OK. You're a pretty good or even very good cook, but now you want a way to step it up a notch. Jill Prescott's Ecole de Cuisine: Professional Cooking for Home Chef might be the answer.

Jill is the chef and owner of Ecole de Cuisine, a unique school founded in 1988 in Kohler, Wisconsin, to teach home cooks professional cooking techniques. This book is the companion piece to Jill's public television series of the same name, and it's an easy way to take professional cooking classes at home.

Each chapter in this book is a lesson unto itself. You start with equipment and ingredient basics and continue to become an expert at stocks, sauces, meats, seafood, pasta, vegetables and desserts. In addition, each recipe teaches a new technique that opens the door to other, similar dishes. The book is also filled with countless practical tips to make cooking easier.

For anyone who thought that fine French cooking was out of their reach, it's time to re-think. Jill's expert advice and instructions make professional gourmet cooking possible for the home chef. The recipes are inspiring and there are lots of photos to help you achieve perfect results every time.

Be sure to also look for Jill's PBS show, starting its second season April 2001.