Williams-Sonoma Mastering: Hors d'oeuvres

Williams-Sonoma Mastering Hors d'Oeuvres is a complete cooking course in a single volume. The opening describes various types of finger foods and appetizers, including dips and spreads and cold and hot hors d'oeuvres, and the ingredients used to make them. You will also learn how to cook, season, and serve hors d'oeuvres, from readying your mise en place to adding sophisticated finishing touches.Basic recipes and key techniques then illustrate dozens of indispensable culinary building blocks, such as how to make a pastry dough for tartlets or how to shuck an oyster. Troubleshooting tips show you what can go wrong and how to fix it without having to start all over again. Next the master recipes lead you step-by-step, with friendly text and instructive photographs, through every stage of preparation. These recipes include helpful advice other cookbooks assume you already know, and explain how to taste and season food as you go - one of the most valuable kitchen secrets any cook can learn. The shorter recipes and variations in each chapter encourage you to continue practicing your newfound skills, building your repertory and your confidence at the same time. Finally, a guide to equipment and a glossary of ingredients round out your comprehensive hors d'oeuvre-making course.