Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making

by James Peterson

"Here is yet another cookbook that can stand among the best reference works. I suspect it's a harbinger of kindred books to come as publishers begin to respond to a growing audience of cook-readers who hunger for connected, nuanced, reliably researched information.." --Gourmet Magazine "James Peterson has done for sauces that which Escoffier did for the cuisine of La Belle Epoque.. Sauces is a manual for the professional cook and, as such, it will rapidly become a classic and indispensable reference.." --Richard Olney, From the Foreword "It's the single contemporary reference on the subject that is both comprehensive and comprehensible. I love Jim's recipes (and there are gems all over the place here), but what's special about Sauces is the It reads so well that this is the kind of book you can take to bed." --Mark Bittman, From the Foreword "This is a book I wish I had written myself.. Every few decades a book is written that says all there is to say on a subject, or has all the information and passion that sets the standard for professional and amateurs alike. Sauces is one of the best culinary books of this century in English.." --Jeremiah Tower, Stars Restaurant "The art of sauce making is the cornerstone of serious cooking. This book is a must for the new generation of creative cooks who wish to build on the classical French foundation with contemporary, delicious variations." --Daniel Boulud, Daniel "It is a special reference book--comprehensive and inspiring.." --Alice Waters, Chez Panisse

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Culinary, Reference, Food and Drink

598 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

James Peterson grew up in northern California and studied chemistry and philosophy at UC Berkeley. After his studies, he traveled around the world, working his way through Asia, by land, to Europe. Eventually he landed in Paris and was amazed by the French attitude toward food and drink. (This was in the mid seventies when food in America was practically non-existent.) It was in France that he found his calling. As he was running short on funds, Jim found a job picking grapes in the south of France where he lived with a family for two weeks. He has never forgotten the sumptuous lunches prepared by the vigneron's wife. After his initial inspiration, Jim returned to the United States and got a job as a short-order cook. This was his first cooking job and while the cuisine was not 3-star, there was still the need for speed and organization. After saving money for a year and a half, Jim returned to France. After begging his way in, he ended up working at two of what were then among France's greatest restaurants, George Blanc and Vivarois. It was his experiences in these restaurants that shaped his style of cooking and drove his pursuit of cuisine as a career. Jim also studied pastry at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

By a series of serendipitous events, James found himself a partner/chef in a small French restaurant in Greenwich Village, called Le Petit Robert. It was here that he was able to experiment and invent and shape his own unique approach to cooking. The restaurant was reviewed in a wide variety of major publications including Gourmet Magazine where it was called "...what may be the most creative restaurant in New York." It was no doubt in part because of his extravagant use of truffles and foie gras, that the restaurant, after four years, was forced to close. At a loss, Jim started teaching cooking at the French Culinary Institute and later, at Peter Kump's New York Cooking School, now ICE. Jim spent a year developing curriculum for the French Culinary Institute.

After translating a series of French pastry books, Jim established a relationship with a publisher who encouraged him to write his own book. His first book, Sauces, published in 1991, continues to sell as well now as it did the first year after publication. It won the James Beard Cookbook of the Year Award and put James on the map as a serious writer and teacher. Other books followed: Splendid Soups, nominated for both a James Beard and IACP Award, Fish & Shellfish, nominated for both awards and a winner of an IACP Award, Vegetables, winner of a James Beard Award, The Essentials of Cooking, nominated for both awards.

It was during the writing and preparation of Fish & Shellfish that Jim starting taking his own pictures for his books. This started what has become a twenty-year obsession with photography. He set out to write and photograph a definitive technique book similar to Jacques Pepin's La Technique except in full color and updated. After the publication of The Essentials of Cooking Jim embarked on four small, photograph-laden, books about food and wine including Simply Salmon, The Duck Cookbook, Sweet Wines, and Simply Shrimp. After the completion of these four books, Jim set out on producing the monumental Cooking which is his attempt at explaining and illustrating the most important basics of cooking. Cooking won a James Beard Award for best single subject. When Cooking was published, Jim set out to tackle baking. A two-year project ensued during which Jim shot over 3000 pictures (with film!) for the definitive Baking. Baking went on to win a James Beard Award in the dessert and baking category. Exhausted after these behemoths, Jim wrote a book dedicated to simple dishes--dishes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. Out this last August, Kitchen Simple has been acclaimed as an important collection of simple yet elegant recipes. The latest project is the publication of the second edition of Jim's award-winning Vegetables. This new edition will hav

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book that will scare off the average cook. I have made bearnaise from this cookbook, following every detailed step he urges upon the cook, and heeding the warning that if the sauce is not made just so, it will turn into a heavy lumpy curdled nasty mess. I have also made bearnaise from The Joy of Cooking, which doesn't insist on exactitude and split second timing.

Both sauces were just fine, excellent with my asparagus, but one of them nearly sent me to the hospital with a nervous breakdown, and the other actually built my confidence that, you know, cooking isn't that hard. Guess which was which? And with so many Americans turning increasingly to restaurant meals, prepared foods from the grocery store, and packaged frozen dinners, with the attendant damage to their wallets and waistlines, a cookbook that suggests that cooking requires an industrial degree of precision is not just annoying - it's downright dangerous.

If you're a perfectionist, this is the book for you. If you are an ordinary cook, or heaven forbid, an amateur, this book will undermine your confidence in no time. If you are looking for a new and interesting sauce, get a copy of The Joy of Cooking or Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and look in the index under S.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first and thus far only cookbook I have read cover to cover, like a book. Peterson gets into the evolution of sauces, from the original ingredients and methods, to the sometimes surprising influences behind them, and the modern interpretations. There's so much amazing detail, about how cookware affects saucemaking, about the contributions and limitations of a huge number of ingredients... I could go on for 10,000 words on this one but I will stop. If you enjoy cooking and have any amount of skill, this book is for you.

[Iris]

Whoa, nelly. A formidable reference book for the professional, the ambitious amateur, and the historian. Read it for fun: dig the annotated recipes for dinners of ancient Rome or 18th-century France, sauces and all.

As a beginning-to-intermediate home cook, this is hardly Very Necessary; Mark Bittman's quick sauces, scattered throughout How to Cook Everything, are just fine. But this book is a master of taste.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with almost all of Peterson's books, this one is a great reference. Unless you're bending your will to dominating as a saucier, you probably won't read it cover to cover, but it's wonderful as a reference for everyday sauce making. It's got it all, from hollandaise to updated asian sauces and everything in between.

[Darbin O’Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best educational book on sauces. Anytime I come across a new sauce I want to try I proof it against this book.

[Lindsey Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth, extensive look at professional sauce making, this book explores technique and classic combinations, interspersed with recipes for illustration or elaboration. This is definitely a study book rather than a recipe collection or a straightforward reading book; it's also geared towards the professional just due to the logistics of ingredients, equipment and processes, but it still is written in a clear, straightforward manner that the curious home cook can understand ... though I think most of us would have limited application for the contents. It's not a book that can easily be used to improvise sauces at home, which was my hope, and is most accessible as an educational resource. I would definitely like to go through it another time with more background under my belt.

[John Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic!
I have given this book to a few young chefs over the years. It is a masterful reference. If I had had this and Escoffier, I would have forgone the Culinary Institute of America entirely.
A must for pros. A little top heavy for amateurs, but worth the effort.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

cooked w/ this book while we were in cooking school. still use it as a reference.

[Tina Denson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!This is one of the most complete and comprehensive cookbooks I have ever used. From now on it will be my go to for sauce, gravy, and broth making.

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thorough accounting of every sauce, from every culture you could imagine. May scare off casual cooks, but great for people that like to experiment and invent new dishes.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent reference for classic French sauce making. The sections added in subsequent editions leave something to be desired. They're no where near as complete as the original sections. Of course, each would require a book in itself to do the material justice so the author has merely touched on each one.

[Martha Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great cookbook to read. A little over the top for most cooks. If you aspire to be a chef, here is your primer. But for its sheer abundance of information and history......... I thank you James Peterson

[Eric Guzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t let the depth deter you from learning. This is meant more for a professional chef or an aspiring chef but there’s so much to learn. Everything from the history of each sauce to different uses for each.

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have/must read for serious cooks

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any cook.

[Suzanne Deneuve Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional book, every sauce you could ever need.

[Audrey Macklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's writing is a true work of art. I felt like I was living in the story.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than any other, this book taught me how to cook. Peterson's brilliance lies in his ability to weave together history, science, technique, opinion, and (finally) recipes, into a narrative that makes compelling reading.

You could use this as a textbook, a recipe book, a reference work, or as bedtime reading. Ideally as all of these. It's compelling, comprehensive, authoritative. I love it.

I've read the first and second editions, and so can only comment on these. The first has a strong French focus (ancienne, classical, and nouvelle). The second edition expands into other cuisines, reflecting changes in culinary education globally—classical French is no longer seen as the fount from which all culinary wisdom flows. It's an important update, but I do miss the taxonomic tree diagrams of French white and brown sauces.

Missing from these books is the culinary knowledge of the past 20 years, including pressure-cooker and sous-vide extraction techniques, modern hydrocolloid thickeners, and techniques using whipping siphons. If these are included in the 4th edition, I'll have to run out and get it. In the mean time, my go-to has been Nathan Mhyrvold & company's Modernist Cuisine series.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A serious book about cooking (well, sauces to be specific) -- on the one hand, it packs a lot of background information, introducing the cook to what some may assume to be unnecessary, historical fluff. On the other hand, Peterson writes with such authority, and purely verbally -- there are no pictures here, dear coffee-table chefs -- that you know he's a hundred percent business. This is not really a book for those only interested in a professional treatment of the cooking profession (if you're based in the UK, for that you might want to look at the NVQ certification books or something similar, though to be honest I've never read those), but a book for those seriously inclined toward cooking as an art and science.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic! It’s not very often that I get to read a cookbook that causes me to rethink everything I have been doing in this kitchen, but this book does just that! It has enough practical knowledge on each time of sauces that you really get a sense of understanding that allows you to modify them on the fly with ingredients on hand and still work out. Will definitely be coming back to this book for rereads often.

[Lablover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book and now I go back and reread. This is NOT for a beginner. However, that being said it is a fantastic resource for every kind of sauce you'd ever choose to make. It covers the basics and explains how to elaborate from there. He also explains the required equipment to ensure the best success! I highly recommend this book!

[Tim Gannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by James Patterson who trained as a French chef and also teaches at a couple culinary schools. He started with a history of sauce making down through history. He then spoke at length on a huge variety of sauces that exist, primarily in French and European cooking. Easily readable and quite interesting.

[James R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Geared towards professional chefs & very dedicated home cooks. This is a huge book with difficult to obtain ingredients and many steps. No pictures. The size & layout of the book reminds me of the "How to Cook Everything" book, it's like a giant reference that takes a lot of reading. I'd much rather have a smaller book that gives sauces for the home cook.

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, quite simply, changed the way I cook. Absolutely VITAL for any serious cook. James Peterson is responsible for all the bizarre experiments I first subjected my longsuffering friends to years ago, and remains a near-daily source of reference. Flawless.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm just starting to delve into this wonderful Christmas gift. I find all of his books to be thorough, concise and easy to follow. Added bonuses include historical background and references. No mole recipe !!

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

just too much detail not enough sauces--probably if I were more professional in my approach to cooking I would think it was awesome, but when I got it, I was overwhelmed by the detail...and no pictures :-(

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously my favorite cookbook of all-time. I'd say it's a cookbook "you can't put down" except it's like 300 pounds, so you can only read it in short bursts, but that's ok because it lends itself to that.

[Gary Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great cookbook to read. A little over the top for most cooks. If you aspire to be a chef, here is your primer. But for its sheer abundance of information and history......... I thank you James Peterson.

[Autumn Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really amazing as it has a lot of information and recipes. I was disappointed that under curry sauces they only had recipes with coconut milk. However, that does not take much away from this book. I am having fun trying these out, learning from them, then created my own.

[Dray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well organized and great resource book for cooks. As it says in the forward - taste is in the sauces. I got a copy from the library but bought my own after reading. No higher complement for a cook book.