Menu Mystique: The Diner's Guide to Fine Food & Drink

No matter which cuisine you favor, to enjoy dining out to its fullest you must be able to understand the restaurant menu. And that is the specific function of Norman Krohn's Menu Mystique: to explain those foreign menu terms that are commonly used but are not always fully understood.

In this thoroughly researched culinary reference work, Mr. Krohn describes exactly how the dish under discussion is prepared (identifying the ingredients used), tells which sauces and/or side dishes traditionally accompany it, and specifies which wines or beverages are considered most compatible. For those who want even more information about the food they are ordering, Menu Mystique describes how, when, and where the dish originated. Included also are fascinating tidbits that the author has gleaned during his distinguished food service career in some of the world's finest restaurants.

Following graduation from the world-famous Swiss Hotel School in Lausanne, and a stage as Kellner under Hans Buol at the Hotel Ascot in Zurich, Norman Krohn served as food and beverage manager at the Stadt-Casino in Basel. Returning to New York, he obtained positions as restaurant captain, first at Luchow's under restaurateur Jan Mitchel and then at the Forum of the Twelve Caesars. Later in his career, Mr. Krohn presided as maitre d'hotel at New York's Four Seasons and as general manager of Food Operations at Lincoln Center's Philharmonic Cafe.