Without the clear descriptions on the menu or the descriptions by your server, it might be difficult to answer the simple question, "what would you like today?" The Chef's Companion should sit on the shelf next to important cooking references to help the chef navigate the foreign language that is the culinary arts.
ELIZABETH RIELY is a journalist and food historian whose articleshave appeared in Bon Appétit, Gourmet, the BostonGlobe, and The New York Times. She is editor of theRadcliffe Culinary Times, the newsletter of the SchlessingerLibrary, a contributor to Gastronomica, and the author ofthe cookbook A Feast of Fruits.