Customer Reviews

The Professional Pastry Chef (3rd Edition)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Covers basic Doughs (bread, cake, pastry) Breakfast stuff, cookies, tarts cakes, individual cakes (including charlottes), custard soufflee and mousse, ice Cream, decorating with chcolate and sugar, and others. About 1150 pages.

This is an awesome book. It costs twice as much as any other book, but it's worth it. This book gives you the hows,whys, and principles of everything which is nice. For example it has a chart showing how creme caramel, creme brule, pastry cream, sabayon, pots de creme are all just modified creme anglais. However it does assume that you know a little bit, so for a first book "the cake bible" "the pie/pastry bible" or "baking with julia" might be more suitable. You know that all of the recipes are tested. There are a few things to look out for however. The first is that you will have to scale down all of the recipes - they are written for bulk. The second is that the photos and recipes aren't put together or indexed well - you have to hunt for the recipe for a particular photo. But all in all, a terrific book, definitely worth the price.

I'm not a pastry chef but still have a love of intricate baking. I really enjoyed Mr. Friberg's explanatory paragraphs prior to each recipe...he has a wonderful sense of humour and is very articulate. I agree the book is geared toward the professional pastry chef (of course, look at the book's title!) but the average baker can make some of the beautiful presentations in the book because of the author's detailed explanations and directions. Intricate chapters on doughs, bread/roll baking, cookies, tarts, LOTS of cakes, pastries, etc. as well as how to present the finished products. Some of the work such as with pulled and blown sugar should be attempted only with instruction and proper equipment because of the hot sugar involved...but let's face it...nothing in the book is rocket science and is "do-able" with lots of practice. Classes would be a plus...such as in the sugar work. Beautiful pictures and an entertaining, as well as highly instructional, book. Mr. Friberg comes across as quite friendly and willing to teach/share his wonderful recipes and methods. A far cry from some of the condescending books I have read from this field. This is not the "Cake Mix Doctor" so be prepared to spend time (and money) on the recipes but it is highly worth it in terms of quality and enjoyment.

I use this book as a reference tool in my baking. I think people giving it a poor review did not note the title...Professional Pastry Chef. It is not geared towards the home cook as the title states and I for one am pleased to see a pastry book geared towards professionals. There are all too many cook books from great pastry chefs geared towards the home cook. We need more professional oriented books. Thank you!

Now, I must tell you that this book is well worth every penny. It is so huge and heavy, every bit of it is complete and full of interesting recipes to exciting and irresistable creations. This is another book I spend lots of time with. Even if I dont have to use it I still enjoy looking through it. There are over one thousand incredible recipes in this book. Bo Friberg is an exceptional Pastry Chef. He shares his techniques and you can even make up your own as well. If you are a serious Pastry Chef and you dont have this book....then get it. It is worth it and you will be so happy you did. Everyone who bakes should have this book. Recipes range from simple breads to cakes, cookies, mousses, ice creams, sorbets, candies...the list goes on. You will just have to see when you get it. Another thing I like about this book is that it teaches you how to make things such as Mascarpone cheese and Ricotta cheese. I could go on forever. Buy it. Use it. Love it.

I purchased this book a couple of years ago and have used it for baking everything from dog biscuits and breads to sponge cakes and pastry cream. Although I am only an avid amateur, I find the recipes easy to follow and easy to convert for use in the home kitchen. The Author has included equivalency tables in the back of the book (ingredients are listed by weight rather than volume measures).

I have given away many of my other pastry and desert books since purchasing this book since everything that I could possible dream of is covered in this book

I would strongly recommend this to anyone who enjoys baking and aspires to create something outside the ordinary, regardless of skill level.

THIS BOOK RECIEVED HIGH VERBAL AND WRITTEN PRAISE. AUTHOR, BO FRIBERG, USES RECIPES THAT CATER TO MANY APPETITES. HOWEVER, HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO EXECUTE RECIPES ARE IN THE TERMINOLOGY OF GREAT BAKERS, PASTRY COOKS, AND CHEFS. THE TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE; BREADS AND ROLLS, COOKIES, CAKES AND PIES, TO MORE INTRICATE BAKED GOODS SUCH AS DESSERTS FOR PLATED PRESENTATION, SUGAR WORK, AND MARZIPAN. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND, BUT EXERCISE SOME CAUTION BEFORE EXECUTING SOME OF THE RECIPES.

THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT FOR THE CULINARY ARTS STUDENT.

This is the best book I have ever found. Whatever I need to bake I know I'll find the recipe in here, and best of all I know that it will work. As if these were not enough the presentations look great. If you love self teaching this is the book for you. I feel I have learned more from this book that at culinary school. I wish I could meet Mr. Frieberg, he is the best teacher I have ever had. It has very easy to follow instructions and all the information you need. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with us.

I am very impressed with this book and highly recommend it. The recipes are varied, from basic cookies to quick breads to impressive plated desserts. It is not for someone who wants to spend no more than 15 minutes, mix a few ingredients and get a dozen cookies (although some recipes are very quick and easy), but it is perfect for me, an adventurous home baker who frequently needs to double or quadruple batches to obtain the quantities I need. Most recipes yield at least double the quantities of standard cookbooks, but there are frequently instructions on making smaller quantities or using alternate pan sizes. Do-ahead instructions are common, which is also a big plus to me. I also am pleased that most measurements are by weight rather than volume. Not only is this more accurate, but, with a good scale, it is much quicker and easier.

There are several things explained, such as air-spraying chocolate, that I may never do, but was very interested in reading how they are done. Less "professional"options are often included, such as sifting cocoa rather than the air-spraying.

All in all, this is my new favorite cookbook, both for actual baking and for curling up and reading. It has given me lots of inspiration and I can hardly wait to get cooking!

Just look at the photos and you know Bo is a master. His recipes are creative and I have yet to be disappointed in the results. Warning, however: Every recipe I have tried takes many hours and in some cases you have larger portions (for the plated desserts) than the average hungry human can handle. The recipe for the dessert on the cover, for example, yields a dessert that should be shared by two. (It is, by the way, amazingly good.)

This is encyclopedic; far more than a set of recipes. Bo's explanations of techniques, lists, chemistry lessons, etc. are great and give you a reference you can use whenever you are baking.

This book is a fabulous resource! I had the opportunity to take a series of pastry classes with Bo Friberg at the California Culinary Academy several years ago when he was working on an earlier edition of this book. I learned a great deal from him and find his book invaluable. I have also purchased the most recent edition, and have found it an even better treasure!

As a person who someday hopes to open my own bakery, I consider this a textbook for baking success!