Prep School: How to Improve Your Kitchen Skills and Cooking Techniques

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Description

Prep School is the ultimate collection of the weekly Chicago Tribune column of the same name, written by culinary instructor and award-winning food writer James P. DeWan. The columns and this book are focused on teaching readers how to become better cooksfrom amateurs who are learning to cook for themselves or their families, to professional and gourmet chefs who are searching to perfect their technique. Illustrated with full-color photography and a plethora of simple, plain-spoken instructions, Prep School is an easy go-to guide for becoming more adept to any cooking environment.

Prep School is filled with insightful and straightforward tips on knife skills, preparation techniques, pantry essentials, holiday meals, and general advice on how to make your kitchen as user-friendly as possible. Before any home cook or professional chef picks up a cookbook, they should first pick up Prep School and be sure to take DeWan's advice to heart. His recommendations on improving kitchen efficiency and ease, along with his in-depth knowledge of shortcuts and cooking common sense, make DeWan the perfect teacher for any aspiring culinary student.

Reviews

Awards and Praise for James P. DeWan's Prep School: 2014 Finalist for International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Award for Best Compilation Cookbook "[James P. DeWan]'s column takes sometimes difficult techniques and breaks them down for home cooks in a focused, straightforward, often funny and always helpful manner." --Joe Gray, Chicago Tribune "[Prep School]'s intention is to teach readers how to become better cooks, and this involves understanding the basics of prep work and good kitchen skills... Add color photos throughout and you have an exceptional winner for cooks at any level of expertise." --Midwest Book Review "From cooking with booze to conquering crab cakes, reading James P. DeWan's column has helped me graduate from cooking like I still live in a college dorm." --RedEye Prep School is a good primer for beginning cooks and an excellent reference for experienced cooks needing a refresher. The book is very readable, the techniques and methods explained in simple language, and most important, the recipes are easy to replicate and execute... If you really want to learn how to cook or take your cooking to the next level, Prep School should be a major addition to your cookbook library. Better, just keep it on the counter, as you will refer to it often." --Peter Bella, ChicagoNow

Author Bio

James P. DeWan is a chef, culinary instructor and award-winning food writer. His Chicago Tribune column, "Prep School," is now in its fifth year, and he has served on the culinary faculty at Kendall College in Chicago. James lives in Chicago, IL. The Chicago Tribune, founded in 1847, is the flagship newspaper of the Tribune Company. Its staff comprises dedicated, award-winning journalists who have authored many best-selling books.