Savory Baking [Paperback]

Mary Cech (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 26, 2009

Finally, a baking book focused entirely on savory baking! Developed by one of America's top pastry chefs, SavoryBaking collects 75 inviting recipes for bakers of every skill level. Popovers, scones, and crackers pair perfectly withwine, while galettes, souffles, and strudels work equally well for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Fresh herbs, nuts, mushrooms,meats, and cheeses produce such savory delights as Peppered Pear and Goat Cheese Scones, Canadian Bacon Bread Pudding, and a showstopping New York-Style Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheesecake. Savory Baking is bothan ideal guide for adventurous bakers and the ultimate sourcebook for those who prefer savory eats to sweet treats.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary Cech is an award-winning pastry chef and culinary instructor living in Park City, Utah.

Noel Barnhurst is a San Francisco-based photographer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 26, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811859061
• ISBN-13: 978-0811859066
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 7.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #403,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect recipes for something different!, October 25, 2009

By 

Margaret Dybala "too many books, too little time" (Pearland, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Savory Baking (Paperback)

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I love this book of savory baking recipes! It arrived in the last week, and I immediately sat down to read through it, as I always do with cookbooks, before I actually make something! The format is typical: An introduction, with a discussion on tools and ingredients, along with a much needed comment on the natural variations on recipes. An experienced cook knows that not all ovens cook in the same amount of time, and not all altitudes allow for the same flour/water etc. So, with those caveats in mind, I picked two recipes to try.

I made the portobellow mushroom, rosemary, and shallot cream clafouti last night. It is meant to be a side dish, and I served it as such. The vegetarian (not vegan) part of my family was thrilled. It could easily serve as a central piece for a nice veggie meal. And it was absolutely delicious, and not difficult to prepare.

The day before, I made caprese salad-filled profiteroles. OMG! These are perfect! Again, don't be shy about the recipe. It is not difficult. These will be a permanent part of my recipe list!

Honestly, I don't know what to say in response to anyone who says these recipes aren't for beginners. I would think any adventurous cook would enjoy these. The strong point is that they are laid out very well in step-by-step instructions, as should be recipes in any good cookbook.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves cooking, and loves to present new dishes. It seems that so often, the new dish is a sweet. This book of savories is just delightful.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creative, exciting recipes, October 24, 2009

By 

Nicole S. Urdang (Western New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Savory Baking (Paperback)

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Jung was right, there is synchronicity. Mary Cech's new cookbook: Savory Baking, couldn't have arrived at a better time, as I have been experimenting with savory waffles for the past few months (combinations like cornmeal carrot, cheddar dill, and others).

Historically, there has been a bit of a schism between those who love to cook and those who bake. Many years ago, chefs were prejudiced against bakers, believing that "real" cooks couldn't bake, and implying bakers were a step, or two, below chefs. As someone who has always loved all the culinary arts, I found this annoying, to say the least. Ms. Cech has bridged the gap with an interesting collection of savory items to tempt the most baking-averse soul.

Some of her offerings include Peppered Pear and Goat Cheese Scones, Sour Cream Fig Spiral Cookies, Onion, Fennel, and Orange Upside Down Shortcake, and a slew of other creative concoctions to surprise your senses. The photographs are accurate looking, not over-the-top visuals you'll never achieve at home; and, there are plenty of them to inspire you.

Confetti Corn Bread Crusted Creole Shrimp is another little beauty that looked fairly easy to make. Her Fingerling Potato and Crispy Bacon Pizzas use phyllo dough to simplify things. Sharp Cheddar and Cherry Muffins were just lovely and quick to put together.

There's something here for everyone who likes savory food, including a whole section on fillings, spreads, dips, relishes, sauces, and chutney.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excitement & Follow Through, November 3, 2009

By 

A. R. Grenier (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Savory Baking (Paperback)

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I was really excited to receive this book. My habit with new cookbooks is to go through and tag the ones I want to make and I tagged so many in this book before I even hit the kitchen. I would call myself an intermediate baker and a beginner (though an adventurous one) cook.
A notable plus to most of the recipes is that with the exception of a handful ingredients in every recipe, most of the recipes are made with ingredients that you would find in any well stocked kitchen, which makes shopping for dinner easier.

One down side to some of these recipes is that some call for a food processor. I have not gotten around to acquiring one yet, though the recipes that do require one look good enough that I'm tempted to make that purchase just to make those.

I've made one recipe from this cookbook - the cauliflower and pancetta puffed crepes. It took bloody forever, but it was broken down nicely into separate sections and she notes that to save time you could do the crepes and the roasted cauliflower combination beforehand. It wasn't my favorite crepe recipe - but I've been making crepes since I was 10 - but it was a tasty, not-too-eggy combination that might have been worth the hours worth of effort to make it happen.
Anyway. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves to bake or cook and I remain excited to try the other recipes in this book!