Cooking Techniques & Tips
Table of Contents
Subject Headings
General Works
Videos
Websites
Subject Headings
Books that give techniques and handy tips are generally found under the subject heading cookery. If the tips are specific to one type of food or cooking method, the book may be under that terminology. Examples follow:
- kitchen utensils
- cookware
- meat cutting
- food presentation
- knives
- sauteing
Another way to search for cooking tips and techniques is to conduct a Title Keyword search with the terms: cooking and technique, and then browse the list of titles.
General Works
| Cooking Techniques: How to do anything a recipe tells you to do | TX652 C6x |
| The World of Cooking: Recipes, Techniques and Secrets of the Kitchen | TX 651 W93 |
| Cooking Techniques & Recipes From Around the World | TX 725 A1 B47 |
| On Cooking: Techniques From Expert Chefs | Ref. TX 651 L33 1998 |
| The New Making of a Cook: The Art, Techniques, and Science of Good Cooking | TX 714 K 356 |
| Cooking Smart: Recipes, Tips and Techniques for Really Using the Time-Saving, Work-Saving Gadgets in Your Kitchen to Create Delicious Food | TX 714 H 467 |
| Modern Cooking | Ref. TX 353 .S656 1990 |
Videos
Videos are housed in a locked case neat the Circulation Desk. Students may check them out and view them in the Computer Lab. The following list is merely a small sample of the viodeos available.
| Knife Skills: Vegetable Cuts | VH 0094 |
| Broiling and Grilling | VH 0050 |
| Braising and Stewing | VH 0010 |
| Food Service Tools | VH 0003 |
| Fish Fabrication by the Professional Chef | VH 0095 |
Web Sites
There is a universe of culinary and food-related material available via the Internet. Use a search engine such as Google.com or whatever your favorite is, to find the information you are seeking. There are also many megasites with hundreds of links to food, recipe, beverage and restaurant resources. The web sites listed below were chosen for the excellence and scope of resources they offer to novice cooks about cooking techniques, instructional materials, and practical food tips.
- AZ Central - Cooking 101
View 20 different cooking lessons with short video clips; lesson 20 is the "final exam." Cooking 201 shows eleven more advanced topics.
- Cheftalk.com
Described as the food lovers link to porfessional chefs, this site offers Culinary 101, with articles on a variety of topics. Choose Education Center and scroll through the selection. For more lessons, go to the bottom of the page and click on past educational articles to see such articles as "The Proper Use of Knives" and others.
- Epicurious.com
This site is the home of Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines. View Master is a library of short videos on basic subjects such as shellfish, sauces, and pies. Select Learn from the top menu and scroll to Technique Videos. Other features include Cooking Tips, which has a searchable source of over 1000 cooking "secrets" and Epicurious TV with videos and recipes.
- Cuisine Magazine
Click on Tips to choose from over 30 topics, from mincing ginger to drying tomatoes. Many topics have color photos.
- Fabulous Foods
Click on ooking School, then scroll down to the topics. Color photos enhance the instruction. There are lots of other interesting sections at this site. Take the time to browse around.
- Ichef.com
This is probably the best place to look of you have a disaster in the kitchen. Is your mayonnaise curdled, your meringue weeping?! This site tells you why and what to do about it. Choose Tips & Hints, then click on How to Repair Food.
- Learn2.com
At this site you will find lessons on everything from choosing cooking oils, to making a roux, to opening a coconut. At the top of the site, select New Users next the Online Tutorials link. Near the top of the page, pull down from the menu that reads, "Select a Channel" and choose Food and Drink. Or select 2tortials then Food and Drink form the pull down menu. Browse.
Alice Statler Library, City College of San Francisco
Updated October 15, 2001
