just to keep tasting the sauce. This french cuisine from the book was almost like it was its own cuisine. There are recipes that sound very good and some that do not sound good at all. The directions might not go into enough detail on some recipes to answer all your questions so be prepared for a little experimenting.All in all, I think it is a neat book. It does not have as many recipes for things I would cook as what I hoped for. There should be something for everyone. If you don't cook with wine, don't bother. There aren't many recipes without it. Don't be afraid to alter the recipe. If we cooked the chicken as long as the directions called for, it would have been chicken jerky. If we used as much onion as it called for, it would have been in the garbage outside.This book is written with the American in mind so you should be able to get the ingredients and understand mostly what to do. As mentioned, there are some details left out but you can get by without them. Just use a little imagination. Maybe see if you can find an old video of Julia making the dish to follow along with the book.

I'm not sure any superlatives are applicable that have not already been applied. French cooking is not for the faint of heart, but this cookbook takes some of the mystique and fear from it. I loved it.

Wanted this for years and picked it up this Thanksgiving to do something besides turkey. Her Boeuf Bourgignon recipe did not disappoint. This amazing cookbook is the most expansive cookbook I have ever owned.