Based on Barron's popular and authoritative "The New Food Lover's Companion", this enlarged and enhanced new reference volume was written for discerning home chefs and everybody else who wants to become more knowledgeable about good food and elegant dining. Alphabetically arranged entries define and describe: fruits and vegetables, both well-known and exotic varieties; meat cuts and preparation methods; fish, shellfish, and ways to cook and serve them; breads, pastas, and other grain-based foods; cooking tools and techniques; reliable ways to preserve and store foods; herbs, spices, and their many uses; and, much more. Miniature glossaries are interspersed throughout the text, with larger glossaries in the back of the book. For instance, following the entry for apple, a miniature 'Apple Glossary' provides descriptions and recommended uses of 28 different varieties. A generous array of sidebar features throughout the book offers quick tips on food purchases, as well as Fast Facts and Food for Thought, which provide advice on preparation, serving, and dining.
More than 6,700 entries are supplemented with a general introduction, hundreds of illustrations, and pithy quotations about food and dining from chefs and gourmets. The new deluxe hardcover binding with dust jacket includes a ribbon place marker and golden-tipped page edges.