THANK YOU all very much for reaching out and helping those in need.. lots of people are in a better place today thanks to your generosity!

The contest is now closed.  The winner of a hardcover copy of Larousse Gastronomique is..

Tim from insockmonkeyslippers. Tim, please email me with your shipping info- I’ll get the book out to you right away!

Thanks, everyone!!

Regardless of how much or how little experience you have in the kitchen, this awesome tome will become your go-to guide for years to come.  Read on for the details of my 1st giveaway for 2010..

Larousse Gastronomique has been the foremost resource of culinary knowledge since its initial publication in 1938. Long revered for its encyclopedic entries on everything from cooking techniques, ingredients, and recipes to equipment, food histories, and culinary biographies, it is the one book every professional chef and avid home cook must have on his or her kitchen shelf. In fact, Julia Child once wrote, “If I were allowed only one reference book in my library, Larousse Gastronomique would be it, without question.”

The culinary landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade, prompting a complete revision of this classic work. Larousse Gastronomique has now been updated to add the latest advancements that have forever changed the way we cook, including modern technological methods, such as sous-vide cooking and molecular gastronomy. All-new color ingredient-identification photographs give this edition a fresh, elegant look. And for the first time, Larousse features more than 400 reportage photos–candid images of upscale restaurants from around the world–that give behind-the-scenes access into the kitchens where the finest food is created. Dozens of new biographies of people who have made significant contributions to the food world debut in this revision, including such luminaries as Ferran Adrià, Daniel Boulud, Alice Waters, Gaston Lenôtre, Thomas Keller, James Beard, and Julia Child.

With entries arranged in encyclopedic fashion, Larousse Gastronomique is not only incredibly user-friendly, but it is also a fantastic read for anyone who loves food. Skip from Roasting to Robert (a classic French sauce), and then to Robiola (the Italian cheese); or go from Sake to Salad–with dozens of recipes–and on to Salamander, a type of oven used in professional kitchens for caramelizing (and named after the legendary fire-resistant animal). An index at the end of the book of all 3,800 recipes for cuisines from around the world makes it easy to find a myriad of preparations for any ingredient (eggs or chicken, for example) or type of dish (such as cakes or sauces).

The unparalleled depth and breadth of information–from the traditional to the cutting-edge–make this newest edition of Larousse Gastronomique indispensable for every cook.

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OK, so here’s the deal..

While the contest is open to anyone, the book can only be shipped within the US.  If you’re in Canada, say, you might have the book sent to a friend or relative in the states. Or..

To enter, simply make a monetary donation (of any amount) to any non-political, non-profit organization whose primary purposes include providing food to people in need.  Local churches, regional food banks and large relief agencies are all great choices.

Observing the honor system, record the fact of your donation in the comment section below, but please do NOT include the dollar amount. Past donations don’t count; please make a separate donation just for this purpose.

Example:  I donated to the Downtown Alliance of Churches

To help as many people as possible, please consider sharing this link http://wp.me/pjS8J-1uP with friends and family and/or post it to your social network by clicking one of the buttons at the bottom of this post.  Thanks!

One winner will be selected at random from a list of all qualified entries.  That’s all there is to it!

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“The history of food has never had a better biographer. Required reading for anyone who eats.” —Dan Barber

“Young chefs, famous chefs, home cooks, and everyone who loves food and cooking–we all depend on Larousse Gastronomique. It is the only culinary encyclopedia that is always up-to-date.” —Daniel Boulud

“You can’t go into the chef’s office of any serious kitchen and not see a copy of Larousse. A must-have for professional and home cooks alike.” —David Chang

“Larousse is an invaluable tool for any cook. I’ve used this great resource all throughout my cooking career, and of course I look forward to the new edition. New information and knowledge are always welcome.” —Thomas Keller

“Larousse Gastronomique is a veritable dictionary of cooking terms for the French kitchen. If a chef were allowed only one book, this would have to be it.” —Mario Batali