Customer Reviews

Dessert Circus: Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home (Pbs Series)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Dessert Circus" is the companion cookbook to Jacques Torres' television series, filled with step-by-step instructions and photos to help you recreate all his delicacies at home. After flipping through the book, I had my doubts.

Every recipe I tried was delicious. My favorite recipe has to be his "Chocolate Cornflakes". Delicious and fun to make.

Things I noticed about these recipes: They seem designed for parties and less for home cooking. Yields were large, with servings for 8 seeming to be the magic number. If you want to impress, you'll love this book. There is a fair amount ingredients that may be hard to find.

To recreate many of the recipes listed will require: time, talent, and a little prayer to pull off. This is not to say that the results aren't worth it. Desserts like the impressive "Nougatine Basket with Fruit Sorbets" (three diamonds) can be accomplished, you simply have to take your time and be prepared.

If you've ever looked at an issue of "Chocolatier" or "Pastry: Art & Design" magazines, you have a good idea of what you'll be in for with this cookbook. Cooks looking for a challenge will find plenty of recipes to choose from.

Dessert Circus by Jacques Torres is the finest dessert and pastry cookbook that I have ever seen. His instructions are clear and concise. The desserts are not only delicious and are elegant enough to serve at the finest formal occasions but are easily adapted for small informal dinners. Many of his techniques (especially for handling whipped cream, meringue, and chocolate) I have never seen in any other book. Chef Torres does something else that I have never seen before, he lists his web site address in his book, where you are invited to ask questions and/or provide feedback. From experience I can tell you he answers you personally. Here you will find one of the worlds top dessert and pastry chefs that is not unreachable at the top of a pedestal. This book combined with his P.B.S. cooking series is an unbeatable combination.

From a rainbow of sorbets served on a chocolate artists "palette" complete with chocolate "paintbrushes", through to the strawberry and raspberry Fraisier Cake beautifully presented with layers of fresh strawberries, Jacques' highly original desserts win me over each time I open this book, and my guests each time I serve one of his creations.

The directions are clearly written, and every dessert recipe is accompanied with a finished photograph, and quite a few feature step by step pictures aswell. Jacques dedicates the first chapter solely to equipment and ingredients, plus a glossary of all terms used throughout the book. The second chapter covers basic or ingredient recipes, such as the perfect puff pastry and homemade chocolate sauce. He also shows you how to prepare my personal favorite, chocolate sculptures. You can also adapt these sculptures, turning just one of the pieces into an amazing garnish.

I highly recommend this and the second volume by Torres, "Dessert Circus at Home".

Jacques is an excellent teacher who doesn't seem to try to omit an ingredient or a secret technique as some chefs do. He is eager to share his thoughts on how to make each recipe a success and even includes the decorative touches that make people ooh and ahh. I've tried, and with great success, the desserts involving Jacques' light puff pastry and the tender flaky tart shell recipes and they please both the eye as well as the palate. I entertain frequently, making twelve course Chinese meals and always ending with a French dessert, most of which now come from 'Dessert Circus' or is inspired by it. I especially enjoy watching my guests' delight over the desserts. Thank you, Jacques.

Fantastic! His teachings of using chocolate are excellent. Looked at many cookbooks and haven't found any that go into such detail over the "little things" you need to know that he does. Some desserts are challenging, but you can make them with practice. He has a show on PBS on Saturdays also.

I have bought this book recently. Jacques Torres presents a very beautiful book with good and surprinsingly creative recipes (some of them too sophisticated). But I think it is not a must, and not for beginners.

There will always be one and only one Jacques Torres.I love this book actually made a few recipes from here.Its not everyday type of deserts but true masterpieces. Can you tell I am one of his biggest fans.I truly miss seeing him on food [...]

An easy way of learning the basics of pastry and working your way u

I love to cook, and while I'm not professionally trained, I'm pretty good. However with this book I clearly met my limitations. The photographs are beautiful, and it's art and creativity all rolled into one big temptation. But I failed miserably at everything I tried. I'm giving this one 3 stars because I gave the book to a friend who is a professionally trained pastry chef and he had a ball with it. So, great book if you or someone you know has some serious experience in the sweet world, but not the book to cut your baking chops with.

It's nice to see cook books that are for everybody in mind. I use it at my restaurant to make beautiful desserts, and my family uses it at home. The recipes are tasty and perfect, and my 14 year old can follow them. Most pro dessert books are very hard to follow, but both this and his second book have step by step directions and pictures. Plus he has a great personality.