James Peterson is an American writer and teacher of the culinary arts. He holds a degree in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley.
His apprenticed at Paris' Cordon Bleu. He worked at Le Vivarois, then moved to Vonnas to work at Chez La Mere Blanc (now Georges Blanc).
In 1979, he returned to New York City, becoming a partner at Greenwich Village's Le Petite Robert. Starting in 1984, he taught for seventeen years at the French Culinary Institute, where he wrote the advanced curriculum.
He resides today in Brooklyn, New York, where he is active teaching, writing, and cooking.
Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making (2 ed.). Wiley. 1998. ISBN 978-0-471-29275-3. Splendid Soups. 1993. ISBN 978-0-553-07505-2. Fish & Shellfish: The Cook's Indispensable Companion. William Morrow Cookbooks. 1996. ISBN 978-0-688-12737-4. Peterson, James; Schwartz, Justin (1998). Vegetables. ISBN 0-688-14658-9. Essentials of Cooking. 1999. ISBN 1-57965-236-0. Splendid Soups: Recipes and Master Techniques for Making the World's Best Soups. Wiley. 2000. ISBN 978-0-471-39136-4. New printing.Simply Salmon. Stewart, Tabori and Chang. 2001. ISBN 978-1-58479-026-6. Sweet Wines: A Guide to the World's Best with Recipes. 2002. ISBN 1-58479-255-8. Glorious French Food: A Fresh Approach to the French Classics. John Wiley & Sons. 2002. ISBN 978-0-471-44276-9. The Duck Cookbook. 2003. ISBN 1-58479-295-7. Simply Shrimp: With 80 Globally Inspired Recipes. Stewart, Tabori & Chang. 2007. ISBN 1-58479-585-9. What's a Cook to Do?: An Illustrated Guide to 500 Essential Tips, Techniques, and Tricks. Artisan. 2007. ISBN 978-1-57965-318-7. Cooking. Ten Speed Press. 2007. ISBN 978-1-58008-789-6. Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making (3 ed.). Wiley. 2008. ISBN 978-0-470-19496-6. Baking. Ten Speed Press. 2009. ISBN 978-1-58008-991-3. Winner, 1991 James Beard Foundation, for SaucesNominee, 1994 James Beard Foundation, for Splendid SoupsWinner, 1997 International Association of Culinary Professionals, for Fish and ShellfishWinner, 1999 James Beard Foundation, for VegetablesNominee, 2000 International Association of Culinary Professionals, for Essentials of CookingNominee, 2000 James Beard Foundation, for Essentials of CookingWinner, 2008 James Beard Foundation, for Cooking 
