In the Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Baker's Companion [Paperback]

In the Sweet Kitchen truly is the definitive guide to the baker's pantry. While many cookbooks include chapters on tools and ingredients, Regan Daley's award-winning tome begins with almost 400 pages of introductory information. From her descriptions of ingredients to explanations of food science, it's clear Daley's done her research, and she offers a wealth of information as reference for both the professional and the novice. She covers every ingredient in a baker's pantry, from flours and sugars to eggs, fruits, nuts, spices, and flavorings, in a way that is both interesting and informative. She discusses how to choose them, use them, and why they do the things they do. She's tested tools and shopped around, and even recommends price points for your purchases. She explains myriad techniques, such as how to cook sugar and icing and assemble layer cakes. The writing is clear and intelligent and the instructions are easy to follow.

If she'd stopped at 400 pages, this would already be a must-have for anyone at all interested in the sweet side of the kitchen--but there's more. Daley's collection of recipes follows, and they cover the gamut from simple and straightforward to seductive and exciting. Some are actually quite complicated, but her explanations and descriptions of each step ensure success. Many recipes feature a flavor twist that will take your breath away, such as the Sweet Potato Layer Cake with Rum-Plumped Raisins and a Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting, Lemon Anise Churros, and Caramelized Banana Tart with a Lime Linzer Crust and a Warm Caramel Sauce. Other recipes bring back childhood memories, such as her All-in-the-Pan Chewy Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Butter Icing (mixed right in the baking pan) and Wild Blueberry Pie. This exhaustive volume was the 2001 IACP Cookbook of the Year, an award that it richly deserves. Make a place on your kitchen bookshelf for In the Sweet Kitchen--it's one cookbook that you shouldn't live without. --Leora Y. Bloom --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

It is easy to see why the International Association of Culinary Professionals named this title 2001's Cookbook of the Year (published last year in Canada). As a pastry chef at some of the finest eateries in Toronto, Daley became convinced that it was the choice of ingredients that "made the greatest difference between a nice dessert, and one that was explosively flavorful and truly memorable." Fittingly, then, much of her book is devoted to ingredients: shopping guides, storage tips, preparation instructions and an occasional chemistry lesson about what they do. A section on tools is organized according to type and purpose; symbols designate their likely cost range, and Daley advises whether expensive items are necessary. She provides lucid explanations of sifting, folding and creaming, as well as helpful charts listing such items as flavored liqueurs and spirits, ingredient substitutions and compatible flavors. Daley's 140 recipes showcase the best of modern gourmet sensibility by encouraging simplicity and harmony as well as adventure and innovation: she includes classics like Chocolate Raspberry Torte and Wild Blueberry Pie as well as such bold creations as the Poppyseed Angelfood Cake with Grapefruit Curd; Polenta-Almond Cakes with Golden Raspberries and CrŠme FraŒche; Port Wine Jellies with Melon and Fresh Figs; and the humorously decadent S'mores Roulade. First published by Random House Canada, this book is an inspiration to novice and expert alike. Beautiful color photos. Agent, Susan Lescher. (Sept.) ~Forecast: The IACP award, pleasing visuals and authoritative tone will help sell this impressive work.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.