For the last couple of decades now, I've been wanting to cook in a restaurant.

So much so that for birthdays and holidays, friends and family get me restaurant equipment so that my home kitchen has kind of turned into a small restaurant that serves 1-10, depending on the night. It is a way for me to practice in the comfort of my own home before working the line at at restaurant.

Modern Batch Cookery was made for people like me - folks who want to cook in a foodservice operation (restaurant, cafe, hotel) or cater. I catered 20 years ago and now I want to cook for the masses in a restaurant.

Written by Victor Gilesse & Ron DeSantis, Certified Master Chefs from The Culinary Institute of America, this great bible of cooking contains over 200 healthy recipes that yield 50 servings each. It even tells you the duties and functions of each person at every station!

Menu creating and planning isn't often talked about outside of chef school, so how lucky to be able to access it here within these pages! And learning the proper techniques for cooking in such volume is an unbelievable skill to learn, as is the chapter on the importance of flavour.

When I called it a bible, I meant it. Modern Batch Cookery offers everything from Poached Eggs on Hash (50 eggs, 50 parsley sprigs...) to Mudslide Cookies. Pot Roast with Jus Lie is a breeze, thanks to these instructions, as are Duck Confit and Braised Beef Short Ribs with Polenta and Roasted Cremini.

I'm starting with Stocks, Soups, and Sauces, then moving on through Breakfast and Brunch; Salad Dressings, Salads, Sandwiches, Appetizers; Entrées; Side Dishes; Reception Foods; and Baked Goods and Desserts. 

After practicing with this book's healthy recipes, amazing accompanying conversion charts and a glossary, as well as full-color photos of finished dishes, I'll be fully equipped to work the line of a restaurant in no time.

In the meantime, feel free to drop by for dinner. Something tells me there will be enough to go around.

Get your copy of Modern Batch Cookery now.