Cook's Encyclopaedia

Here in almost 500 pages is a descriptive compendium of just about everything we eat and how we cook it. Arranged alphabetically from Abalone to Zampone, the majority of entries in the book deal with the ingredients and processes used in cooking. Tom Stobart says in his Introduction ‘Ingredients are the fundamentals of cookery and every cook who hopes to excel should know about them...’ Likewise with methods and science in the kitchen, Stobart explains all the common processes from bottling brewing, brining, curing, smoking and vacuuming. Hundreds of ingredients are described, with English and foreign synonyms and scientific names; recipes are given in many cases to illustrate the use of the foodstuff in question. Cooking processes are explained in great and illuminating detail. The aim is both to entertain and to instruct—in particular, to give a sense of the essence and individuality of each ingredient. Tom Stobart traveled widely, both as an explorer and a film...