I got this book as a freebie when I worked in publishing, and after ten years using it I'd be glad to go back in time and pay full price.

Clear, well-directed photography shows you exactly what to do and what your ingredients should look like. The focus is on methods and techniques, not recipes, though there are some recipes too. The skills described range from boiling an egg to making the most sophisticated souffle, so there is useful information for really plain cooking to fancy gastronomie and everything in between.

The only area this book falls short on is the nitty-gritty basics like how to measure flour or bake a potato or calculate how many tablespoons in a quart. For that, get yourself a copy of the Joy of Cooking (1962, 1963, 1964 or 1975 edition much better than modern "improvements"). With these two you'll have virtually all the info on how to cook (aside from specific ethnic cooking techniques), and can focus on collecting recipes to your liking.

I bought this book when a friend recomended it to me. I used this book for everything dealing with cooking and baking and have been for a long time now. My brother-in-law came to me last week and asked me if I could recomend a good over-all cookbook and I didn't have to think twice. La Varenne Pratique is the only way to go. It covers everything dealing with techniques, cooking methods and general information on practically all foods. I also had the chance to go to France and work with Anne in her cooking school at the Chateau du Fey. It was by far the best experience that I ever had in the cooking field. Bon Appetit!

If faced with having only one cookbook, this would be it. I have seen no better reference for finding not only the answers to the simple day-to-day questions, but also, the answers to those wierd questions questions that crop up from time to time.

I believe that this book is the perfect book for the beginning cook with step-by-step instructions for making omeletts, peeling shrimp, chopping onions, etc...

I also believe that this is the perfect book for even the most experienced cooks as it demonstrates complex techniques in very straight-forward, illustrated terms. Topics like making aspics, pastries, cleaning monkfish, piping chocolate decorations...

This is the book I go back to time and time again. Pretty enough to be on the coffee table as long as your living room is close to the kitchen!

I used to cook a lot, but got away from it for many years -- eating out in restaurants while I pursued a career. I read an article about Anne Willan in our local paper, and had to try one of her books. I'm not ready to make the fancy French dishes (although I would like to eat them) so I decided to buy a simple book and practice the basics again.

Ms. Willan explains many basic recipes in this volume. This is a nice cook book to give a new cook, or it might be a housewarming or bridal gift. I gave it to myself. I especially like the photos that show how things should look. There are photos of how things shouldn't look too, with explanations about why you got the results you did. I recommend this book if you're beginning for the first time, or beginning again.

This book is unique in that the pictures show different states of properly cooked, under or over cooked foods. Also gives tips how to salvage any mistakes that have been made. I have been cooking for years, and learned alot just from flipping through the pages.

Want to really impress someone? Try this book. It offers clear directions with plenty of photos. Some of the recipies are time consuming, so be sure to take note of Anne's time estimations before you commit to the recipie. If you are newer at cooking, it will probably take you longer to fix these impressive deserts the first time. The deserts are chocolate to the extreme. Very popular with my co-workers was the Speckled Chocolate Cake. The meringue based cake covered with chocolate required nearly 2 hours of work time to complete, but was impressive. Not for everyday cooking, but a good chice when you have a little time and a crowd to impress!

This book is wonderfully laid out. Not only is there the standard ingredients list, with the measurements and such, but there is a pictoral list, as well. That is, there's a picture of each of the ingredients that you'll need (and a picture of each utensil you'll need, too). It makes it very helpful when doing your shopping. No more missing items that are "hidden" in the ingredient list.

The author doesn't assume you know anything (which is great for me!). She has lots of "asides" where she'll go through how to load an icing tube, for example. If you already know, it's easy to skip, but if you don't, it's wonderful! Also, she gives pictures as the recipe is supposed to look at important points in the process (and sometimes a picture of what it's NOT supposed to look like!).

Like all the 101 Essential Tips books, the Chicken book is packed with simple instructions, helpful pictures, and all in an easy to carry format. If you're like me, and your cookbook shelf is already crowded, you'll be able to find room for this book.

What a great book! Once again Anne Willan inspires both the experienced chef and the novice student of fine french cooking. Being of the later, I found myself challenged but not intimidated by the recipes. Equally enjoyable are the introductions to the recipes, complete with wine insights appropriate to the dish. Finally, I would like to applaud Ms. Willan, who certainly appreciates French wines, for her celebration of the American Vintner. You will yearn for a road trip accross the country to see first hand the vineyards that are so well depicted in the book. Thank-you! A beautiful book!

A truly informative, lovely cookbook with great pictures, and most importantly, terrific recipes. The author has a real fondness for the region and knows her food. Cooking out of this book takes me back to one of my favorite regions of the world. A real winner!

If there were six stars in the rating system, French Regional Cooking would take them all.

Want to make the perfect Tarte Des Demoiselles Tatin? It's here! Coq au vin? Oui!

The recipes are easy to follow and the most authentic that I have ever used.

Anne Willan writes wonderfully well and her recipes will never let the user down. If there is a fault with the book, it is that Mme. Willan assumes that the reader is not a beginner in the kitchen.

And who said the English can't cook?

Anne Willan cookbooks are an excellent source of delicious recipies. I have many of her books and I have yet to be disappointed. I am not a natural chef - I work hard to produce nutritious daily meals as well as party fare. These books make the process much easier as the pictures lead me through every step. I would buy many more.

I received this book as a gift and tried almost every recipe in the book ! All recipes are easy to follow, fnu to make, and the results are outstanding ! Every recipe i tried from this book and from other books from the Look&Cook series were excellent and succeeded with no fault and problems ! I recommend this book for beginners and also for advanced cookers who want to enlarge their list of EXCELLENT recipes

I am a pretty decent cook with a library full of cookbooks. Anne Willan's series is by far the best compilation of recipes I have seen. She uses only fresh ingredients and explains the recipes in such clear and visual detail. I highly recommend this entire series for the beginner cook especially but also for the advanced. I have yet to make a recipe that was disappointing. I look forward to getting the complete series some day.