The Art & Soul of Baking [Hardcover]

If it would have been possible to wish a "10 Star" rating on this tome of baking, it would have been done. Trying to figure where to start to describe this giant gastronomic baking tool is the second wish I had, because there is so much packed into this, it isn't possible to include everything within its covers.

Sur La Table is a long-respected and well-known center of sincere kitchen ware. Part of their evolution has been to have cooking/baking classes as well as accompanying books that their faithful customers have asked for over the years. This book is absolutely one of their best yet.

Having met Chef Cindy Mushet on her Sur La Table baking/promotional tour, she is the real deal. Very simple, very honest, very practical and very ready to share anything that has to do with baking. Hence, the perfect pairing of chef and company.

If I had to wrap up everything she taught that night into a nutshell, its that you HAVE to measure everything as the recipe states, using the appropriate measuring tools for solids and liquids. Having said that, all the recipes have all their ingredients measured. Having tried that concept on a couple of the recipes already, everything has been 100% perfect. For a budding chef and/or beginner, guess-timates don't seem to work because that will inevitably lead to some failure, but with Cindy, its "measure, measure, measure". Roger that.

The book contains 454 solid, heavy pages of knowledge about everything, and along with the recipes, are the steps needed for that category of foodstuffs. The photography of Maren Caruso is superb, and it helps convey that which Cindy can express in words. For time and space constraints, I'll mention the type of recipe categories within rather than all the recipes, though you could go through the "Learn More" section of this book on the Amazon page. The Foreward is written by another great baker, Alice Medrich, who herself taught many a class at Sur La Table over the years. Her kindness in describing Cindy proves a far greater opinion of her talents.

The Introduction gives a quick overview of each chapter and what to expect within.

CHAPTER ONE
"The Bakers Kitchen" is my bible and/or encyclopedia; you only need to be familiar with this to get the foundations of success in which to build your skills. How to read recipes, how to measure (!), weights and equivalents (with their ounces per cup), mixng equipment, pans and their volumes, and all the other ktichen tools that you might use, are listed in this section.

CHAPTER TWO
"The Bakers Pantry" is self-explanatory; the foodstuffs that you will need and use as well as how to use them, are given fair attention and description. Spices and herbs, as well as the sweeties used in baking, are also included.

Throughout each subsequent chapter of recipes and excellent teaching, there are "what the pros know" sidebars, which are little hints and tips to make your experience easier. There is also clear, sharp photography of the steps you should be expecting while en route to your dish destination.

CHAPTER THREE
This is such a great chapter on "Yeast Rolls and Bread". Breadmaking is not easy especially if you are beginning; knowing what to do with yeast and how to coax it to "grow" and turn your flour and water into something magnificent, is described with terms such as "poolish" and "bigs". The "gluten windowpane" is another great visual and worded sidebar to teach you whether your bread is ready. The recipes include dinner rolls, rustic breads, pizza dough, coffee cake, buns, etc.

CHAPTER FOUR
"Layered Pastries" is just that; layers and layers of light and fluffy pastries that will absolutely melt-in-your-mouth when tastebuds meet dough! How to layer, fold, etc are shown both in print and word and eventually lead you to phyllo recipes, coffee cakes, puff pastries, baklava and the like.

CHAPTER FIVE
"Quick Breads" are the equally-appreciated cousins of raised breads and those include scones, biscuits, muffins, and cornbread.

CHAPTER SIX
"Pies, Turnovers, and Dumplings". Ah yes.......the elusive perfect piecrust!! Well, no longer a problem if you follow Cindy's directions. Apple, banana, pumpkin, etc pies get a show as well as pot pies. Tarts, turnovers made with chocolate, creams, fruits, and other meats and cheeses will beg you to bake them!

CHAPTER SEVEN
"Tarts" has all the shortcrusts, tartlets and such that contain fruits as well as veggies and cheeses. Try the absolutely incredible "Potato, Onion, and Gruyere Cheese Galette"; it was absolutely out of this world! (The crust was so flaky and just a joy to relish with each bite!)

CHAPTER EIGHT
"Fruit Desserts" usually needs no introduction. Crisps, cobblers, and shortcakes were part of the repetoire.

CHAPTER NINE
"COOKIES"!!! These can be a challenge if you don't know how to handle the dough, whether its being warm enough or chilled enough, etc. Biscotti, tuilles, brownies, and bars are all here for the offering.

CHAPTER TEN
"Cakes" makes its luscious presentation; I noticed that there was a bit more in this chapter than most because of the complexities of the different types of cake batters possible. The basics of yellow and chocolate were given along with fancy and more high-end flavors, in addition to Cakes little cousins called cupcakes.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
"Custards, Bread Puddings, and Cheesecakes" makes the omplexities of creams and custards more understandable. Flans, puddings, pot de cremes, and the likes of bread puddings are all addressed. My favorite is "Cheesecakes" and you can make them as dense or fluffy as you want.

CHAPTER TWELVE
"Souffles, Meringues, and Pate a Choux" is a great chapter but one that requires time and patience. They are light and sweet and worth it. There are custard sauces, honey-lavendar creams, eclairs, gougeres, and cream puffs.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"Basic Recipes and Finishing Touches" is an appropriate and lavish chapter in which to end this book. To create something is an accomplishment but to create a presentation to wow people is an art and Cindy will be your "ar-teest" in residence. Frostings, buttercreams (and how to fix them if they break), icings, curds, sugared flowers, and sauces are part of this amazing chapter. I thought that the crowning touch of this chapter was making "spun sugar" which is actually quite easy and an spectacular way to make a presentation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (from both Cindy and the CEO of Sur La Table)
INDEX

Enjoy, all compliments of Sur La Table and Cindy Mushet.

This beautiful cookbook is amazing. It is just packed with great information. It is 440 pages full of tips, instruction, gorgeous photographs and fabulous recipes. This cookbook covers everything from the basics to information even experienced bakers will find of use. The information and instruction is presented in a very non-intimidating, approachable way. This cookbook covers yeast and quick breads, pastries, pies, cookies, cakes, tarts, fruit desserts, custards and puddings, plus souffles, cheesecakes and more. Each section begins with helpful information about ingredients followed by techniques and instruction. The recipes include time saving tips called "getting ahead" and storage tips. The recipes are all followed by possible variations. I am not a novice baker but not a pro either. I feel this cookbook will give me the skills needed to tackle even the most ambitious baking project as well as the more basic baking. This cookbook is truly empowering!

As others have noted, this is a truly beautiful book that does justice to the content. There is generally enough information that a relative novice can feel comfortable putting together the recipes. There is a "however..." In some cases, details are omitted. There is sufficient information in the pie crust instructions, for example, to blind bake a pie shell. If you have to fully bake the shell, neither the general or specific crust recipes indicate how long the shell needs to be in the oven.While a small oversight, for a pie crust, there's just no way to test to see if the shell is done.

One clear strength of this book and one which sets it apart from many others, is the level of instruction. The detailed information about ingredients, even the basics like types of flour, sweeteners, etc. is very helpful.