A cookbook you will turn to often
Rating:
5 / 5
I'm famous among friends and colleagues for my desserts. My selection of dessert-related cookbooks literally takes more than two feet on my bookshelf-- and that's not counting general cookbooks that have dessert sections or magazines!! Lets just say that I have high standards for a cookbook-- matched by people's high expectations for what I produce.
So, why do I LOVE this cookbook? Every single thing I've ever made from it has turned out _perfectly_. Whether I'm after something fancy or simple, something easy or complex, something comforting or challenging, the desserts I've made from this source are just right. The instructions are very easy to follow with no room for misinterpretations, their chatty intros ensure that you know exactly what you'll be getting (and how best to serve it), and everything's well laid out (the page introducing new chapter lists all recipes in that chapter, the index is terrific, and there's lists at the back for "quick to make", "ingredients on hand", "feed a crowd" etc with all qualifying recipes). Don't worry about lack of pictures: with the intro plus the recipe, you'll know exactly how it's supposed to look-- and that will be exactly what you'll end up with.
It's become one of my favourite references for when I need "something". Many of the recipes are really quite simple to make, yet can be perfectly appropriate for most special occasions (my fathers 60th birthday bash, for example) and people will rave about them and beg for the recipe-- or go back for fifths. You'll be left feeling almost ashamed about how easy it was to produce such results...
I was lucky enough to receive this as a birthday gift; I whole-heartedly believe that everyone who bakes should have this their cookbook library. The only thing the book lacks are the truly outrageous, decadent, multi step complicated affairs, but if you own Marcel Desaulniers' Death By Chocolate or Desserts to Die For plus this one, you'll be set for pretty much anything.
Happy baking!
Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum!!!!
Rating:
5 / 5
I wondered, what does it mean for a vegetarian restaurant to publish a dessert cookbook? I mean, most desserts don't have meat in them, so ... Well, the answer is: it's wonderful! The same creativity that is a feature of the other Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks is clearly on display in the Book of Desserts. If you've seen their other books, particularly "Sundays at Moosewood", you know that the group pulls influences from cultures all over the world. This book is no different, in that the desserts exhibit that similar multi-cultural style, with spices (some of which are pretty surprising!) and flavors from all over. All the while, the Moosewoodies (I hope it's okay to call them that!) stay true to their own style, and keep the recipes true to their home cultures as well. I highly recommend it -- especially for party planning (making desserts for parties).
Great book, I use it often
Rating:
4 / 5
This is another fine Moosewood publication. It offers unique and varied dessert selections. The recipes are generally well-tested, though a few had a decidedly flat taste that I didn't prefer, such as the chocolate bread pudding and the apple cake. One recipe failed outright, in my opinion (the everyday rice pudding--it was WAY starchy). My step-daughter really loved the bread pudding and apple cake, though, so maybe it's actually a strength of the book, that there's something to suit everyone's taste in it. Most of the recipes have been outstanding, however, and so I would recommend this book totally. The Indian peach dessert is sensational, for instance. The soft, sweet peaches and the crumbly cornmeal topping is a heavenly pairing.I like the look and feel of the book. It's soothing to work with--it's not glossy and pretentious, it's not merely designed to impress. I reach for this book often, and it has come through for me time and again.
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