great read
Rating:
4 / 5
I read it cover to cover, great fun, lots of fascinating history of the collective. The pizza recipe I tried was excellent. But if you are looking for a book with lots of detailed information on different cheeses and what to serve them with, note that you won't find that here -- the food focus is on baking.
Fun book with some great recipes
Rating:
5 / 5
If you ever been to the Cheese Board in Berkeley, you've experienced how fun, and delicious it is. It's a destination, not just a food store.The book is the same way. The recipes are delicious, and actually work. But it's filled with fun facts and info on the Cheese Board history and culture. So far, I've made the challah (Excellent!), banana muffins (very good), ginger shortbread (good), and simple whole wheat bread (bit of a disaster). The only criticism I have is its overemphasis on sourdough. Many of the recipes assume creating sourdough with their recipe, so if that's not to your taste, it's not clear exactly how to proceed.
Berkeley Institution in a Book
Rating:
5 / 5
When I recently returned to Berkeley and discovered The Cheese Board book, I bought it sight unseen. It was the best purchase I've ever made.Who can imagine an amazing bakery providing recipes for every single product that they carry? The Cheese Board owners painstakingly recreated their large-scale recipes for the home baker. Scones, "chocolate things," pecan sticky rolls, legendary sourdough crust pizza....it's all in there! If you have fond memories of the Cheese Board as a former Berkeley resident, it's likely this book can bring tears to your eyes through photos of the evolving shop and the various owners who may have served you. If you haven't experienced the Cheese Board (where I've been a customer for 20 years) but want to delve into delicious baking experiments and make the best pizza possible, I highly recommend this book.
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