Desserts to Die for [Hardcover]

Marcel Desaulniers (Author), Michael Grand (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1995

By the prize-winning author of Death by Chocolate

Be warned: this is a book about extravagantly opulent, irresistibly mouthwatering, deliciously soul-satisfying, sometimes ethereal, at other times delightfully dense desserts. It is a book about delectable excesses and sensational pleasures.

Author Marcel Desaulniers is the prize-winning executive chef of the Trellis Restaurant and creator of the best-selling Death by Chocolate and The Burger Meisters, both of which won the coveted James Beard Award. As he writes here: "This book is not for the faint of heart. It is for anyone who loves the occasional indulgence....If sharing a piece of buttercream swathed cake seems like a sensual experience, this book is your next step toward paradise."

This is a book full of chocolate, mocha and pecans, gourmet sundaes and gourmet sorbets. The recipes range from the deliciously complex and ornate, like the Chocolate Voodoo Cake, to triumphantly reinvented, no-longer-ordinary old favorites such as fruit cake, jelly rolls, and sticky buns.

Just naming these unique creations is like reciting an honor roll of sinful delights: Mocha Almond Praline Snap, Chocolate Pecan Sour Mash Bash, Fallen Angel Cake with Golden Halos and Sinful Cream, Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Damnation. The recipes for these and other spellbinding desserts are now revealed in full color.

Marcel Desaulniers is as masterly a teacher as he is a chef. His books and television shows have been used and seen by millions. With his foolproof instructions, Desaulniers takes the home cook by the hand and, in step-by-step detail, shows how even the most extravagant of these desserts can easily be made at home.

Indulge in these pleasures and dive into their delights -- this is a book of exhilarating excess.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A mordant wit leavens the invaluable culinary advice and stunningly extravagant, stylish recipes collected in this new offering from James Beard Award-winning DeSaulniers (Death by Chocolate), co-owner/chef of Trellis Restaurant in Williamsburg, Va. Aided by assistant chef Peavey, DeSaulniers begins with extensive notes from the test kitchen; given the labor and assembly required for these imaginative concoctions, he does his best to set the home cook up for success with tips on organization and ingredient selection. A few recipes are rich and simple, e.g., the ice creams; Mrs. D's Chocolate Caramels (from the author's mom); Toasted Brandy and Spice Pound Cake. Most are rich and complex?and seductive. Pillars of Chocolate with Cocoa Thunderheads, featuring skyscraper shapes of ganache-spread chocolate cake wrapped around blocks of ice cream rising from clouds of cocoa'd whipped cream will require hours, patience and skill, but will surely draw gasps of admiration and delight from those served. Raspberry-tipped, chocolate-draped, horn-shaped "bustiers" poke perkily from mounds of raspberry-laced whipped cream in Chocolate Madonna. Chocolate Voodoo Cake bristles with long thin spikes of chocolate caramel adorning a molasses/chocolate-glazed, rum-soaked Zombie Cake. For the most ambitious efforts, DeSaulniers provides illustrations and recommends spreading preparation over days. This is a masterfully photographed collection, sure to inspire smiles, pleasurable overreaching and very sweet satisfaction. Homestyle and Better Homes and Gardens selections; author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Desaulniers, chef/co-owner of Williamsburg's The Trellis Restaurant and author of Death by Chocolate (Rizzoli, 1992), loves rich, elaborate desserts-and desserts with "clever" names. Cooks can choose from Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Damnation, Trick or Treat Ice Cream, and Chocolate Madonna (don't ask), among others. However, they are delectable, irresistible creations, and Desaulniers, who also hosts a popular cooking show on The Learning Channel, provides well-written, detailed descriptions for every step of even the most complicated recipes. Sure to have a wide appeal.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books; First Edition, First Printing edition (November 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684811391
• ISBN-13: 978-0684811390
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #750,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marcel Desaulniers is the executive chef and owner of the Trellis Restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia. A 1965 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Marcel has received several national awards, including Food and Wine magazine's Honor Roll of American Chefs, Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America, the prestigious Ivy Award from Restaurants and Institutions, the 1993 James Beard Award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic States, the highly coveted Silver Plate award from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, and in 1999 the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in America.

Marcel's first cookbook, THE TRELLIS COOKBOOK, was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 1988. The paperback version, including 20 new recipes, was published in January 1992 by Simon & Schuster. DEATH BY CHOCOLATE, Desaulniers' second cookbook, published by Rizzoli, New York in September 1992, has sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide. In 1993, DEATH BY CHOCOLATE won the James Beard Best Baking and Desserts Cookbook Award. Marcel's television cooking series, "Death by Chocolate," based on his book premiered in September 1993 on The Learning Channel.

In 1994, Simon & Schuster released Marcel's third book, THE BURGER MEISTERS. In 1995 THE BURGER MEISTERS won the James Beard Best Single Subject Cookbook Award. His cooking series, "The Burger Meister," premiered on The Learning Channel in September 1994. Marcel's fourth book, DESSERTS TO DIE FOR, was published by Simon & Schuster in November 1995, and in April 1996 the book was awarded the Julia Child Cookbook Award for Bread, Other Baking and Sweets category as well as the Cook's Choice Award. His fifth book, AN ALPHABET OF SWEETS, was published by Rizzoli, New York in October 1996. A sixth book, DEATH BY CHOCOLATE COOKIES, was published by Simon & Schuster in November of 1997. The seventh cookbook, SALAD DAYS, was published by Simon & Schuster in the Spring of 1998. DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CAKES, was published by William Morrow, New York in September 2000, and was a 2001 IACP Cookbook Award Finalist. Marcel's most recent book, CELEBRATE WITH CHOCOLATE, was published by William Morrow, New York in October 2002 and was the winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Best Chocolate Book for 2002. Foreign editions of his books have been published in France, Great Britain, Holland, Australia, Mexico, and Canada. Marcel next cookbook, DREAMING OF A CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS, will be published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., in October of 2007.

Marcel opened The Trellis Restaurant in 1980, along with partner John Curtis. In July 1988, Marcel was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs, the honor society of the American Culinary Federation. He is past president and chairman of the board of the Virginia Chefs Association, a past member of The Board of Directors of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and is trustee emeritus of The Board of Trustees for the Culinary Institute of America.

In 2009, after 29 years, Marcel and John Curtis sold the Trellis. Marcel then recharged his batteries and in April of 2012 he opened MAD About Chocolate, a chocolate cafe featuring his signature over-the-top chocolate desserts.

Joining him is his wife and business partner Connie. Together their goal is to serve the best chocolate goodies in a festive atmosphere.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 5-star desserts in a 5-star book August 19, 2002

By Catherine S. Vodrey

Format:Hardcover

Others have noted that Desaulniers is a master of marketing, and it's true--but his recipes WORK and make absolutely stunning presentations. If you need a special occasion dessert--perhaps one to propose by? perhaps one to celebrate the birth of a child?--you can't go wrong choosing one of Desaulniers' desserts from "Desserts to Die For."

Desaulniers encourages "mise en place" (the French culinary term for "everything in its place," or setting out all ingredients before ever beginning the recipe), which I admire, and he instructs his readers--kindly, politely, but firmly--to read each recipe through from start to finish before beginning. This is good advice in any cooking situation, but it makes strong sense with Desaulniers' recipes, which tend to be extremely detailed. Some cooks might find this annoying, but there are others--myself among them--who understand that this concentration on every little tiny thing means that Desaulniers recognizes the difference between a pretty good dessert and a great one. And he wants you to prepare nothing but great ones!

Desaulniers' personal dessert philosophy may be best expressed by the W. Somerset Maugham quotation with which he heads the introduction: "Excess on occasion is exhilarating; it keeps moderation from becoming a habit." And are these recipes excessive in nearly every way! Desaulniers wisely avoids giving calorie counts, fat content, etc. for each recipe, and concentrates instead on seducing his readers into wanting to make each and every dessert so sumptuously photographed by Michael Grand. The names are rich and evocative as the dishes themselves--Tuxedo Truffle Torte, Chocolate Voodoo Cake, Mocha Almond Praline Snap, Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Damnation, Trick or Treat Ice Cream, "24" Carrot Cake, Wild Orchid, Chocolate Exquisite Pain (yikes!), Chocolate Resurrection, and White Chocolate Lullaby are but a few of the many tempting offerings herein.

There are many non-chocolate desserts in this book, but it's clear that Desaulniers is most excited by chocolate anything--it sets his heart to soaring, his brain to feverish activity, and his hands to creating something wonderful for all of us to try.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars You may want Marcel's first book instead...... November 22, 2001

By shacke

Format:Hardcover

I am no beginner baker and I have always loved Marcel's first book "DEATH BY CHOCOLATE". However, unlike the first book, this one is clearly not as well tested. Many recipes if followed by the book will not come out correctly. If you have the wherewithall to understand where he is erring (and I must say he is trying to help - it is frequently in how long he says to bake/process/stir/etc and he is trying to be exact), then you will fare better.

I have made his molten chocolate cakes which are great - however the golden halo will not work without a basic understanding of how to carmelize sugar into threads. The fudge squares (Mrs D's ?)never congealed. The cranberry crostata is good but, again, following his timing will not get what the picture shows you (ie - 15 sec of food processor gives walnut powder).

Marcel Desaulniers is a terrific cook and an eloquent, humorous guy, but it is clear that it is his FIRST book is far better. It is that book which you should buy rather than this one.

Having said that, I received DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CAKES as a recent gift and I have yet to see where that one falls in the spectrum. Read the above reviews as you may, but don't say I didnt warn you if you are a beginner!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Only for the most dedicated June 16, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

The recipes aren't difficult, but they are time consuming! If you want to make your reputation as an amateur pastry chef, this book is for you.