Sonnenschmidt's Newest Book, Charcuterie: Sausages/ Pates/ Accompaniments, Releases

Delmar, a part of Cengage Learning, is pleased to announce the publication of Charcuterie: Sausages/Pates/Accompaniments by Master Chef Fritz H. Sonnenschmidt.

Marrying classic European tradition with New World ingredients, Charcuterie: Sausages/Pates/Accompaniments (ISBN: 1-4283-1991-3, $61.95), brings back the tried-and-true methods for students, home cooks, and professionals in an easy-to-follow format.

According to the National Restaurant Association's latest Chef Survey that polled more than 1,600 chefs, 42 percent identified charcuterie-describing such "cold" kitchen preparations as sausages, hams, pates, confit, terrines, and rillettes-among "hot" menu trends for 2009.

"This book debuts at a time when Americans' interest in and craving of plates featuring the craftsmanship of classically preserved meats and seafood has never been greater," says Jim Gish, senior acquisitions editor at Delmar Cengage Learning. "As more chefs and their customers discover the goodness and evocative flavors of these nostalgic dishes, the trend will only grow."

While charcuterie has never lost its luster in European bistros and hotels, plates withered to a rarity on U.S. menus until only recently, when the time-honored culinary art form began enjoying a resurgence spurred by diners' demand for handcrafted, artisan foods.

Economy and sustainability, too, have helped propel the trend, as charcuterie is often prepared with less-expensive, secondary cuts that are usually fattier, as well as those animal parts typically discarded-literally, from snout to tail. Charcuterie is the quintessential comfort food because it hearkens to rustic, homemade flavors and textures of yesteryear, sating a keen desire among diners particularly in these slower economic times.

By executing the methods described fully in Charcuterie: Sausages/Pates/Accompaniments, chefs and home cooks will be inspired to explore and create their own charcuterie based on the vast array of recipes and information offered in this book. More than 200 kitchen-tested recipes incorporate a wide variety of meats, seafood, poultry, and game, including all of the classic and contemporary recipes one would expect. Step-by-step procedures, photographs, and illustrations throughout the book reinforce the basic methods of the art of charcuterie.

Among the book's noteworthy features:
� Written in a richly descriptive style and format that unlocks the secrets of charcuterie in a straightforward manner.
� Each chapter is linked to well-established kitchen-tested recipes, guaranteeing that measurements are accurate and work properly.
� A modern, fresh design highlights photographs of finished dishes to create a visually pleasing book for students, home cooks, and professionals.
� Highly detailed color photographs of step-by-step procedures allow readers to identify with the unique characteristics of each type of sausage, pate, or accompaniment featured.
� Conversion grids and sausage-quantity calculation charts make it easy to adapt your serving size to your guest list.

Written by highly respected and widely loved Fritz H. Sonnenschmidt-one of fewer than 70 chefs certified as a master by the American Culinary Federation-this much-anticipated book represents the culmination of a lifetime's worth of knowledge from one of the world's leading culinary professionals. During his 33 years at The Culinary Institute of America until he retired in 2002, Sonnenschmidt helped shape the careers of more than 30,000 culinary professionals as instructor, adviser, and culinary dean.

In 2004, he was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs Hall of Fame, and in 2007 he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy. Sonnenschmidt is a noted author