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Title: Baking in America: Traditional and Contemporary Favorites from the Past 200 Years by Greg Patent ISBN: 0618048316 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co Pub. Date: 01 November, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.22
Rating: 3
Summary: Big Bulky Book, few Pictures
Comment: I recently received a copy of "Baking in America" and for such a LARGE book, I found the design extremely poor. The first 37 pages are NOT recipes but definitions. Some of which I felt needed no definition. Do we really need a full paragraph description of "Granulated sugar" or "Honey?" I mean, come on. this stuff belongs in a cooking theory book, or at least in the a section at the back, but not in the first pages...
Once we get to the recipe section, few recipes really caught my attention. I also HATE HATE HATE the cheap publishing trick of putting the photographs of only some of the dishes in the center. This makes work for the cook as he/she looks at the picture then must search out the recipe and who wants to do this? I prefer photos and illustrations to be next to the recipes so the cook can see what the finished product might look like. I also felt the recipes were poorly indexed and seemed to span several pages apiece. For a book this size I expected thousands of recipes instead of the measly few included.
Overall: A big beefy book, without a lot of recipes or contents useful to the experienced cook. Beginners might appreciate the length Patent goes to describe basic cooking principals. Lack of photos and poor design did not appeal to this reader.
Rating: 3
Summary: Great 'history story' but mediocre recipes.
Comment: Greg Patent does a wonderful job giving cute history tidbits and including a wide range of recipes. However, I personally think the recipes are bland and could use a little work. The Black-Eyed Susans needed a chocolate icing to counter the 'plain' peanut butter cupcake (even with a Reese's cup inside!). A couple of the cakes I tried were okay; but I expect MUCH more than 'okay' from a cookbook with a list price of $.... For the cookies in the book, just skip that section and go with Betty Crocker's cookie book :)
It is a cute book, but the recipes could definitely use some livening up! Go with "Baking By Flavor," by Lisa Yockelson. You won't be disappointed!
Rating: 5
Summary: Baking with a Friend
Comment: Baking in America is one of those rare cookbooks that both experienced and beginning bakers will treasure. My copy already has 14 sticky notes marking recipes that I've tried or want to in the near future. The introduction sets the tone for the book - lots of helpful information about various ingredients, tools and equipment, intermixed with interesting historical tidbits. The color photographs seduce the reader into marking yet another recipe that just has to be tried.
Then on to the "meat" of the book - the recipes and insight into challenges bakers have faced in past generations. Each recipe has tips that beginners will appreciate ("adjust an oven rack to the center position" or "beat for one minute," "stir constantly for 2 minutes"), as well as new ideas for more experienced bakers ("cake is covered tightly with foil for the first 10 minutes...").
I'm still getting kudos and demands for a repeat of the Irish Whiskey Fruitcake with Spiced Walnuts and Pecans (p. 208) even from friends who don't like fruitcake. The Cranberry Muffins from Nantucket (p. 105) are easy and delicious. The Spicy Buttermilk Pecan Layer Cake with Pecan Buttercream (p. 295) that showed up on the Thanksgiving table has become the cake-in-demand for family birthday cakes.
Some recipes include tips about ingredients that can make a big difference, like using whole citron chopped at home instead of the packaged grocery store variety, or home-grated nutmeg. A source list of books, ingredients and equipment at the end of the book is an invaluable part of Baking in America. It puts truly distinctive recipes within easy reach for any baker. This cookbook makes readers feel like they are baking with a knowledgeable friend in the kitchen - easy-going, dependable, innovative, and full of quirky historical gems.
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Title: Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri ISBN: 0060198796 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $37.50 |
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Title: The Good Cookie: Over 250 Delicious Recipes from Simple to Sublime by Tish Boyle ISBN: 0471387916 Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Pub. Date: 18 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
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Title: Paris Sweets: Great Desserts from the City's Best Pastry Shops by Dorie Greenspan ISBN: 0767906810 Publisher: Broadway Books Pub. Date: 29 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: Celebrate with Chocolate: Totally Over-the-Top Recipes by Marcel Desaulniers ISBN: 0688162983 Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 22 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book: The Best Sandwiches Ever-From Thursday Nights at Campanile by Nancy Silverton, Teri Gelber, Amy Neunsinger ISBN: 0375412603 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 08 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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