Garde Manger

Book excerpt: The leading guide to the professional kitchen's cold food station, now fully revised and updated Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen has been the market's leading textbook for culinary students and a key reference for professional chefs since its original publication in 1999. This new edition improves on the last with the most up-to-date recipes, plating techniques, and flavor profiles being used in the field today. New information on topics like artisanal cheeses, contemporary styles of pickles and vinegars, and contemporary cooking methods has been added to reflect the most current industry trends. And the fourth edition includes hundreds of all-new photographs by award-winning photographer Ben Fink, as well as approximately 450 recipes, more than 100 of which are all-new to this edition. Knowledge of garde manger is an essential part of every culinary student's training, and many of the world's most celebrated chefs started in garde manger as apprentices or cooks. The art of garde manger includes a broad base of culinary skills, from basic cold food preparations to roasting, poaching, simmering, and sautéing meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, and legumes. This comprehensive guide includes detailed information on cold sauces and soups; salads; sandwiches; cured and smoked foods; sausages; terrines, pâtes, galantines, and roulades; cheese; appetizers and hors d'oeuvre; condiments, crackers, and pickles; and buffet development and presentation.