Alphabetically arranged entries define and describe-- Fruits and vegetables, both well-known and exotic varieties Meat cuts and preparation methods Fish, shellfish, and ways to cook and serve them Breads, pastas, and other grain-based foods Cooking tools and techniques Reliable ways to preserve and store foods Herbs, spices, and their many uses . . . and much more Miniature glossaries are interspersed throughout the text. For instance, following the entry for apple, an "Apple Glossary" provides descriptions and recommended uses of 28 different varieties. A generous array of sidebar features throughout the book offers quick tips on food purchases, as well as " Fast Facts " and advice on preparation, serving, and dining. For example, immediately following the "al dente" entry in reference to cooking pasta, readers will find this sidebar: Fast Facts Al Dente An obvious line flowing through the thickest part of the pasta means it's not done Lingering heat will continue to cook the pasta for a short time after it's removed from the hot cooking water More than 6,700 entries are supplemented with a general introduction, hundreds of illustrations, and pithy quotations about food and dining from chefs and gourmets. The new deluxe hardcover binding with dust jacket includes a ribbon place marker and golden-tipped page edges.