Customer Reviews

Bake!: Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been waiting for this book to be published; it could not have come fast enough for me. Why? Because Malgieri's books are fun to read, his recipes always reliable. He must test his recipes really thoroughly because, as I've learned from his other books, they ALWAYS work for me. This time around, it's almost like he's holding my hand, showing me exactly what to do...and then, when I'm done, adding, "Once you do that, you can also make this slight alteration and make this dessert, too. And this one. And this one." I love it. It's like having a professional baking teacher at my side in my kitchen. All for under $20! Those of you unfamiliar with Malgieri's earlier books already know how wonderfully instructive he can be, how comfortably he walks you through each step. Those of you who don't know his books, what are you waiting for? He is the genuine article. Anyway, I've had the book for only two days now and have already tried the chocolate hazelnut tart (it's so easy just to stir the chopped nuts into the filling), his really simple focaccia, and a lemon pound cake. Each turned out just great. Of course. (One short closing note: Could an earlier, first-time reviewer--who posted a review well in advance of the book's publication date--have some sort of professional jealousy issue? Maybe a little axe to grind? Just a hunch.)

The book is beautifully photographed with not only pictures of the finished dishes, but plenty of photos of the steps required to prepare the recipes. The recipes range from sweet to savory. I prepared three recipes, Banana Coconut Crumb Cake, Devil's Food Bombe and Truffle Brownies, which were easily the fudgyiest brownies I've ever eaten. All three recipes turned out perfectly and there are many others I look forward to trying. Out of curiosity I did look at the Chocolate Hazelnut Tart recipe but it appears that the problem noted in another review was fixed before publication because there are detailed instructions on how to prepare the hazelnuts for the tart.

The book lays open flat on the countertop which is helpful when trying to prepare a recipe. Black ink and white pages are used for the text, which makes reading the recipes much easier than weird combinations often found in cookbooks, like pale pink pages with white printing. I do wish the font size for the recipes was a little larger, but that is a publisher decision, not the author. The book was put together thoughtfully with the needs of the user in mind and the reality that good cookbooks are kitchen tools rather than coffee table books.

Whether looking for an indulgent dessert, a great scone recipe, the best cookie recipe, cheesecake, artesian bread or pizza dough this cookbook has it all. The step-by-step instructions that run throughout this book make it a terrific volume for a new baker, and the complexity of the recipes also make it an invaluable addition to any experienced baker's library.

Just the book I need, to resume an old pleasure of mine. Things have changed through the years, and Nick has made everything seem so much clearer. Wonderful pictures, great tips and as always, the best recipes. Not just for "old" bakers, I find myself sending this book as shower gifts for people that have never baked before. It is good for all levels of cooking. I have my eye on a chocolate hazelnut pie as I write. I especially enjoy the tips. My family often made oil based cakes, but not until now have I had any tips on handling them.

Nick Malgieri has put together a good solid baking book. He has taught for 30 years, so, my only complaint is that some of the directions do require a more experienced cook to follow them; it does seem strange that a person who teaches would not make his directions more clear, especially when there is such an effort to show directions and methods with instructional photographs, which are very good and useful. They might even help a more experienced cook with their technique.

There is information about ingredients, such as flours and grains and about equipment. There are reassuring tips throughout and pictures on many techniques, such as how to make pastry dough.

For each recipe there is a bit of history about it or where it comes from. It's a varied collection, including: Sweet pastry and tarts, flaky pastry and tarts, cookie dough and tarts, quick puff pastry, pan breads, whole grain breads, flatbreads, brioche, Danish pastry, butter and oil cakes, pound and coffee cakes, sponge and meringue layers, baking powder biscuits and scones, quick breads and muffins, bar cookies and brownies, piped and drop cookies, rolled and sandwich cookies.

A beginning cook or even a more experienced one would find this an appealing cookbook. There are relatively simple recipes but also the less common ones, such as one for a Russian Punch Cake and a Raspberry Meringue Wedge. The molasses gingerbread is luscious and will make your kitchen smell marvelous. Cookbook collectors of all kinds would enjoy having this book.

Helen is right about the error in the Chocolate Hazelnut Tart recipe, but Nick Malgieri has apparently been made aware of it. From [....]/blog today:

"...it's an easy fix. At the end of step 4 in the recipe, the missing text should read, "Stir in the hazelnuts." "

For me, knowing that he posts errata to his website makes Bake! a less risky purchase now than it was when Helen wrote her review.

This is the essential book for all of your baking needs. There is something you want to make on every page!

I'm glad there are photos of some of the crucial steps because some of the ingredient measurements are off. For example, the brioche recipe indicates less flour than you actually need. Seeing the photo of a ball of dough (vs. the sticky soup in the bowl using ACTUAL ingredient measurements) made me realize that some of the proportions were a little off. That same recipe doesn't say how long to bake the loaf of brioche, so I kept monitoring it until I thought it might be done.

As a side note, the photo of the scones should have been more closely scrutinized because there is a hair on the nut scone.

If it weren't for these few errors/omissions, I would give this book 5 stars for technique and interesting recipes.

I really would like to recommend this book. As a retired professional chef who is enjoying rediscovering baking after years of being a working chef this book is a godsend. Not only is it informative but it is also beautifully laid out and has good instructions and great pictures as well. I have already made a few of the recipes and have not been disappointed.

Like Nick Malgieri, I have baked to the point where I don't want to mess around with the tedious. I love the short cuts that he gives here in this book and I also like it that he instructs as he goes along. Very, very useful book that I am sure I will work through and get the best out of! Good buy.

Nick Malgieri's Bake! is a gorgeously illustrated baking manual. It provides thoroughly detailed instruction on how to prepare a wide variety of wonderful treats.

The illustrations don't quite qualify this as a coffee table book, though it will clearly make a well-appreciated gift for someone building a home cookbook collection. It also can be a great teaching tool for those whose cooking pupils are ready to pass the beginner stage and still need pictures to see the range of ideas bakers use.

The quality of detail and the level of illustrations means this book contains only about 100 recipes. So those of us with voluminous other sources of material may find the number of novel recipes in this offering a bit thin. I rate cookbooks solely on the number of interesting recipes, and while this book is beautiful it is not my favorite Malgieri offering.

Magierei has something for everyone. Bake! is a fine book for people who, like me, don't eat dessert every day. But those determined to master this subject would be better served with his How to Bake, and those who like to go light on dessert would be better served by his Perfect Light Desserts.

This book was more informative than I had anticipated. The recipes are easy to follow and the illistrations show you how the finished product should look. That's the encuraging part, you know when you've do the right process.