Customer Reviews

Lost Desserts: Delicious Indulgences of the Past Recipes from Legendary and Famous Chefs

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My copy of "Lost Desserts" arrived in the mail the other day like an early visit from Santa. What a beautiful concoction! The photos and design are sumptuous, the writing evocative as well as informative, and the recipes spot on. I have begun to impress my friends not only with "fruits" of my labors but with a perfect accompanying story as well.

This book is the "must have" gift not only for those who likes to bake, but for all of us that find desserts the most important part of the meal.

"Lost Desserts" is the most beautiful and the best cookbook of the year--------and as a cookbookaholic I might add that it is one of the best of all time. Ms. Monaghan not only has a deep knowledge of the history of cuisine but she writes beautifully about each recipe, which adds enormously to the delight of the book, and makes it deeply personal. The recipes are all the kinds of desserts I--and my family & friends-----want to eat: yummy delicious ones that are also beautiful, but not contrived (they look like desserts served at home should look------not tacky restaurant chef fantasies.) And that great rarity: the recipes work perfectly! Have already done the Fane, souffle Rothschild, Carmelized Rice Pudding and Sticky Toffee Pudding------all came out so perfectly they are now part of my cooking repertoire. And my friends loved them too! My holiday list is now done: everyone gets this great book, which is a treasure (can't wait to try the cover recipe, in Spring.) Oh-------the photographs are the most beautiful ever found in a cookbook, absolute perfection.

Very pretty book with historical information, more of a cocktail table book than daily guide/reference. Great ideal and presented well.

It's a very pretty book with a great premise: the recipes of great desserts that are no longer made, thus "lost."

The New York Times gave this book good reviews, so I asked for and received a copy for Christmas.

Well, I have to say I'm disappointed. The introduction is enough to tell you the premise of the book: a compilation of the author's favorite "lost" recipes mostly from restaurants that have long since closed.

I never ate at the Brown Derby in Lons Angeles, so I have no idea how wonderful the original Brown Derby Orange Chiffon cake was, but is orange chiffon cake truly a lost dessert when so many excellent recipes abound in cookbooks all across America? The same can be said for most of the featured recipes from famous restaurants in NYC and LA. Good, but not truly "lost" recipes.

The author does, however, include several older 19th century recipes, such as trifles and wine Jellies, that are actually "lost" recipes for they are rarely made, and are never featured in modern cookbooks. For that, she gets bonus points.

Still, I found it intriguing that in the introduction, the author writes how most people instantly mentioned floating islands as a lost dessert, but for various reasons she decided not to include it. When I asked for the book, I had visions of it being filled with recipes of old-fashioned 19th and early 20th century recipes for wine jellies, bavarian creams, and fancy tortes that one reads about in the fiction of the time and which sounds scrumptious. As I mentioned, she does include a few of those recipes, but my take is that it isn't enough to justify buying the book if you are looking for genuinely lost dessert recipes. If you are looking for dessert recipes from now-closed famous restaurants (including places that have only been closed for a few years), then this is the book for you.

From shoes, to beautiful women, to sweets, it is obvious that Eric Boman is a delight that is well worth savoring. Here, as in his other offerings, his talent is tastefully presented, both great to look at and a pleasure to read. His work warrents a coffee table of its own and a place in the living room of all who appreciate beauty.

This is the most beautiful cookbook I've ever seen. But that's not the reason to by it. Inside you'll find an array of wonderful recipes clearly laid out that will delight any guest lucky enough to have you make one of these creations for them. I have made the "Fane" several times and my friends were in heaven! I highly recommend Lost Desserts to anyone who longs to end a meal with something truly special. Buy one for you and send another to your best friend!

Gail Monaghan's New Book Lost Desserts is the best cook book you can get your hands on! If you want to WOW all your friends and have them clamouring for a spot at your table, this is the book for you! She takes you through all the steps you need to make these over the top creations yourself. The pictures are beautiful and the book is worthy of any coffee table I know! Lost Desserts is an essential for any serious chef's library.

This is a fabulous addition to any cook's shelf! Wonderful recipes- many will remind you of desserts you had long ago and have since forgotten. Beautifully illistrated as well - and easy to follow - the wine jelly on the cover I made recently for a dinner party and it was spectacular!

Copies of this gorgeous book -- filled with glorious photos, engaging stories and irresistable recipes -- are going to all the cooks on my Christmas list. Just the recipe for the Coffee Cup Souffles from NYC's Four Seasons is worth the price of the book.
I consider myself pretty up-to-date on the culinary world, but Gail Monaghan's name was new to me. What exquiste taste she has! Too many books arrive in my mailbox and spend only a short spell in my kitchen before being sent to my local charity resale Shop. "Lost Desserts," however is a found treasure that will hold a permanent place in my collection.

a book like this was long over due........great all the way around...it is one of the few cookbooks that you will treasure for years to come....