Designed and illustrated with color photographs, line drawings, charts, and sidebars, this introduction to cooking and food preparation focuses on information that aims to be relevant to today's aspiring chef. It emphasizes an understanding of cooking fundamentals, explores the preparation of fresh ingredients, and provides information on other topics, such as - food history and food science. This introduction to cooking outlines professionalism, food safety and sanitation, nutrition, recipes and menus, tools and equipment, knife skills, kitchen staples, dairy products, principles of meat, fish and vegetable cookery, garde manger, baking, and presentation. This book includes - Healthy Cooking chapter, combines materials on basic nutrition, healthy cooking techniques and cooking for special diets such as vegetarian diets or allergic diets; Over 250 photographs emphasize procedural aspects of cooking; Updated concept changes to meet the Food Code revision; Fresh design, including over 300 photographs and line drawings Content updates to reflect current trends in the Culinary Arts. Indicated for Chefs, Restaurant Managers and others in the food service industry.