Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Praise for Wayne Gisslens books on Professional Baking:

"An encyclopedic and clear handbook of things to do with your oven, from challah to specialty meringues and mocha roll; even some unbaked desserts are tucked in at the end in this textbook for sweet tooths." -The Wall Street Journal

on Professional Cooking:

"This book has a place in the library for all who want to understand and build their basic cooking skills." -The American Institute of Wine and Food

Wayne Gisslens Professional Cooking has been used by hundreds of thousands of chefs to master the basics of their craft. Packed with more than 1,100 recipes and more information than ever before, the Fifth Edition of this classic resource offers complete, step-by-step instruction in the cooking theory and techniques necessary to succeed at the professional level. Special features include:

Nearly 100 new recipesalong with more than 100 recipes from the master chefs of Le Cordon Bleu Expanded informationtwo new chapters covering cured food as well as pts and other cold foods, plus new material on game (birds and animals), and more Superb photography and design1,000 color photographs of ingredients, techniques, and plated dishes, plus a fresh color-coded format

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Recipe Contents (p. xiii)
• About le Cordon Bleu (p. xxii)
• Foreword (p. xxiii)
• Preface (p. xxv)
• Acknowledgments (p. xxix)
• 1 The Food Service Industry (p. 2)
• A Short History of Modern Food Service (p. 4)
• The Organization of Modern Kitchens (p. 6)
• Standards of Professionalism (p. 9)
• 2 Sanitation and Safety (p. 12)
• Sanitation (p. 14)
• Introduction to Microbiology (p. 14)
• Food-borne Diseases (p. 16)
• Personal Hygiene (p. 19)
• Food Storage (p. 20)
• Food Handling and Preparation (p. 22)
• Cleaning and Sanitizing Equipment (p. 22)
• Rodent and Insect Control (p. 23)
• Setting Up a System for Food Safety (p. 24)
• Safety (p. 26)
• The Safe Workplace (p. 26)
• Preventing Cuts (p. 27)
• Preventing Burns (p. 27)
• Preventing Fires (p. 27)
• Preventing Injuries from Machines and Equipment (p. 28)
• Preventing Falls (p. 28)
• Preventing Strains and Injuries from Lifting (p. 28)
• 3 Tools and Equipment (p. 30)
• Introduction to Quantity Food Equipment (p. 32)
• Cooking Equipment (p. 33)
• Processing Equipment (p. 39)
• Holding and Storage Equipment (p. 41)
• Pots, Pans, and Containers (p. 42)
• Measuring Devices (p. 44)
• Knives, Hand Tools, and Small Equipment (p. 46)
• 4 Basic Cooking Principles (p. 50)
• Heat and Food (p. 52)
• Effects of Heat on Foods (p. 52)
• Heat Transfer (p. 53)
• Cooking Times (p. 54)
• Cooking Methods (p. 55)
• Moist-heat Methods (p. 55)
• Dry-heat Methods (p. 57)
• Dry-heat Methods Using Fat (p. 59)
• Microwave Cooking (p. 61)
• Summary of Cooking Terms (p. 62)
• The Art of Seasoning and Flavoring (p. 62)
• Seasoning and Flavoring Defined (p. 63)
• When to Season and Flavor (p. 63)
• Common Seasoning and Flavoring Ingredients (p. 64)
• Using Herbs and Spices (p. 65)
• 5 The Recipe: Its Structure and Its Use (p. 70)
• The Written Recipe (p. 72)
• Measurement (p. 75)
• Converting Recipes (p. 79)
• Food Cost (p. 83)
• 6 The Menu (p. 90)
• Menu Forms and Functions (p. 92)
• Building the Menu (p. 94)
• Nutritional Considerations (p. 99)
• 7 Mise en Place (p. 108)
• Planning and Organizing Production (p. 110)
• Using the Knife (p. 112)
• Preliminary Cooking and Flavoring (p. 118)
• Preparation for Frying (p. 120)
• Handling Convenience Foods (p. 122)
• 8 Stocks and Sauces (p. 124)
• Stocks (p. 126)
• Ingredients (p. 126)
• Procedures (p. 128)
• Reductions and Glazes (p. 133)
• Convenience Bases (p. 133)
• Sauces (p. 134)
• Understanding Sauces (p. 134)
• Roux (p. 135)
• Other Thickening Agents (p. 138)
• Finishing Techniques (p. 139)
• Sauce Families (p. 141)
• Production (p. 144)
• 9 Soups (p. 168)
• Understanding Soups (p. 170)
• Classification of Soups (p. 170)
• Service of Soups (p. 171)
• Clear Soups (p. 173)
• Consomme (p. 173)
• Vegetable Soups (p. 177)
• Other Clear Soups (p. 180)
• Thick Soups (p. 182)
• Cream Soups (p. 182)
• Puree Soups (p. 188)
• Bisques (p. 196)
• Chowders (p. 197)
• Specialty Soups and National Soups (p. 200)
• 10 Understanding Meats and Game (p. 208)
• Composition, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors (p. 210)
• Composition (p. 210)
• Structure (p. 211)
• Inspection and Grading (p. 212)
• Aging (p. 213)
• Understanding the Basic Cuts (p. 214)
• Available Forms: Carcasses, Partial Carcasses, Primals, and Fabricated Cuts (p. 214)
• Bone Structure (p. 215)
• Beef, Lamb, Veal, and Pork Cuts (p. 221)
• Selecting Meats for Your Operation (p. 223)
• Cooking and Handling Meats (p. 224)
• Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods (p. 224)
• Doneness (p. 227)
• Cooking Variety Meats (p. 229)
• Game and Specialty Meats (p. 233)
• Storage of Meats (p. 236)
• 11 Cooking Meats and Game (p. 238)
• Roasting and Baking (p. 240)
• Broiling, Grilling, and Pan-broiling (p. 256)
• Sauteing, Pan-frying, and Griddling (p. 263)
• Simmering (p. 277)
• Braising (p. 280)
• 12 Understanding Poultry and Game Birds (p. 296)
• Composition and Structure (p. 298)
• Inspection and Grading (p. 299)
• Classification and Market Forms (p. 300)
• Handling and Storage (p. 303)
• Doneness (p. 303)
• Trussing Methods (p. 304)
• Cutting Up Chicken (p. 305)
• 13 Cooking Poultry and Game Birds (p. 310)
• Roasting and Baking (p. 312)
• Broiling and Grilling (p. 323)
• Sauteing, Pan-frying, and Deep-frying (p. 327)
• Simmering and Poaching (p. 337)
• Braising (p. 343)
• Dressings and Stuffings (p. 356)
• 14 Understanding Fish and Shellfish (p. 358)
• Fin Fish (p. 360)
• Composition and Structure (p. 360)
• Special Problems in Cooking Fish (p. 360)
• Cutting Fish (p. 361)
• Varieties and Characteristics (p. 364)
• Handling and Storage (p. 369)
• Shellfish (p. 371)
• Mollusks (p. 371)
• Cephalopods (p. 376)
• Crustaceans (p. 377)
• Miscellaneous Seafood (p. 385)
• 15 Cooking Fish and Shellfish (p. 386)
• Baking (p. 388)
• Broiling (p. 394)
• Sauteing and Pan-frying (p. 400)
• Deep-frying (p. 408)
• Poaching and Simmering (p. 411)
• Mixed Cooking Techniques (p. 419)
• Seafood Served Raw (p. 425)
• 16 Understanding Vegetables (p. 428)
• Controlling Quality Changes During Cooking (p. 430)
• Controlling Texture Changes (p. 430)
• Controlling Flavor Changes (p. 431)
• Controlling Color Changes (p. 432)
• Controlling Nutrient Losses (p. 434)
• General Rules of Vegetable Cookery (p. 434)
• Standards of Quality in Cooked Vegetables (p. 435)
• Handiing Vegetables (p. 435)
• Fresh Vegetables (p. 435)
• Processed Vegetables (p. 448)
• Production and Holding Problems in Quantity Cooking (p. 451)
• Storage (p. 452)
• 17 Cooking Vegetables (p. 454)
• Boiling and Steaming (p. 456)
• Sauteing and Pan-frying (p. 465)
• Braising (p. 469)
• Baking (p. 472)
• Broiling and Grilling (p. 478)
• Deep-frying (p. 480)
• 18 Potatoes and Other Starches (p. 484)
• Potatoes (p. 486)
• Understanding Potatoes (p. 486)
• Cooking Potatoes (p. 488)
• Rice and Other Grains (p. 503)
• Understanding Rice (p. 503)
• Other Grains and Grain Products (p. 505)
• Cooking Rice (p. 506)
• Pasta and Dumplings (p. 513)
• Understanding Pasta (p. 513)
• Cooking Pasta (p. 514)
• Dumplings (p. 527)
• 19 Salads and Salad Dressings (p. 530)
• Salads (p. 532)
• Types of Salads (p. 532)
• Ingredients (p. 533)
• Arrangement and Presentation (p. 538)
• Recipes and Techniques (p. 541)
• Salad Dressings (p. 569)
• Ingredients (p. 569)
• Emulsions in Salad Dressings (p. 571)
• Oil and Vinegar Dressings (p. 571)
• Emulsified Dressings (p. 574)
• Other Dressings (p. 577)
• 20 Sandwiches and Hors d'Oeuvres (p. 580)
• Sandwiches (p. 582)
• Breads (p. 582)
• Spreads (p. 583)
• Fillings (p. 583)
• Types of Sandwiches (p. 584)
• Making Sandwiches (p. 585)
• Hors D'Oeuvres (p. 592)
• Canapes (p. 593)
• Cocktails (p. 596)
• Relishes (p. 596)
• Dips (p. 596)
• Miscellaneous Hors d'Oeuvres (p. 599)
• 21 Breakfast Preparation, Dairy Products, and Coffee and Tea (p. 610)
• Eggs (p. 612)
• Understanding Eggs (p. 612)
• Cooking Eggs (p. 615)
• Breakfast Breads, Cereals, and Meats (p. 624)
• Pancakes and Waffles (p. 624)
• French Toast (p. 625)
• Cereals (p. 626)
• Breakfast Meats (p. 626)
• Dairy Products (p. 627)
• Milk and Cream (p. 627)
• Butter (p. 630)
• Cheese (p. 630)
• Coffee and Tea (p. 637)
• Coffee (p. 637)
• Tea (p. 639)
• 22 Sausages and Cured Foods (p. 642)
• Curing and Smoking (p. 644)
• Ingredients for Curing Foods (p. 644)
• Curing Methods (p. 645)
• Smoking (p. 646)
• Sausages (p. 649)
• Categories of Sausages (p. 649)
• Basic Sausage Ingredients (p. 650)
• Casings (p. 651)
• Equipment (p. 652)
• The Grind (p. 653)
• Smoking Sausages (p. 655)
• Cooking Sausages (p. 655)
• About the Sausage Recipes (p. 657)
• 23 Pates, Terrines, and Other Cold Foods (p. 664)
• The Handling and Service of Cold Dishes (p. 666)
• Sanitation and Storage (p. 666)
• Presentation (p. 666)
• Aspic and Chaud-Froid (p. 667)
• Preparing Aspic Jelly (p. 667)
• Chaud-Froid (p. 668)
• Using Aspic Jelly and Chaud-Froid Sauce (p. 670)
• Special Forcemeat Dishes (p. 672)
• Types of Forcemeats (p. 673)
• Straight Forcemeats (p. 673)
• Terrines and Pates (p. 676)
• Galantines (p. 681)
• Terrines Based on Mousselines (p. 682)
• Terrines and Other Molds with Gelatin (p. 684)
• Aspic Molds (p. 684)
• Mousses (p. 684)
• Foie Gras, Liver Terrines, and Rillettes (p. 691)
• Foie Gras Terrines (p. 691)
• Liver Terrines (p. 692)
• Rillettes (p. 692)
• 24 Food Presentation and Garnish (p. 696)
• Hot Food Presentation (p. 698)
• The Importance of Appearance (p. 698)
• Fundamentals of Plating (p. 698)
• Garnish (p. 701)
• Simple Decorative Techniques (p. 704)
• Cold Food Presentation and Buffet Service (p. 709)
• Buffet Arrangement and Appearance (p. 709)
• Cold Platter Presentation (p. 711)
• Hot Foods for Buffets (p. 714)
• 25 Recipes from International Cuisines (p. 716)
• Japanese (p. 718)
• Chinese (p. 725)
• Mexican (p. 733)
• Italian (p. 739)
• European Classics (p. 747)
• Foreign Terms Used in This Chapter (p. 754)
• 26 Bakeshop Production: Basic Principles and Ingredients (p. 756)
• Basic Principles of Baking (p. 758)
• Formulas and Measurement (p. 758)
• Mixing and Gluten Development (p. 761)
• The Baking Process (p. 761)
• Staling (p. 762)
• Ingredients (p. 763)
• Flours, Meals, and Starches (p. 763)
• Fats (p. 764)
• Sugars (p. 766)
• Liquids (p. 767)
• Eggs (p. 768)
• Leavening Agents (p. 768)
• Salt, Flavorings, and Spices (p. 770)
• 27 Yeast Products (p. 772)
• Understanding Yeast Products (p. 774)
• Yeast Product Types (p. 774)
• Mixing Methods (p. 774)
• Steps in Yeast Dough Production (p. 775)
• Dough Formulas and Techniques (p. 780)
• Bread and Roll Formulas (p. 780)
• Rolled-In Doughs: Danish Pastry and Croissants (p. 783)
• Makeup Techniques (p. 787)
• 28 Quick Breads (p. 794)
• Mixing and Production Methods (p. 796)
• Formulas (p. 798)
• 29 Cakes and Icings (p. 802)
• Understanding Cake Making (p. 804)
• Basic Mixing Methods (p. 804)
• Cake Formula Types (p. 806)
• Scaling and Panning (p. 807)
• Baking and Cooling (p. 808)
• Altitude Adjustments (p. 810)
• Cake Formulas (p. 811)
• Creaming Method (p. 811)
• Two-Stage Method (p. 813)
• Foaming Methods (p. 814)
• Icings: Production and Application (p. 816)
• Producing and Handling Basic Types (p. 816)
• Assembling and Icing Cakes (p. 822)
• 30 Cookies (p. 826)
• Cookie Characteristics and Their Causes (p. 828)
• Mixing Methods (p. 829)
• Types and Makeup Methods (p. 830)
• Panning, Baking, and Cooling (p. 832)
• 31 Pies and Pastries (p. 840)
• Pies (p. 842)
• Pie Doughs (p. 842)
• Assembly and Baking (p. 845)
• Fillings (p. 847)
• Pastries, Meringues, and Fruit Desserts (p. 854)
• Puff Pastry (p. 854)
• Eclair Paste (p. 860)
• Meringues (p. 862)
• Fruit Desserts (p. 864)
• 32 Creams, Custards, Puddings, Frozen Desserts, and Sauces (p. 868)
• Sugar Cooking (p. 870)
• Basic Custards and Creams (p. 871)
• Puddings (p. 874)
• Bavarians, Chiffons, Mousses, and Souffles (p. 877)
• Frozen Desserts (p. 885)
• Dessert Sauces (p. 887)
• Appendix 1 Metric Conversion Factors (p. 891)
• Appendix 2 Standard Can Sizes (p. 892)
• Appendix 3 Approximate Weight-Volume Equivalents of Dry Foods (p. 893)
• Appendix 4 Kitchen Math Exercises--Metric Versions (p. 894)
• Appendix 5 Eggs and Safety (p. 897)
• Bibliography (p. 899)
• Glossary (p. 901)
• U.S.-U.K. Cooking Vocabulary (p. 911)
• French-English Cooking Vocabulary (p. 913)
• Subject Index (p. 921)
• Recipe Index (p. 941)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

With the success of an entire cable television channel devoted to food and its preparation, and with the growing celebrity of such chefs as Emeril Lagasse and Mario Battali, it's not surprising that more and more young people seek glamorous careers in restaurant kitchens. Gisslen has issued a fourth edition of his standard textbook for aspiring chefs, and this newest edition is replete with color photographs illustrating basic cooking techniques and the fundamentals of all the skills that produce a restaurant chef. Recipes encompass virtually all the world's cooking traditions, demonstrating that a chef these days must master more than simply classic French cookery. Although designed for restaurant service, these recipes may be readily cut back by a knowledgeable home cook. Libraries that missed the earlier editions of this work should consider adding this to their cooking reference collections and to their career collections as well. --Mark Knoblauch

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Wayne Gisslen is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, he has written and worked extensively in the field of culinary arts, with experience as a restaurant chef, test kitchen supervisor, and food and beverage consultant
J. Gerard Smith is a freelance photographer and photo illustrator. Educated at Pratt Institute, he specializes in food, travel, and commercial photography. His work has appeared in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, and more than 100 books