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Summary: The best cook book I've ever owned
Review: If you could only have one cook book, this would be it. Excellent gift for people who don't or can't cook as well as for more experienced cooks. It's not so much about recipes (though there are plenty of wonderful recipes) it's more about the ..well, the WAY to cook. I still go to my ten year old copy more often than any other book.
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Summary: If you're serious about cooking well, get this book
Review: Julia Child combines wit, wisdom, a deep and abiding love of good food, and a quirky sense of humor in this informative kitchen must-have. Clear, concise instructions and beautiful photographs take the reader step-by-step through basic kitchen techniques from trussing and roasting a chicken to trimming and boiling an artichoke. Recipes for everything from soup to nuts, and delightful anecdotes round out this satisfying literary feast. Unlike many of the world's great cooks who shroud themselves in egocentric mystery, Julia Child seems delighted to have the opportunity to show her readers how to truly enjoy one of the finest things in life: preparing and sharing a delightful meal.
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Summary: What Can I Say? Julia Knows How.
Review: Julia Child is one of the best cookbook writers ever --- which is not an original thought, but it is important to bear in mind as the market is flooded with cookbooks. Instructions are clear, photographs are helpful, and organization of the book (master recipes for basic things get subsequently developed/incorporated into other dishes) is excellent and easy to follow, and most importantly, the recipes work. This, along with the newer How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, seem to be the two I pull out all the time as a reference. Example: Mayonnaise based sauce started breaking down on me and Julia's suggested fix worked like a dream. Great book for any cook to "grow" with.
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Summary: If you only ever buy one cookbook, this should be it.
Review: Julia Child's "The Way to Cook" is one of the essential cookbooks every kitchen should have. Julia's straight forward instructions, her outstanding recipes and the quality of the dishes she recommends make this and fantastic cookbook.While Julia covers a wide range of dishes in this book (Soups, Breads, Eggs, Fish, Poultry, Meat, Vegetables, Salads, Pastry, Desserts, and Cakes & Cookies) her emphasis is definitely on French/European cooking. If you are looking for recipes from different ethnic groups, you will need to find other cookbooks to compliment this one. In the last five years that I've owned this cookbook, I've made a wide selection of recipes and have never been disappointed. From simple dishes such as crepes to complex day-long affairs such as Lamb Stew Printaniere, her instructions have been complete, straightforward, and detailed. If you follow her steps, you're guaranteed to have incredible results. The book includes both beautiful and useful photographs. This is important, because one of the big drawbacks with most cookbooks are that they have incredible imagery of the finished dish, but don't actually show you how things should look as they are being prepared. The way to cook does an excellent job at showing you both... which is one of the reasons it is such an outstanding book. Julia's other books are also excellent. Both "Baking with Julia" and "In Julia's Kitchen With Master Chefs" are outstanding. One last word of advice... if you ever make A Fast Saute of Beef for Two from this book, use heavy creame instead of cornstarch (she says you can use either). The cream will make the difference between a good meal and a great one! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: If you only ever buy one cookbook, this should be it.
Review: Julia Child's "The Way to Cook" is one of the essential cookbooks every kitchen should have. Julia's straight forward instructions, her outstanding recipes and the quality of the dishes she recommends make this and fantastic cookbook. While Julia covers a wide range of dishes in this book (Soups, Breads, Eggs, Fish, Poultry, Meat, Vegetables, Salads, Pastry, Desserts, and Cakes & Cookies) her emphasis is definitely on French/European cooking. If you are looking for recipes from different ethnic groups, you will need to find other cookbooks to compliment this one. In the last five years that I've owned this cookbook, I've made a wide selection of recipes and have never been disappointed. From simple dishes such as crepes to complex day-long affairs such as Lamb Stew Printaniere, her instructions have been complete, straightforward, and detailed. If you follow her steps, you're guaranteed to have incredible results. The book includes both beautiful and useful photographs. This is important, because one of the big drawbacks with most cookbooks are that they have incredible imagery of the finished dish, but don't actually show you how things should look as they are being prepared. The way to cook does an excellent job at showing you both... which is one of the reasons it is such an outstanding book. Julia's other books are also excellent. Both "Baking with Julia" and "In Julia's Kitchen With Master Chefs" are outstanding. One last word of advice... if you ever make A Fast Saute of Beef for Two from this book, use heavy creame instead of cornstarch (she says you can use either). The cream will make the difference between a good meal and a great one! Enjoy!
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Summary: Julia explains her wonderful recipes step by step.
Review: Julia explains her wonderful recipes step by step. They are shown in organized orders, which are easy to follow. Pictures are great help in visualizing what you are suppose to do and what you are making.
Rating:
Summary: excellent excellent excellent
Review: Just got this book in the mail. I tried the tomato sauce with my homemade pasta.( learned how to make it in an adult class afterhours in a high school) My husband said, " Where do you get this recipe, it is the best you ever made? Not bittery tasting?" Last night I made the giant eclair. Great fun and great results. The lay out is excellent. I love the glossy pages. Food wipes clean off them. Great pictures. Instructions superb. Par excellance Julia. Thank you. I won't have to go to cooking school now!!!!!
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Summary: More than just a book of recipes.
Review: The best part about this book for me is that it teaches cooking isn't just following a set of steps in a recipe. By listing several "Master Recipes" Child teaches you the basis of a dish, then gives you the knowledge you need to branch out beyond the basics. The effect for me was to introduce me to the creativity and adaptability of cooking, and has helped me enjoy not just my own cooking, but to see the beauty of other's dishes. Fantastic.
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Summary: If you want to cook well, all you need is Julia Child!!
Review: This book is incredible. Nobody beats Julia as a cooking teacher. This book blends her traditional French classic cooking techniques with more contemporary types of cooking.. It also provides great references for all sorts of different foods and techniques. For example, I needed to make a hazelnut cake in another cookbook that required toasted hazelnuts. I couldn't buy then already toasted, and the book didn't tell you how to do it. However, The Way To Cook had an entire paragraph about how to work with hazelnuts!! Its truly a valuable addition to anyones cooking library. There are few chefs who have been around as long as Julia Child or who have her gift of teaching. This book is rare in the sence that it TEACHES HOW, and it is applicable to both master and novice cook. In this day with so many different chefs on TV, its hard to know who the experts really are and who are just out to entertain their live audiences without really teaching anything ( hmmm--who could that be?) .I think that nearly 50 years of cooking and still going strong is a pretty good sign that this woman knows what she is doing. You will NEVER go wrong with Julia! Other chefs may be younger, more "hip", or entertaining, but truly--Julia and her books are in a class by themseves.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but too reliant on a food processor
Review: This book offers great recipes, but I noticed that many seem to rely upon the use of a food processor even though alternative tools would do just as well, if not better. This is particularly noticable in the baking section. Most cookbooks that discuss baking recommend use of a mixer instead of a processor. Also, if you don't have a processor, you're out of luck. Nevertheless, Ms. Child offers great ideas in so many areas, it's hard not to get something really useful from the book. As in most of her books, the explanations of the techniques are nearly always perfectly clear, even for a beginner. The photos are also very clear and helpful.sd
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