Described by Escoffier himself as 'a useful tool rather than just a recipe book' it is therefore a repository of all that is best in Classical French and International cookery and should be kept at hand and referred to constantly. - HCIMA Book Service. This book does not go into the minute details of preparation, but offers to those who practice the art of cookery - whether they be professionals chefs or managers, gourmets or students - invaluable guidelines culled from more than fifty years' experience. This translation supercedes A Guide to Modern Cookery, the English version first published in 1907; it contained a fair percentage of Escoffier's recipes, but was not, unlike The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery, the comprehensive collection which contains some 2000 additional recipes. Great care had been taken to use the original metric measurements and to give accurate conversions to Imperial and American measurements in brackets. Auguste Escoffier is unquestionably one of the greatest cooks of all time. It is an invaluable companion for both amateur and experienced cooks.