Cooking With the Master Chef: Food for Your Family & Friends

Roux (A Life in the Kitchen) returns with new favorites he ostensibly whips up at home. Comfort foods like Onion Soup with Cider and Calvados and Pork Shoulder Stew with Potatoes and Chorizo Sausage help make that case, and a well-rounded collection ensures there are dishes for all tastes%E2%80%94but certainly not all skill levels. Most recipes have no introduction or photos, forcing readers to imagine what to expect when preparing and serving, for instance, a Souffle Suissesse. Adding difficulty is a European perspective, with metric measurements (a conversion table is included), and ingredients like swede, brique pastry, milk powder, and so on. Then there's Roux's pickiness; the chicken, in different recipes, should be corn-fed, organic, free range, or just "small." And Watercress and Pear Salad calls for "scented" honey, Haunch of Venison with Lemon and Honey calls for "clear honey," and Roast Chicken Salad calls for plain old honey. Those that can get a grip on the dishes will still have their work (and sourcing) cut out for them if they attempt fare like the epic Leg of Lamb Cooked for Seven Hours. Serious cooks and professional chefs will find inspiration (Roux's collection is indeed impressive) but his clipped instructions and esoteric ingredients may frustrate novices. (Mar.)