101 Things I Learned in Culinary School

Louis Eguaras, Matthew Frederick

Though slim, this book is all meat with no fat: Eguaras offers tips on everything from calibrating a meat thermometer to getting the most out of a whole chicken, keeping salad dressing from separating (use an emulsifier like mayo or mustard), putting out a grease fire (smother with a pan lid, never use water) and identifying poisonous foods. Line drawings by architect Frederick provide clear illustration of Eguaras's concepts, as well as clever cartoon counterpoints. Peppered with cogent quotes and trivia (the world's oldest cookbook was written by a first century Roman), this culinary crash course is sure to surprise and enlighten even the most informed gourmands.