Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Score Classic
What it's about
Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle set out to show American home cooks how to make classic French dishes with American ingredients and kitchens. With detailed, step-by-step instructions, the book teaches techniques rather than just recipes, from omelets and sauces to boeuf bourguignon.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best nonfiction books, and it changed how America cooks. It's both a cookbook and a cooking school.
You'll love it if you liked
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, The Elements of Style or The Story of Art
Good to know
It's a cookbook to use, not read through; the first volume, from 1961, is the classic. Julia Child's memoir, My Life in France, is the perfect companion.
Quick answers
Is Mastering the Art of French Cooking worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best nonfiction books, and it changed how America cooks. It ranks #298 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Mastering the Art of French Cooking about?
Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle set out to show American home cooks how to make classic French dishes with American ingredients and kitchens. With detailed, step-by-step instructions, the book teaches techniques rather than just recipes, from omelets and sauces to boeuf bourguignon.
How long does it take to read Mastering the Art of French Cooking?
About 16 hours (649 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Mastering the Art of French Cooking?
If you liked it, try Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain, The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White or The Story of Art by E H Gombrich.
By the numbers
- Readers97 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On the TIME All-TIME 100 Nonfiction list.
Where it ranks
On the lists
- TIME All-TIME 100 Nonfiction
Reads as
Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
The Color Purple
1984
The Lord of the Rings
A Brief History of Time