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Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 by Julia Child & Simone Beck Review: An Essential, Ambitious Sequel for Serious Home Cooks
Published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1970, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 is the sequel to the landmark cookbook by Julia Child and Simone Beck (with Sidonie Coryn providing the illustrations), expanding the original's mission to bring rigorous, step-by-step French cookery to American home kitchens — from French bread and peasant ragoûts to salted goose and royal Napoleons. This review assesses the book's content, organisation, and published critical reception; it does not reflect a kitchen test.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
The committed home cook who has already worked through Volume 1 and wants to advance their French technique into more demanding territory — breads, charcuterie, braises, and elaborate pastries.
Worth it if
You have a genuine foundation in the methods established by Volume 1 and are ready to invest real time in ambitious, technique-forward French cooking rather than quick weeknight meals.
Skip if
You are coming to the series cold — without Volume 1 as a basis — or you need a practical, modern, quick-reference kitchen companion rather than a deep and demanding instructional sequel written for 1970s American kitchens.
What readers & critics say
Wikipedia notes that Volume 2 was well received on its 1970 release, with critics praising its comprehensiveness, and that the series as a whole transformed the American cookbook industry. The StoryGraph reader voices echo a recurring practical caveat: because the book predates modern kitchen equipment, some procedures and cook times may need adjustment for today's ovens.
Sources: Wikipedia, The StoryGraph4.8from 1,565 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
In This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Is and What It Contains
- Significance and Place in Culinary History
- Recipe Design and Instructional Approach
- Genuine Limitations to Consider
- Who This Book Is For
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Step-by-step recipes are written with the detail, exactness, and clarity that defined the original volume, per the publisher's description
- Covers a wide and ambitious range of French dishes — from French bread and peasant ragoûts to salted goose and royal Napoleons — advancing well beyond the scope of Volume 1
- Praised by critics for its comprehensiveness on release in 1970, according to Wikipedia's reception summary
- Part of a series that, per biographer Noel Riley Fitch, transformed the American cookbook industry by prioritising instructional clarity and precision
- Illustrations by Sidonie Coryn accompany the recipes throughout
What Doesn't
- Explicitly designed as a sequel that builds on Volume 1, making it less accessible to readers who have not worked through the first book
- Written in 1970 for mid-century American kitchens, so some ingredients, terminology, or equipment references may feel dated for today's cooks
A worthy sequel that deepens, rather than merely extends, one of the most consequential cookbooks ever written for the American kitchen.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2: A Cookbook by Julia Child, Simone Beck front cover
What the Book Is and What It Contains
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 is the second and final volume in the two-volume French cookbook series written for the American market and published by Alfred A. Knopf — Volume 1 in 1961, Volume 2 on October 12, 1970. Volume 2 was authored by Julia Child and Simone Beck; Louisette Bertholle, who co-wrote Volume 1, did not participate in this volume. Illustrations are by Sidonie Coryn. The book is organised around the guiding principle, quoted in the publisher's description, that "mastering any art is a continuing process" — meaning Volume 2 is explicitly designed to build on the foundation laid by its predecessor, advancing the home cook's skills rather than revisiting the same ground. Its range is deliberately wide, moving from the everyday (French bread) to the elaborate (royal Napoleons), from rustic peasant ragoûts to salted goose.
“the same detail, exactness, and clarity that are the soul of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”
Significance and Place in Culinary History
The series to which this volume belongs occupies an outsized position in American food culture. According to Julia Child biographer Noel Riley Fitch, the publication of the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking instantaneously changed the entire American cookbook industry, pushing publishers toward clarity and precision and away from what Fitch describes as the "chatty and sometimes sketchy" style that had typified American cookbooks up to that point. Volume 2, released nine years later to capitalise on that legacy, was also well received on its release in 1970, with critics praising the book's comprehensiveness. Alice Waters, as quoted in the publisher's materials, credited Child with having "paved the way for Chez Panisse and so many others by demystifying French food and by reconnecting pleasure and delight with cooking and eating at the table."
Recipe Design and Instructional Approach
The recipes in Volume 2 are written — as the publisher's description states — with "the same detail, exactness, and clarity that are the soul of Mastering the Art of French Cooking." The step-by-step instructional format that distinguished Volume 1 carries through here, with Child and Beck designing each recipe to walk a motivated American home cook through techniques that might otherwise seem inaccessible. The scope is broader and the techniques more advanced than in Volume 1: the book is explicitly positioned as a progression, not a companion at the same difficulty level. Readers who worked through Volume 1 will find familiar structural logic — thorough introductions, precise quantities, and technique explanations — applied to a new and more demanding set of dishes.
Genuine Limitations to Consider
Two limitations are worth naming plainly. First, because Volume 2 is designed as a continuation of Volume 1, readers who come to it without that prior foundation may find the learning curve steeper than expected; the book assumes a baseline familiarity with the methods and vocabulary established in the earlier volume. Second, the cookbook was written in 1970 for an audience with access to mid-century American supermarkets, and some ingredients or equipment it takes for granted have since shifted in availability or terminology. These are not fatal flaws — the book remains widely used — but they are practical considerations for a cook approaching it fresh today.
Who This Book Is For
Volume 2 rewards the committed, curious home cook who has already developed confidence with foundational French technique and wants to go further. It is not a quick-reference weeknight resource; its value lies in depth, ambition, and the sustained instruction that Child and Beck bring to complex preparations spanning bread, charcuterie, braises, and elaborate pastries. For readers already invested in the series — or in the tradition of serious, technique-forward French home cooking that the series helped define — Volume 2 represents the natural and logical culmination of that journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 worth buying?
LuvemBooks describes it as a worthy sequel that deepens rather than merely extends one of the most consequential cookbooks ever written for the American kitchen. For committed home cooks already invested in the series or in serious French technique, the review positions Volume 2 as the natural and logical culmination of that journey.
Who is this book for?
The review is clear that Volume 2 rewards the committed, curious home cook who has already developed confidence with foundational French technique and wants to go further. It is not a quick-reference weeknight resource, so casual or beginner cooks may find it less suited to their needs.
Do I need to read Volume 1 before Volume 2?
Yes, according to the review, Volume 2 is explicitly designed to build on the foundation laid by its predecessor and assumes a baseline familiarity with the methods and vocabulary established in the earlier volume. Readers who come to it without that prior foundation may find the learning curve steeper than expected.
How does Volume 2 compare to Volume 1 in terms of difficulty?
The review states that the scope is broader and the techniques more advanced than in Volume 1, with the book explicitly positioned as a progression rather than a companion at the same difficulty level. Readers who worked through Volume 1 will find familiar structural logic applied to a new and more demanding set of dishes.
What kinds of recipes are in Volume 2?
The review notes that the book's range is deliberately wide, moving from the everyday, such as French bread, to the elaborate, such as royal Napoleons, and from rustic peasant ragouts to salted goose. It spans bread, charcuterie, braises, and elaborate pastries.
What is the guiding principle behind the book's structure?
According to the review, the book is organised around the idea, quoted from the publisher's description, that mastering any art is a continuing process. This means Volume 2 is explicitly designed to advance the home cook's skills rather than revisit the same ground covered in Volume 1.
Who wrote Volume 2, and is it the same team as Volume 1?
Volume 2 was authored by Julia Child and Simone Beck, with illustrations by Sidonie Coryn. Louisette Bertholle, who co-wrote Volume 1, did not participate in this volume.
When was Volume 2 published?
The review notes that Volume 2 was published on October 12, 1970, by Alfred A. Knopf, nine years after Volume 1 appeared in 1961.
How was Volume 2 received when it was first released?
The review states that Volume 2 was well received on its release in 1970, with critics praising the book's comprehensiveness. It was released to capitalise on the legacy already established by the first volume.
What is the historical significance of this cookbook series?
According to the review, citing Julia Child biographer Noel Riley Fitch, the publication of Volume 1 instantaneously changed the entire American cookbook industry, pushing publishers toward clarity and precision and away from the chatty and sometimes sketchy style that had typified American cookbooks up to that point. Volume 2 builds on and extends that consequential legacy.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- 1
en.wikipedia.org
- 2
- 3
unabridgedbookstore.com
- 4
- 5
beta.thestorygraph.com
- 6
- 7
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