Customer Reviews

The New French Baker: Perfect Pastries And Beautiful Breads From Your Kitchen

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While all French women seem to be born with a natural affinity for cooking, only a few know how to bake. If you're ever in France, try looking for a book detailing classic French baking and you'll see what I mean. They just don't exist.

Of course, the French do love baked goods, but tradition has dictated that we leave their creation to the masters. Even the tiniest village in the French countryside will have an assortment of boulangeries (bakeries) and patisseries (pastry shops). And, if you walk through the village early enough in the morning, most of the people you encounter will be coming home with their daily baguette.

When our bakeries and pastry shops close for their own month long summer holiday, we usually just do without.

The New French Baker has literally, for me, at least, brought the joy of authentic French baking to France. In one big, wonderful book, Sheila Linderman has gathered together authentic and delectable recipes for classic French breads, pastries and desserts.

Linderman first details the basics and she also explains exactly how to make the various French pastry doughs, something most French cooks aren't well acquainted with.

All of the favorite classics are included: Tarte Tatin, Tarte au Citron, éclairs, millefeuilles, palmiers, choux à la crème, crepes, crème brulée and more.

Linderman's step-by-step instructions make sure you always create the perfect brioche and the most impeccable raspberry tarte. There is even a special section on the proper handling of fresh ingredients such as butter, flour, eggs and chocolate.

The chocoholics in your life will love Linderman's truffles as well as her Four-Tiered Chocolate Mousse.

Although the recipes in this book are certainly delicious, they are all quite difficult to make. This is not a book for the beginning baker; it is more suited to one with some experience who wants to expand his or her horizons in the areas of breads and pastries.

The only problem I have with the book is a small one: the inclusion of more photos of these wonderful (and gorgeous!) pastries would have been a definite plus and would have added to the value of the book.

But thanks to Sheila Linderman and The New French Baker, my family and I are now enjoying delicious classic French pastries right from our own kitchen for the very first time! C'est magnifique!

THis says French baker but it doesn't really show you how to make the heavy duty stuff. However it accomplishes its intended purpose very well -introducing novices to the subject. I still found many techniques from piping chocolated designs, to rolling crossaints. Illustrations very, very good. Pictures, thumbs down. There are about 5 or 6 for 200 recipes. That is definitely an area the publisher should improve on. If you are not familiar with french pastry you have no idea what the result is going to look like. I also was not too excited about her sorbet and ice cream recipes, I felt she could have done better in that department. You dont' really need a French style cookbook to learn how to do a Raspberry sorbet. I also felt she should give us more authentic, and traditional recipes instead of phyllo-doughing everything in sight. Overall though, I will recommend this book, it is a fine edition to your library if only for the spectacular plum tart, one of the few recipes pictured in the book.

For those who are interested in real French pastry making, please check out Healy-Bugat, The art of the cake. It is a masterpiece.

I have a large collection of cookbooks. I ordered this book to complete a set of references that I have on baking and it makes a great addition. While not well illustrated or visually pleasing, it does contain all the basics of French baking and would make a good reference work for the home baker. All the base recipes are there plus some good variations on new items. There are lots of recipes to try and you won't be dissappointed by the variety.

I've been searching for a great croissant recipe and found it and more in this wonderful book. Sheila Linderman writes clear and detailed instructions in her recipes, but she also provides valuable tips and techniques that give you a foundation for greating your own recipes. So if you're an improvisational cook like me, you can use this book as a guide and reference as you experiment with new ideas. (The croissants, btw, took two days of mixing, rising, rolling, and layering--but they were definitely worth all the effort. When I took them out of the oven and sampled that first, freshly baked, golden brown crescent, I felt like I'd been transported to Paris!)

The recipes contained in this book resulted in the best pastries, croissants and breads I have ever made. The recipes were easy to follow and can turn even the most beginner's kitchen into a french bakery. The croissants were to die for!

This is one of the best books on French baking that I have ever seen. The recipes are clearly written and easy to understand, ensuring success each time. The author gives us a wide variety of recipes, from heavenly eclairs to flaky croissants. The bread recipes are also excellent.

For anyone with an interest in French cuisine, this book is an absolute must.

I borrowed this book from a library, used it extensively over the last three months, and finally bought it. It is worth every penny.

This book consists of the following sections:

The baker's elements
The classics
Pastry shop cakes and pastries
Regional specialties
Neo-classics
Rolled yeasted pastries
Cookies
Chocolates
Simple chocolate desserts
Ice creams and sorbets
Savory pastries
Breads
The basics
Sponge and meringue bases
Doughs
Creams, fillings, toppings, and glazes
Sauces
Preserves and flavorings

At the end come techniques, equipment, terminology, glossary, and mail-order sources.

I am quite an experienced baker, but I did improve my general baking skills thanks to this book. Whether within specific recipes or in "The basics" section, all instructions are clear, precise, and on an excellent level of specificity. Sheila Linderman also explains "whys," and she does it with an understanding of the American audience. For example, she warns against burns caused by hot sugar, or she explains very precisely how to fill certain types of pastry with cream and to which degree, or how exactly achieve the crust typical for French breads. I followed her instructions on timing, temperature, baking stone, and steam production precisely, and I produced THE bread which I had never achieved before, even following instructions of Shirley Corriher. The drawings are very helpful and take the guesswork out of the process.

Eating habits are part of a culture, and the author discusses some of French traditions concerning, say, bread, so that they are understanddable for an American reader. I appreciate that she offers solutions on how to adjust French baking to American habits and specifies that those adjustments will not compromise original flavor.

I also appreciate the authors subtle sense of humor which adds to the pleasure of both reading and working on recipes.

The only improvement for which I could wish would be more photographs of the finished products, but then the book would had been more expensive.

I recommend this book very highly.

The tips and techniques in this book alone are worth the purchase. It is a book for the beginner-intermediate student of pastry making. The writing style is on par with Dorie Greenspan, who wrote "Baking with Julia" - both authors are highly engaging and give excellent step-by-step instructions.

The author shows us how to roll croissants, line dozens of tartlette tins quickly and easily, make a quick brioche loaf. This is accomplished with balls of dough placed into a loaf pan and proofed. This inspired me to create a braided look by staggering the balls of dough in the pan. I have used this technique several times producing such gorgeous loaves I didn't think was possible. I hope the author will forgive me for revealing my own modification to the recipe, but I want to show the many useful techniques and inspiring possibilities of this book.

As for the lack of photographs - note that the publisher makes up for it by giving it the most professional binding of all - the book's pages are sewn, not glued. This means the book opens flat, without cracking at the spine. Professional textbook quality.

This title includes alot of choices; interesting and exciting. However, there are not nearly enough pictures, 8 color photos for 340+ pages!

I have tasted food from around the country. I have indulged in some of the finest desserts and pastries from around the world. There is no one better when it comes to the world's best pastries and the world's best pastry chef- Sheila Linderman.