September 2007: James Peterson’s What’s a Cook to Do?

Fall has arrived—trust me on this one. Students are heading back to the halls to run the next lap on their educational track. The hunger for learning is in the air, and it’s a good time to brush up on your own skills, especially when it comes to the kitchen. There are mountains of instructional and technique-driven cookbooks out there, some the size of a bloated encyclopedia. I worship at the altar of Madeleine’s Making of a Cook, or Jacques’s La Methode, or Julia’s The Way to Cook. But James Peterson’s new book, What’s a Cook to Do?, offers a tremendous gallimaufry of tips and tricks in a sturdy semi-soft-cover book, perfect to keep on hand in the kitchen while cooking.

Peterson has written some of my all-time fave technique-driven books—Sauces and Vegetables both won James Beard Awards and most of his oeuvre has been nominated. His Fish and Shellfish book is one of the great, unheralded classics and my go-to guide for anything from the sea. In What’s a Cook to Do? he brings his wealth of knowledge to bear for the casual cook and offers up 484 essential tools, techniques, and tricks.  

While some cooking guides are daunting and written for the super-serious gourmand, Peterson has written this book to suit any level of cooking experience. It’s especially worthwhile for the casual weekend cook. This book is a must-own for beginning cooks that aren’t sure how to go about processing tomatoes or cooking proteins. But his guide also suits those cooks curious about a particular technique, like handling shrimp, brining pork, reconstituting dried mushrooms or chilies, cutting a mango, or any of those pesky queries that pop up whenever most cooks are perusing recipes.

What’s a Cook to Do? also inspires the seasoned cook with a close look at the differences in grades of crab meat and secrets to a great guacamole, plus it has some real workable tips on how to make a soufflé. This book can help the accomplished cook polish their cooking skills or eliminate bad habits.

Paging through the book, readers get ideas on the wide scope of possibilities in the kitchen, whatever their skill level. And when encountering any recipe, even outside the scope of Peterson’s tome, the home cook can check his guide for a quick tutorial on the easiest method or most helpful technique. Peterson wrote a book that not only stands on its own, but complements any recipe cooked in your kitchen.

Buy What’s a Cook to Do? at Borders.com.