Williams-Sonoma Collection: French Hardcover – May 3, 2004

Williams Sonoma: nostalgic and elegant (oh, yes, and the recipes are wonderful)Content:In a time of microwave cooking and instant pots, it was really nice to find this gem of a book, a book that transported me back to the bygone days of my youth (as my granny used to say, “Yes, I was born in the age of the Pharaohs” ) and to my grandmother’s elaborate dinner parties and elegant meals where the dining room was lit with candles and decorated with flowers , where the utensils were laid out in perfect order, where the napkins were folded into flower shapes…you get the idea.Okay, okay, okay…so I don’t actually entertain the way my grandmother did very often (where would I get the time or the money-people, lavish entertaining isn’t cheap!!!), I reserve that type of formal elegance and fine dining for special occasions and holidays, but it is really heart-warming to have a book that shows me exactly how to prepare special dishes for special occasions, how the set the table, how to serve my guest, and how to be a great hostess in general.And the recipes…oh, the recipes!!! Every recipe I tried turned out perfectly delicious. I am salivating right now while typing this review! I even went as far as to emulate the food presentation in the pictures (with the platters and decors I already owned, of course).I thought the recipes were rather well written, were not overly complicated, and did not require the reader to have extensive cooking experience cooking (although some cooking experience does make the recipes more accessible). With that being said, I do think that the absolute novice cook may struggle with some of the recipes in WS CB. (By novice, I mean a newbie to the kitchen who does not know what the difference between roasting braising is or know how to steam, boil, or blanch). For the absolute novice cook, I recommend the ATK series.Ingredients:Granted, some of the ingredients are not always present in a home pantry, but they are easily procured from most local grocers, butchers, and organic markets (Walmart even has a reasonable collection of the ingredients necessary for the realization of the recipes in this book).Presentation:Every recipe has a picture! Normally, that would not matter to me as I have over a hundred “picture-less” cookbooks, but for a “vintage cookbook” (from the 80s-early 00s) such as this, pictures are rather important as they show images of recipes with which we may no longer be familiar; to me, an image of a final product, especially if the last time I saw said product was when my grandmother made it in the 80s, is essential. The pictures themselves are breathtaking works of art, elegant, romantic (yes, romantic), and inspiring!The book itself is easy to handle (not too heavy, bulky, or big, but also not too small) and easy to read. The paper is thick and glossy. The font is dark enough and large enough to read, but I do use reading glasses (I am of an age where I simply cannot read ANYTHING without reading glasses. I have to have 16 point font on my computer to read without glasses). Simply put, the book is elegantly compiled and presented.Repetition:Yes, some of the recipes may be found in other editions of WS CBs, but to me that is of no concern as I am collecting ALL the WS CBs published in the 80s and 90s (well, anything prior to 2010 really).Delivery: arrived three days earlier than anticipated.Price: bought the used edition; copy cost me less than $5; pretty good deal!Condition: although I purchased the used edition, I got a copy in excellent condition.Conclusion:It is a product from WS. What is not to like? Is this cookbook worth the money? Should you buy it? For me, the answer to both questions is a resounding, unequivocal YES! As with all WS CBs, this is a beautiful book with elegant and tasty recipes, with lovely photographs of each described dish, and with side ideas and suggestions for improvement.Recommendation:Highly recommend! I cannot recommend this book enough even if I tired! I love it.Note:1. If you found this review helpful in some way, please click the helpful button. Thank you.2. If you want to read more reviews submitted by this reviewer, please follow. Thank you.

I think this is a great getting started book as well as a "go to" for inspiration when you're wondering what to make for dinner.The recipes are clearly written, lots of explanation, more or less like going to one of William Sonoma's in store lessons.Years ago Time Life had a series of cookbooks from various countries with a similar purpose namely introducing home cooks to how to make standard dishes from each country. I think the gorgeous pictures are perfect for teaching presentation of the dishes, the instructions are complete, sidebars are provided with explanations as well as demonstrations of techniques that a home cook might not be familiar with and the recipes seem to be both emblematic and authentic of whatever the William Sonoma Collection title is.If you have already covered the basic recipes somewhere else then this is a good go to reminder or "inspire me" while I make a menu and a grocery list for the week.If you are looking for something more comprehensive then maybe you'd enjoy checking outJacques Pepin's "Essential Pepin" which has more than 700 of his All Time Favorite Recipes and has a searchable DVD demonstrating every technique a cook will ever need. Truly a wonderful and comprehensive book.If Pepin's thoroughness is not what you are looking for...and you want a simple, inspirational, introduction to fundamentalFrench cuisine and techniques then I'd definitely recommend this book.I've been a dedicated "foodie" for more than 45 years absolutely love to cook and I'm still buying cookbooks...I ordered several of the Williams Sonoma's books more of out of curiosity than anything else and have been pleased with them and think they are a great way to introduce home cooks to what might be new cuisine and techniques. I wish they'd been around when I was workingmy way through "The Joy of Cooking" page by page or "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"...as I was trying to learn how toboil water, bake a potato, you name it.Enjoy and if you are "iffy" here's a hint. When I'm merely curious I look to see if the book is offered as a used book....although I own several 100 cookbooks I'm not into keeping them out as "coffee table items" I actually try the recipes which generally means I'm going to spill something on them, get my fingerprints on the pages, etc. so it doesn't matter to me if the dust jacket is pristine...and I bought this book for $1.13 plus $3.99 shipping. It arrived quickly, in great condition and I'm having fun with it.

Apparently this book was not new, which I do not like. I never buy used ones. Also, the person who send it back had written on one of the pages. Do you not check items which are returned. (see photo)?The Mexican cook book which I ordered at the same time also looks used.I gave it a good rating because the recipes are all fine.

Loved this book. Great pictures. Love the side captions. Wiliam Sonoma does it right with these books. I own the entire collection and plan on having them for a very long time. Hopefully one day will be able to say I made every recipe in the book which seems possible. Some people my not like the limited number of recipes but I feel this is a great example of quality over quantity. Somebody really put some love in this book and it shows. Everything I have made so far has been great. Once you buy one you will want them all.

This is a generally a good cookbook, though, in many respects, its more of a pretty picture book of French food rather than a heavy-duty "how to cook" book. Still, it has some good ideas, and it is enjoyable to read if you like cooking.

This was produced when Chuck Williams was still actively involved in a Williams Sonoma. It is beautifully photographed and the recipes were properly tested so you can make them with confidence. Part of an elegant series for exploring a variety of cuisines with good directions and information on ingredients.

Almost every recipe in this book looks wonderful. There are only a few that we probably will not try, whereas most of our other specialized cookbooks only have a few that we will try. We tried 4 recipes in the first two weeks including the two onion soup. All were fantastic. We intend to eat our way through this book before we go to France later this year.