Le Répertoire de la Cuisine Innovante

The original Le Répertoire de la Cuisine by Louis Saulnier was created as a short-cut guide to the classic dishes standardized by Auguste Escoffier, offering quick definitions from which an experienced cook could presumably execute a dish.

Here, Thierry Marx—a French chef known for his embrace of modernist cooking at this Michelin 2-star restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in Paris—collaborates with chemist Raphaël Haumont to provide an accessible, kitchen-oriented reference to important chemical and physical properties and processes which can be employed in developing new dishes and techniques.

Organized alphabetically, the entries in the book covers everything from acidity and gellification to the Maillard reaction and xanthan gum. Small diagrams and black-and-white photographs help demonstrate key principles, as well as the use of some pieces of equipment.

Entries are short and introductory, designed to provide inquiring cooks with fundamental knowledge and set them on the path to learning more.

Hardcover. Charts, line illustrations, and black-and-white photographs. In French. $30.00