<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Containing more than 300 simple recipes, this comprehensive and colorful volume on French cooking helps demystify this popular continental cuisine. A guide to the essential ingredients and equipment is followed by 23 individual lessons, each based on a particular course or technique. Savory chapters on stocks and soups, sauces, steaming, braising, and grilling are coupled with information on sweeter courses, such as sorbets, fruit, and chocolate. Step-by-step instructions and suggestions for menu accompaniments enable even novice cooks to whip up a spectacular <I>le déjeuner</I> and present an impressive meal.  </P>