The Professional Garde Manger: A Guide to the Art of the Buffet

The Professional Garde Manger

Garde manger--the art of preparing, presenting, and decorating cold food for buffets and banquets--is one of the most demanding, artistic, and exciting specialties in the culinary arena. Luscious cold soups, amazing hors d'oeuvres, sumptuous salads, tantalizing timbales, and savory pastries are only a few of the garde manger's creations, which also include dazzling centerpieces, interesting table arrangements, and a host of other details that turn an ordinary meal into an extraordinary event.

Drawing on more than two decades of experience, David Paul Larousse has put together a fascinating and practical guide to this imaginative culinary craft. His collection of 600 spectacular recipes spans the globe, gleaning the tastiest and most visually tempting treats from all over the world. Larousse provides historical background to many of his garde manger selections, which range from classic delicacies found only on exclusive buffets, to the latest cuisine moderne innovations.

Creative artistry is essential to great garde manger work, with food and table ornamentation as important as the food itself. The chapter on centerpieces provides detailed instructions for creating exquisite ice sculptures, captivating still-life arrangements, alluring tallow and salt dough piece montees, and many more decorative masterpieces. Thirty-two full-page color photographs set the standard for elegance in finished presentation.

Innovative and experienced garde manger chefs are in growing demand as buffets and banquets become increasingly popular. The garde manger deparment, which also reapplies food items prepared for other dishes, reduces waste while maintaining a level of culinary excellence.

The Professional Garde Manger is a uniquely comprehensive book that explores this fascinating, inventive, and important aspect of the culinary world. It provides cooking professionals with the background needed to build their repertoire, develop their style, and keep this exciting culinary craft alive and well.

A comprehensive collection of techniques and recipes for one of the most creative culinary crafts--buffet preparation and cold food presentation

Preparing, constructing, and presenting elegant buffets and banquet tables require an expansive recipe repertoire, a flair for culinary artistry, and a large dollop of creativity. In this comprehensive guide to the world of the garde manger chef, David Paul Larousse shares his experience in producing dazzling and palate-pleasing arrays of food. Among the delectable collection of 600 recipes is a wealth of classical garde manger dishes as well as the latest in cuisine moderne, from Pate de Foie Gras en Brioche and Consomme Madrilene to California Apples and Chilled Cream of Lettuce Soup. International recipes bring a wide variety of tastes into the mixing bowl, creating innumerable possibilities for sumptuous spreads.

Food and table decoration is as much a part of garde manger work as are the recipes. Larousse provides numerous ideas for perfect canapes, breathtaking salads, magnificent ice sculptures, exquisite still-life arrangements, stunning tallow and salt dough piece montees, and much more. Full-page color photographs showcase ways of combining foods to delight and surprise even the most jaded guests.

This unique collection and guide, a must-have addition to any culinary library, will expand the repertoires of even seasoned chefs and spark the imaginations of professional cooks, caterers, and culinary students.

DAVID PAUL LAROUSSE is an accomplished culinary professional, author, educator, and lecturer on foodservice and related topics. He has served as Chef-Instructor at City College of San Francisco and Johnson & Wales University, and he frequently hosts hands-on workshops and demonstrations at universities and culinary institutes across the nation. A prolific contributor to both professional and popular magazines and newspapers, Chef Larousse is the author of six books, including The Sauce Bible and The Hors d'Oeuvre Bible, also from Wiley.