La technique
by Jacques Pépin · first published 1976
92% recommend8% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Illustrated, step-by-step cooking fundamentals that build on basic recipes. It pairs well with Julia Child for learning to cook and suits anyone seeking real technique rather than just recipes.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"A practical guide to the fundamental techniques of cooking, a master chef's compendium of the basic culinary skills that allow any cook to execute any recipe, time and again"--dust jacket.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2013–2023The Professional Chef
Culinary Institute of America., Elizabeth Riely, Steven Kolpan, Linda Blocker
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 118 recommend · 11 mention8 recommend · 118 recommend
2010–2026Mastering the art of French cooking
Julia Child
Recommended by 16 · mentioned by 2416 recommend · 24 mention16 recommend · 2416 recommend
2020–2024Professional cookery
Stanley Thornes, Daniel R. Stevenson
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 33 recommend · 3 mention3 recommend · 33 recommend
2015–2023The science of good cooking
Guy Crosby
Recommended by 5 · mentioned by 65 recommend · 6 mention5 recommend · 65 recommend
2010–2026The flavor bible
Karen Page
Recommended by 15 · mentioned by 2015 recommend · 20 mention15 recommend · 2015 recommend
2009–2026The Technological Society
Jacques Ellul
Recommended by 36 · mentioned by 5236 recommend · 52 mention36 recommend · 5236 recommend
2012–2022Twenty
Michael Ruhlman
Recommended by 9 · mentioned by 109 recommend · 10 mention9 recommend · 109 recommend
2017–2025Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
Samin Nosrat
Recommended by 53 · mentioned by 6953 recommend · 69 mention53 recommend · 6953 recommend
…can get much better than Tartine Bread [1]. Chad Robertson takes you through making bread from just flour, salt and water by making your own yeast starter. For general cooking, I will also recommend La Technique [2], its short and digestible (puns always intended) increments of learning that, while old, are fundamental and classic. If you can work through La Technique and something like Julia Child's Mastering…
on “Baking with the Bread Whisperers of Paris” ↗La Technique, Jacques Pepin Mastering The Art Of French Cooking, Julia Child These books are a combination of background information, recipe, and step by step instruction. So these are more a reference of how to…
on “Ask HN: Examples of good technical writing?” ↗Want to actually learn how to cook, no bullshit? Read Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Then read Jacques Pepin's La Technique. Then watch Jacques' old tv show Fast Food My Way. You will become a decent cook just from these 3 sources. It covers all the basics you need to know, and the rest comes from experience. (Jacques also…
on “Cooking for Founders” ↗…core idea is great. Usually I skim recipes for three things, the title, picture, and the main ideas, it'd be interesting to have recipes presented at that high level of abstraction. Jacques Pepin's book La Technique often refers back to earlier basic recipes to construct more complicated recipes, kind of similar to this idea (I guess nearly all cookbooks do this, but it seems like Pepin's does it more than usual).
on “Show HN: Parsnip – Duolingo for Cooking” ↗…of the 19th century that cookbooks for home cooks came out, and they too didn't explain much. If you are really interested in cooking, either take a class, or buy a book that teaches you how to cook. La Technique and Mastering the Art of French Cooking are excellent instruction manuals. If you learn better from video, Jacques Pepín did a 3 hour video of cooking mostly everything in La Technique.
on “Why do recipe writers lie and lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions?” ↗…but the opening lines in the forward are counter to that (Key phrase being "servantless American.")- on the contrary _not_ fussy but demonstrative of good foundational technique. Pepin's La Methode and La Technique are comparable, if not more formal, though of course very much aimed at a different audience. Both chefs published more casual, everyday recipes later in their career.
on “Julia Child's Culinary Notes” ↗…cucchiaio d'argento - Domus [Haute Cuisine] Ma Gastronomie - Fernand Point [Italian] Ecco il tuo libro di cucina - Pellegrino Artusi (Still looking for a copy, much less a translated one) [Technique] La Technique [OR/AND] New Complete Techniques - Jacques Pepin [Why ___?] On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen - Harlod McGee [Pairing] The Flavor Bible - Andrew Dornenburg ---[Japanese]---:…
on “Cooking for Founders” ↗…system not to work against us. It's infinitely complex to proof it does. What we live through is a constant and incremental power shift from the individual to the system. I highly recommend Jaques Ellul "La Technique", The Technological Society. The conclusion for me is that we have already every reason to panic. 2 more links on the problem of courts relying to much on external specialists specifically in Germany…
on “Faked Out” ↗Jacques Ellul (read his "La Technique" first - don't start with "Propaganda" which builds on it): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23746429 https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...
on ““Industrial Society and its Future”: the writings of the Unabomber” ↗> Computers are neutral technology. Don't make me tap the sign: Technology. Is. Not. Neutral. A shame so few technophiles have read Jacques Ellul[1]. Ellul's La Technique (and his later "Propaganda") should be mandatory reading for anyone thinking about systems. Be careful though, this thinker/philosopher has verbalized a problem that made Ted Kaczinsky conclude the only…
on “Computers are an oppressive technology” ↗Jacques Ellul makes very similar points in his work La Technique (The Technological Society). He traces how technology and power interplay from the invention of the pocket watch and steam engine, all the way to computers. It's one of the best works I've come across…
on “The AI Threat to Open Societies” ↗if you study him you'll find he makes many references to Jacques Ellul's The Technological Society (La Technique). It's a very deep read. If you follow what he read it all makes a lot more sense. Ted radicalized himself in isolation as he tried to escape modern society, and was unable to get away (they built a…
on “Ted Kaczynski's Manifesto [pdf]” ↗La Technique is excellent and I'm stoked to see someone recommending it. But it's very dense. I imagine it would also be highly frustratig to a lot of people here for its polemic style and his fast-and-loose approach…
on ““Industrial Society and its Future”: the writings of the Unabomber” ↗…job isn't BS you probably haven't read enough adversarial content. 0) The Conspiracy Against The Human Race 1) The Machine Stops 2) The One Dimensional Man 3) A City Is Not A Tree 4) Influence 5) La Technique 6) anything from James C. Scott 7) ... Figuring out the links is left as an exercise to the reader.
on “Why I Find Bullshit Work Intolerable” ↗…anti vaxx) 3 get stopped on some countries (like US) at a border and unable to present a phone for search might deny you entry. The whole affair was predicted already 50-70 years ago. Jacques Ellul's La Technique is a great comprehensive read on this idiocy
on “AI Crap – Drew Devault” ↗