The Art and Soul of Baking (Hardcover)

by Sur La Table (Author), Cindy Mushet (Author)
Key Phrases: rubber spatula, cooling rack, pastry brush, Metal Blade, Fine-Mesh Strainer, Rolling Pin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Veteran pastry chef Mushet puts her decades of experience to work in this dense, informative baking guide from Seattle-based gourmet cookware retailer Sur La Table (thankfully light on advertorials), opening with a comprehensive overview of crucial equipment and a 30 page guide to pantry stocking (butter, flour and sugar get three pages each, chocolate gets five). Covering all aspects of the baking spectrum, Mushet gives yeast-based breads, quick breads, cookies and bars, layered pastries and other specialties their turn, doing admirable work with standards like pizza dough and dinner rolls, as well as trendier riffs like pesto rolls and rustic olive and thyme bread that give cooks room to stretch in each category. Mushet's invaluable lessons in ensuring oven accuracy, incorporating butter into dough for layered pastries (with step-by-step photos) and the causes of falling soufflés will get novices up to speed, and experts ready to tackle Mushet's compelling cheesecake batter-in-a-food-processor technique will find her inventive hors d'oeuvre Stilton Cheesecake with Port-Braised Pears a big hit at the next cocktail party. Those already comfortable with baking will get the most out of the book's 250 recipes, but there are plenty of dishes well within the reach of those new to Crème Brulee and lemon bar construction, making this a great volume to learn and grow with.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Malgieri is director of the baking program at New York's Institute of Culinary Education and author of numerous other cookbooks, including How To Bake, in many ways the predecessor of this ambitious new title. He begins with an introduction to ingredients, equipment, and techniques and follows with eight recipe chapters. Chapter introductions provide helpful general tips on the various techniques involved, and recipe headnotes offer more specific information. Despite the subtitle, streamlined techniques do not seem to be a major focus, as many recipes rely on classic, time-tested methods. The recipes, many shown in color photographs, include both traditional favorites like Date Walnut Bread and more contemporary creations such as Smoked Salmon Mille-Feuilles, with ethnic specialties from a wide range of cuisines. For most baking collections.Mushet, a talented pastry chef, cooking teacher, and author of the excellent Desserts: Mediterranean Flavors, California Style, presents the latest book from the Sur La Table team, following Things Cooks Love. Like Malgieri's book, it covers both sweet and savory baking, but it includes far more information. Two lengthy introductory chapters cover techniques, equipment, and ingredients, and dozens of sidebars on "Tips for Success" and "What the Pros Know" offer further helpful insider advice. Recipes range from basics such as Quick Puff Pastry and Classic Sugar Cookies to unusual and appealing treats like Malted Milk Chocolate Tart; most of them include make-ahead information, and many also have variations. There are striking color photographs throughout, as well as step-by-step technique photos. Mushet's style is engaging and never intimidating. Essential.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (October 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740773348
• ISBN-13: 978-0740773341
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,303 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive, Beautiful and Full of Great Information and Recipes, October 7, 2008

By	Lizzie "Lizzie" (Kansas) - See all my reviews

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!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb in every baking way!, December 18, 2008

By	Toni "the bookworm" (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Details, details, December 13, 2008

By	Sienne (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

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.