Julia Child's food wisdom deserves a spot in kitchen

Only the best books should be forgiven bald-faced promotion, and "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom" is one of them.

The short cookbook, originally released nearly a decade ago as a companion to a two-hour PBS special of the same name, has been rereleased to capitalize on Hollywood's impending "Julie & Juila," the story of a woman who cooks her way through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I." Some copies even have a sticker advertising the film.

That said, this is a book any serious, frequent home cook wants in the kitchen. Think of it as Julia-lite, a kind of Cliffs Notes to the techniques and recipes of one of the world's most accomplished and iconic chefs. Julia herself calls the book a "mini aide-memoire" and it caters to people who know their way around the kitchen but sometimes forget just how long to roast a chicken or the butter-to-flour ratio in a bechamel.

The book is built on basics: how to whip up a vinaigrette, doctor canned chicken broth, dress up leftovers in a souffle, and, famously, how to keep vegetables green by blanching then plunging them into an ice bath. Scattered throughout are indispensable fixes, like how to restore a broken hollandaise or revive wilted greens.

Invoking Julia's famous dictum - "Once you have mastered a technique, you hardly need to look at a recipe again" - each chapter offers a Master Recipe, such as sauteed Beef Steaks, followed by variations that apply the technique to different situations and ingredients. Complicated dishes, such as Molded Dessert Custards are joined by simpler fare like Potato and Leek Soup, whose basic ingredients you probably have in the house.

And even though Julia could plow through nearly 600 pounds of butter a year, she wasn't all cream and cow fat. Her recipes for "fat-free cream soups" thickened with pureed rice are still well ahead of their time.

"Kitchen Wisdom" (Knopf) is essential Julia, an excellent way to round out - or start off - your collection.