Rating: 
Summary: Excellent for the future French chefs of the world.
Review: I recently came back from France and this book does a great job on describing the technique on French cooking. I want to become a chef and learn how they come up with all the beautiful sauces and wonderful pastries. I highly recommend if your a student buying the Study Guide for the National Servsafe Exam: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations by P. Leonardi and M. Heilman. They also have a baking and advance baking guide books, which are helping me to pass all my culinary courses.
Rating: 
Summary: More bulk, less beauty than the 1988 edition
Review: I've owned the 1988 edition of this masterpiece for several years. As a combination go-to resource, inspiration, and backgrounder on all things culinary, it is unsurpassed. The typeface, layout, and abundance of perfectly placed color photographs and illustrations make it a warm volume, despite its weight. However, I recently purchased this new edition as a gift. The recipient is happy, but I'm a bit disapointed. Though the new scheme makes distinguishing recipies a snap (red titles), the typeface is steril and the number and interest of photographs has declined substantially, largely consisting of full-page stock photo stuff. Nevertheless, a great book, but one that has lost some of its beauty. I'm happy to own the 1988 edition!
Rating:
Summary: So You Want To Be A Cook?
Review: Larousse Gastronomique explains in a readable way all there is to know about the language used in western Eurocentric cooking. It does this task masterfully with clear language and a complete list of all that is valuable. There are some modern updates and references that include some American and Asian terms, but outside of France and Europe the information is less detailed and accurate. As a pet peeve it fails to be accurate on any subject surrounding beer at all, but as I said that is a pet peeve that wont bother most readers.
All in all I have spent hours reading and learning from this volume and anyone with a strong interest in what goes into their mouth should too.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Larousse Gastronomique explains in a readable way all there is to know about the language used in western Eurocentric cooking. It does this task masterfully with clear language and a complete list of all that is valuable. There are some modern updates and references that include some American and Asian terms, but outside of France and Europe the information is less detailed and accurate. As a pet peeve it fails to be accurate on any subject surrounding beer at all, but as I said that is a pet peeve that wont bother most readers.
All in all I have spent hours reading and learning from this volume and anyone with a strong interest in what goes into their mouth should too.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have
Review: Larousse Gastronomique is a must have for any serious cook or for anyone who would just like to know more about the food that they eat. Whether the reader is looking for information about something exotic or commonplace, it's all there. Larousse Gastronomique will provide the reader with a better understanding of the ingredients, techniques, "hows" and "whys" involved in every recipe. I highly recommend reading it from cover to cover. It will serve as an invaluable reference for any cook for many years to come.
Rating:
Summary: The only food encyclopedia you will ever need!
Review: Larousse is the most thorough food encyclopedia I've seen. Some may complain that it is too Franco-centric, but all fine food has evolved from the French, so why shouldn't it be written that way? If you actually have to look up meatloaf, you probably don't belong in the kitchen. So be warned....this book IS only for truly serious cooks. But for those who take their food seriously and are willing to experience new things and expand their culinary boundaries, this book will prove indispensable.
Rating:
Summary: If you like to cook...this book is essential
Review: The encylopedia of all cooking. Typically, if you can not find it here, you won't find it. Not for someone who doesn't like to spend hours in the kitchen-written more to satisfy a chef. If I only had one cookbook left, this would be the one!!!! Randy Johnson@NJohn69@aol.com
Rating:
Summary: The granddaddy of all culinary reference books!
Review: The grand-père of culinary references, this bills itself as "the world's greatest culinary encyclopedia," but the emphasis is still, oh! so French. The stiffness inherent in translation shows; among other things, Larousse uses the wonderfully awkward term "cookery correspondent" to mean a food writer. Try looking up common American edibles--the martini, say, or meatloaf--and you'll get nowhere. French toast is listed as a dessert, not a breakfast. If you can put up with occasional snootiness, though, you're in for a treat. This is good enough to be read, paged through, nibbled at like a fine cheese, as it's as much a history book as a reference. Absolutely fascinating stuff abounds here, and the photography is splendid.
Rating:
Summary: The granddaddy of all culinary reference books!
Review: The grand-père of culinary references, this bills itself as "the world's greatest culinary encyclopedia," but the emphasis is still, oh! so French. The stiffness inherent in translation shows; among other things, Larousse uses the wonderfully awkward term "cookery correspondent" to mean a food writer. Try looking up common American edibles--the martini, say, or meatloaf--and you'll get nowhere. French toast is listed as a dessert, not a breakfast. If you can put up with occasional snootiness, though, you're in for a treat. This is good enough to be read, paged through, nibbled at like a fine cheese, as it's as much a history book as a reference. Absolutely fascinating stuff abounds here, and the photography is splendid.
Rating:
Summary: I would give it more stars if I could
Review: This book is an absolute "must" for anyone who is interested in culinary arts, food and wine related topics. I love cooking and have an extensive collection of cookery books, but this is a reference book "par excellence" and is fascinating. I read a little at a time and allow time for each subject to sink in and often have to cross reference. I still have many topics to go, it will probably take me all year to complete this book. Often I have used this book as a dictionary to find out about a type of food and it has been the topic of many a conversation with friends. This book is not a recipe book nor for the faint hearted and a sound knowledge of the French language is a definate advantage since so many culinary terms are in French and not translated (and often not even translatable), this book assumes that you already have the basic cullinary language before you start. This is not a book that I would take a chance on buying as a gift for anyone unless they had specified an interest. A wonderful book!
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