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Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I: 50th Anniversary Edition: A Cookbook Hardcover – Big Book, October 16, 2001
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“I only wish that I had written it myself.” —James Beard
Featuring 524 delicious recipes and over 100 instructive illustrations to guide readers every step of the way, Mastering the Art of French Cooking offers something for everyone, from seasoned experts to beginners who love good food and long to reproduce the savory delights of French cuisine.
Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle break down the classic foods of France into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of dishes—from historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. Throughout, the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations—bound to increase anyone’s culinary repertoire.
“Julia has slowly but surely altered our way of thinking about food. She has taken the fear out of the term ‘haute cuisine.’ She has increased gastronomic awareness a thousandfold by stressing the importance of good foundation and technique, and she has elevated our consciousness to the refined pleasures of dining." —Thomas Keller, The French Laundry
- Print length684 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherKnopf
- Publication dateOctober 16, 2001
- Dimensions7.32 x 1.62 x 10.29 inches
- ISBN-100375413405
- ISBN-13978-0375413407
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
“Anyone can cook in the French manner anywhere,” wrote Mesdames Beck, Bertholle, and Child, “with the right instruction.” And here is the book that, for more than forty years, has been teaching Americans how.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food and long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. This beautiful book, with more than 100 instructive illustrations, is revolutionary in its approach because:
• it leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection;
• it breaks down the classic cuisine into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of recipes; the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations—bound to increase anyone’s culinary repertoire;
• it adapts classical techniques, wherever possible, to modern American conveniences;
• it shows Americans how to buy products, from any supermarket in the United States, that reproduce the exact taste and texture of the French ingredients, for example, equivalent meat cuts, the right beans for a cassoulet, or the appropriate fish and seafood for a bouillabaisse;
• it offers suggestions for just the right accompaniment to each dish, including proper wines. Since there has never been a book as instructive and as workable as Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the techniques learned here can be applied to recipes in all other French cookbooks, making them infinitely more usable. In compiling the secrets of famous cordons bleus, the authors have produced a magnificent volume that is sure to find the place of honor in every kitchen in America. Bon appétit!
Julie & Julia is now a major motion picture (releasing in August 2009) starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child. It is partially based on Julia Child's memoir, My Life in France. Enjoy these images from the film, and click the thumbnails to see larger images.
Review
"Has it really been 40 years since Julia Child rescued Americans from dreary casseroles? This reissue ... is what a cookbook should be: packed with sumptuous recipes, detailed instructions, and precise line drawings. Some of the instructions look daunting, but as Child herself says in the introduction, 'If you can read, you can cook.'" —Entertainment Weekly
“Julia Child paved the way for Chez Panisse and so many others by demystifying French food and by reconnecting pleasure and delight with cooking and eating at the table. She brought forth a culture of American ingredients and gave us all the confidence to cook with them in the pursuit of flavor.” —Alice Waters, Chez Panisse
“Mastering the Art of French Cooking was one of my first introductions to my foundation of understanding the art of French cooking. The combination of reading Julia’s book, working in the kitchen, and watching her television shows helped lead me to my beginnings in serious cuisine. Julia is . . . the grande dame of cooking, who has touched all of our lives with her immense respect and appreciation of cuisine.” —Emeril Lagasse, Emeril’s Restaurant
“Julia has slowly but surely altered our way of thinking about food. She has taken the fear out of the term ‘haute cuisine.’ She has increased gastronomic awareness a thousandfold by stressing the importance of good foundation and technique, and she has elevated our consciousness to the refined pleasures of dining. Through the years her shows have kept me in rapt attention, and her humor has kept me in stitches. She is a national treasure, a culinary trendsetter, and a born educator beloved by all.” —Thomas Keller, The French Laundry
“Julia freed the American public from their fears of cooking French. By doing so, she greatly expanded the audience for all serious food writers. Her demystification prepared that public for the rest of us. I believe that the television shows based on that landmark book did even more to encourage reluctant cooks to try their hands . . . much to our benefit.” —Mimi Sheraton
“1961 A.D. Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking is published. Her black-and-white TV show on WGBH in Boston soon follows. Child is one of the great teachers of the millennium: She is intelligent and charismatic, and her undistinguished manual skills are not daunting to her viewers. An entire generation of ambitious American home cooks is instantly born.” —Jeffrey Steingarten
From the Inside Flap
Mastering the Art of French Cooking is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food and long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. This beautiful book, with more than one hundred instructive illustrations, is revolutionary in its approach because:
• It leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection.
• It breaks down the classic cuisine into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of recipes; the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations—bound to increase anyone's culinary repertoire.
• It adapts classical techniques, wherever possible, to modern American conveniences.
• It shows Americans how to buy products, from any supermarket in the U.S.A., that reproduce the exact taste and texture of the French ingredients: equivalent meat cuts, for example; the right beans for a cassoulet; the appropriate fish and shellfish for a bouillabaisse.
• It offers suggestions for just the right accompaniment to each dish, including proper wines.
Since there has never been a book as instructive and as workable as Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the techniques learned here can be applied to recipes in all other French cookbooks, making them infinitely more usable. In compiling the secrets of famous cordons bleus, the authors have produced a magnificent volume that is sure to find the place of honor in every kitchen in America.
From the Back Cover
"Mastering the Art of French Cooking is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food and long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. This beautiful book, with more than one hundred instructive illustrations, is revolutionary in its approach because:
- It leads the cook infallibly from the buying and handling of raw ingredients, through each essential step of a recipe, to the final creation of a delicate confection.
- It breaks down the classic cuisine into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of recipes; the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations--bound to increase anyone's culinary repertoire.
- It adapts classical techniques, wherever possible, to modern American conveniences.
- It shows Americans how to buy products, from any supermarket in the U.S.A., that reproduce the exact taste and texture of the French ingredients: equivalent meat cuts, for example; the right beans for a cassoulet; the appropriate fish and shellfish for a bouillabaisse.
- It offers suggestions for just the right accompaniment to each dish, including proper wines.
Since there has never been a book as instructive and as workable as "Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the techniques learned here can beapplied to recipes in all other French cookbooks, making them infinitely more usable. In compiling the secrets of famous cordons bleus, the authors have produced a magnificent volume that is sure to find the place of honor in every kitchen in America.
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
(Cherry Flan)
For 6 to 8 people
The clafouti (also spelled with a final "s" in both singular and plural) which is traditional in the Limousin during the cherry season is peasant cooking for family meals, and about as simple a dessert to make as you can imagine: a pancake batter poured over fruit in a fireproof dish, then baked in the oven. It looks like a tart, and is usually eaten warm.
(If you have no electric blender, work the eggs into the flour with a wooden spoon, gradually beat in the liquids, then strain the batter through a fine sieve.)
3 cups pitted black cherries
1 1/4 cups milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
Powdered sugar in a shaker
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use fresh, black, sweet cherries in season. Otherwise use drained, canned, pitted Bing cherries, or frozen sweet cherries, thawed and drained.
Place the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and flour in your blender jar in the order in which they are listed. Cover and blend at top speed for 1 minute.
Pour a 1/4-inch layer of batter in a 7- to 8-cup buttered, fireproof baking dish or pyrex pie plate about 1 1/2 inches deep. Set over moderate heat for a minute or two until a film of batter has set in the bottom of the dish. Remove from the heat. Spread the cherries over the batter and sprinkle on the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
Place in middle position of preheated oven and bake for about an hour. The clafouti is done when it has puffed and browned, and a needle or knife plunged into its center comes out clean. Sprinkle top of clafouti with powdered sugar just before bringing it to the table. (The clafouti need not be served hot, but should still be warm. It will sink down slightly as it cools.)
Product details
- Publisher : Knopf
- Publication date : October 16, 2001
- Edition : 40th Anniversary
- Language : English
- Print length : 684 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0375413405
- ISBN-13 : 978-0375413407
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 7.32 x 1.62 x 10.29 inches
- Book 1 of 2 : Mastering the Art of French Cooking
- Best Sellers Rank: #6,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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About the authors
Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California. She was graduated from Smith College and worked for the OSS during World War II in Ceylon and China, where she met Paul Child. After they married they lived in Paris, where she studied at the Cordon Bleu and taught cooking with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, with whom she wrote the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961). In 1963, Boston's WGBH launched The French Chef television series, which made her a national celebrity, earning her the Peabody Award in 1965 and an Emmy in 1966. Several public television shows and numerous cookbooks followed. She died in 2004.
(Photo credit: (C) Michael P. McLaughlin)
Simone (“Simca”) Beck was a French cookbook author and cooking teacher who, along with colleagues Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle, played a significant role in introducing French cooking to Americans. Best known as a partner in the creation of the two classic volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, she was born in 1904 at Tocqueville en Caux, Normandy. After her first marriage ended in 1933, she began to study at the Cordon Bleu. A few years later, Beck, along with Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle, formed l'École des trois gourmandes to give lessons in French cooking to American women living in Paris. The school continued, on and off, into the late 1970s, and Beck and Child would continue to wear the school's badge on TV and in publicity photos for years to follow. While Child became a successful television chef and author in the United States, Beck continued teaching at home. In 1972 she published her own cookbook, Simca's Cuisine (with Patricia Simon), and a second volume, New Menus from Simca's Cuisine (with Michael James), followed in 1979. Food and Friends: Recipes and Memories from Simca's Cuisine (with Suzy Patterson), a joint memoir-cookbook, was published in 1991.
Simone Beck was portrayed by American actress Linda Emond in the 2009 film Julie and Julia.
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this cookbook's recipes very clearly described and knowledgeable about French cooking, with detailed information about ingredients and shopping tips. The book is considered a must-have in every kitchen and makes a perfect gift, particularly for young cooks. While the detailed instructions are appreciated, some customers find the preparation process complicated. Customers consider it worth the purchase price, with one noting it's "worth its weight in gold."
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers praise the cookbook's recipes, noting that they are clearly described and teach cooking techniques, with one customer highlighting its time-proven methodologies for delicious dining.
"...French Cooking isn’t just a cookbook—it’s a masterclass in the art, technique, and passion of cooking...." Read more
"...Her Boeuf Bourgignon recipe did not disappoint. This amazing cookbook is the most expansive cookbook I have ever owned." Read more
"This cookbook is a delight if you enjoy cooking incredible food by the person who influenced so many American home cooks...." Read more
"This is a CLASSIC cook book from Julia Child. Excellent." Read more
Customers appreciate the cookbook's detailed information, particularly its comprehensive coverage of ingredients, including how to shop for them and what to look for.
"...It’s a guide, a teacher, and a culinary adventure all in one. Classic, thorough, and just plain tasty—Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a..." Read more
"...is worthwhile to learn about how some food is prepared, why certain ingredients are used, and how to be a better cook in general...." Read more
"...That french cuisine was smooth, not overpowering...." Read more
"...I love the chapter of the book that explains the American version of French ingredients. I can't wait to start cooking!" Read more
Customers find the cookbook worth the purchase price, noting it's a good buy compared to bookstore prices, and one customer mentions it's worth adding to their library in hardback.
"...It is a bit of a time consuming effort in some cases, but it is WORTH every minute...." Read more
"...All are worthwhile investments. My wife and I don't need to go out...." Read more
"...Book was in great condition and found it for a great price second hand. Love the book!!" Read more
"...I have both volumes and they are a valued addition to my cookbook collection. I am thrilled with this purchase." Read more
Customers enjoy the taste of the recipes, describing them as delicious and creamy, with one customer noting that the scalloped potatoes were very good.
"...Classic, thorough, and just plain tasty—Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a timeless addition to any cook’s library." Read more
"...That french cuisine was smooth, not overpowering...." Read more
"...Fantastic flavor! It is so rich that it just melts in your mouth...." Read more
"...I was impressed with myself. The recipes were perfect, delicious, long, but written so well than even someone like me was able to follow them with..." Read more
Customers find the cookbook makes a perfect gift, particularly for young cooks.
"Love Julia and this book. I save purchased it for friends. Makes a great gift." Read more
"What a great book that took 12 years to be published. A great gift and a treasure to have." Read more
"This is a wonderful gift for the "cook in your life" especially when accompanied with the movie "Julia and Julie" that really helps bring it to life...." Read more
"Great gift, wife loved it." Read more
Customers consider this cookbook a must-have in every kitchen, praising its comprehensive content, with one customer highlighting its extensive vegetable section.
"...This amazing cookbook is the most expansive cookbook I have ever owned." Read more
"As a foodie, this is a must for your kitchen. Julia is a MasterChef and this book reflects many of her awesome talents...." Read more
"...all meat and potatos, but this book has so many meatless dishes and fish dishes...." Read more
"...This should be a staple in every kitchen." Read more
Customers find this cookbook to be a valuable addition to their collection, with one customer noting its outstanding recipes.
"...When I saw it on sale on Prime Day I had to buy it. It is a great edition...." Read more
"...It was a reprint and an anniversary edition and I was extremely pleased...." Read more
"...A wonderful hardbound edition." Read more
"Every food or cookbook library must include this classic . Hands down" Read more
Customers have mixed experiences with the cookbook's preparation process, with some finding it fairly fast to make and appreciating the detailed instructions, while others find it complicated and not easy to follow.
"To much for me. The directions were confusing, not easy to follow, no pictures. Not for me" Read more
"...Some take quite a while but others are fairly fast to make. Haven't made any that weren't worth the trouble." Read more
"...these recipes are somewhat involved and using this book requires some study and preperation...." Read more
"...What? That's the question Vol. 1 answers. It is really a prerequisite course. Forgive that pun." Read more
Reviews with images

All People should own and dare to Cook!
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2025Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking isn’t just a cookbook—it’s a masterclass in the art, technique, and passion of cooking. It brings back the memories of the quote from Ratatouille "Anyone can cook" and that is very true when you have this book in hand. Making it great for beginners and seasoned home chefs looking to up their game.
One of its greatest strengths is how it brings back the fundamentals. In an age where shortcuts and fast meals dominate, it reminds us that great cooking starts with a solid foundation. From knife skills to sauce-making, she breaks down techniques with precision and clarity, making even complex dishes feel approachable.
But beyond the technique, the true magic of this book is the darn good recipes that are in it!!
If you’re looking to up your game in the kitchen, this book is a must-have. It’s a guide, a teacher, and a culinary adventure all in one. Classic, thorough, and just plain tasty—Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a timeless addition to any cook’s library.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2024Wanted this for years and picked it up this Thanksgiving to do something besides turkey. Her Boeuf Bourgignon recipe did not disappoint. This amazing cookbook is the most expansive cookbook I have ever owned.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2024This cookbook is a delight if you enjoy cooking incredible food by the person who influenced so many American home cooks. Even if you never cook anything from the book, reading it is worthwhile to learn about how some food is prepared, why certain ingredients are used, and how to be a better cook in general. But I'm pretty sure after reading it, you'll be tempted to try at least a few recipes. Most are not that difficult!
- Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2024This is a CLASSIC cook book from Julia Child. Excellent.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2025Already read it. Great book
- Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2020There are lots of recipes in here. Most include some sort of wine. They probably don't mean cooking wine but I don't drink so I got cooking wine. We tried a recipe that called for chicken and onions, etc. We cut the amount of onions down considerably and the onions were still really strong. I believe the recipe was supposed to have a strong flavor though. We made it for the almond flavor but the onions overpowered any chance of tasting the almonds. The onions were yellow onions. About 1/2 of an onion browned with garlic and butter. It was not like the french cuisine I had at a 4 star french restaurant. That french cuisine was smooth, not overpowering. It (the restaurant food) was so good of a flavor, you didn't want to stop eating and looked for things to dip the sauce into just to keep tasting the sauce. This french cuisine from the book was almost like it was its own cuisine. There are recipes that sound very good and some that do not sound good at all. The directions might not go into enough detail on some recipes to answer all your questions so be prepared for a little experimenting.
All in all, I think it is a neat book. It does not have as many recipes for things I would cook as what I hoped for. There should be something for everyone. If you don't cook with wine, don't bother. There aren't many recipes without it. Don't be afraid to alter the recipe. If we cooked the chicken as long as the directions called for, it would have been chicken jerky. If we used as much onion as it called for, it would have been in the garbage outside.
This book is written with the American in mind so you should be able to get the ingredients and understand mostly what to do. As mentioned, there are some details left out but you can get by without them. Just use a little imagination. Maybe see if you can find an old video of Julia making the dish to follow along with the book.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2025Just as amazing as I thought it was going to be 😁 I would recommend this book to anyone that loves cook books and uses them frequently or someone that just wants to expand their cooking experience
- Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2024I was always a little intimidated by French cooking, but I shouldn't have been. This book makes it approachable and enjoyable. Just be ready to use butter—and lots of it—and you’ll fall in love with every dish.
Top reviews from other countries
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BiancaReviewed in Brazil on June 25, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Uma verdadeira Bíblia
Não tenho nem palavras pra descrever o quanto amei adquirir esse clássico!!!!
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MarieReviewed in Spain on November 17, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Gran libro de cocina.
Si uno tiene tiempo y le gusta la cocina, creo que este libro merece muchísimo la pena. Hay recetas muy básicas y otras de gran elaboración, en cualquier caso, insistiría en que tener una buena cantidad de tiempo resulta indispensable para sacarle partido.
Resulta una desventaja que ciertas recetas básicas estén en el volumen número I y otras en el volumen número II.
- VeveritaReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 20, 2011
5.0 out of 5 stars The book is great, the printing less so
I bought the paperback edition of this book a few months ago, after having watched the film (of course!). And I must say I didn't expect it to be this good: I didn't really believe I could cook anything French. I still don't know if I can (as I haven't been to France), but what I do cook from Child's recipes tastes really good. I love the way the ingredients are listed (in the order they are to be used), I love the information on preparing certain parts of the dish in advance, the giving of reasons why one should or shouldn't do this and that, the exhaustive explanations on each step of the recipe, and I love the witty comments on various things, which make the book an enjoyable reading instead of a mere cookbook. Therefore, Nigella Lawson's books (which for me are the total opposite of this book - no explanations and no satisfactory results) are gathering dust on my shelves, and this one has been in constant use lately. I'm neither English nor American, so I'm not used to Fahrenheit degrees, pints, pounds, ounces and so on, but there are tables for conversion in the book itself, and the internet will provide whatever was left out of the tables (not that I've found anything missing so far).
Print quality is not so good, letters are quite small, the text densely packed on the pages, the paper not so white, and the soft cover prone to water or sauce damage. The book is small and thick and doesn't stay open by itself. But on the other hand, it wasn't expensive, so for me all these physical details are not really an object of complaint. The book is written with a great sense of humour, the recipes detailed and easy to use, the dishes I've cooked are tasty, so for me there's nothing more to ask for!
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Martha SalinasReviewed in Mexico on November 28, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy bonito libro!
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Contiene explicaciones de las recetas, lista de ingredientes acomodada conforme se van utilizando en el proceso de cocinar e imágenes ilustrativas
- Jo-Anne BrennanReviewed in Canada on November 13, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Good purchase…thank you
Good purchase…thank you