Customer Reviews

Sweet Seasons: Fabulous Restaurant Desserts Made Simple

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

 

 

This sumptuous book succeeds for me on several levels. The artistry of the creations and beautiful photography are worth enjoying on their own merit. However, the greatest pleasure certainly comes from actually experiencing the creation, presentation, and deconstruction of these wonderful recipes. I disagree entirely with the remarks of some earlier reviewers who may be confusing 'complex' with 'time consuming.' I am an amateur cook but had little difficulty reproducing one of the more involved recipes using the author's directions. It did require 5 or 6 hours to prepare the 10 parts needed for the final construction, but the descriptions of the individual elements were so clear that they were indeed simple to make. Nearly all of them could be prepared one or two days ahead (the author clearly specifies which parts should be made at the last minute -- very few). The final constructions are well described and illustrated and the process seemed as entertaining to my guests as the eating. These desserts do take time -- but the final result is definitely worth it; and though the visual effect and interplay of different textures, flavors, and temperatures make it most rewarding to make the whole dessert, portions of each hold up well on their own. Last night, I impressed guests with the "Cherry and spice custard with warm financier" but the custard alone would have made an excellent dessert that would have taken less than an hour to prepare.
I also found the process of making one of these desserts to be a cooking lesson in itself. By the time I finished one, I realized I had made spun sugar, a frozen souffle, perfect honey tuiles (with homemade stencils) a sabayon sauce, creme brule -- all for the first time. The author guides you through the steps in a way that makes organization natural- and the final construction straightforward.
A final recommedation to readers-- The web sites in the back of the book have all the ingredients, molds, etc. used for the recipes. A little advance planning on the web can save considerable time driving around searching for a savarin mold (although a muffin tin worked nearly as well) or some other special item.

My husband purchased this book as a gift for me. I was totally suprised. He said all of my other dessert books were very much the same. This book is not the same. It is wonderful. I have made 5 of the desserts. Roasted Pineapple Tart with Basil Ice Cream is to die for. With the building block this book gives, it is a new dessert world opening up. It is not for the novice baker. But, you don't need to be a pastry chef either. It is time consuming. But, it is so interesting and tasty it doesn't matter. I work so I make the desserts on the weekend. This book will inspire you.

A truly awesome book, with beautiful photography, inspiring recipes and easy to understand and reproduce recipes. However, I will say this clearly, this book was not intended for the 'Sunday Afternoon Easy-Bake-Oven Gourmet.' Many of the recipes in this book are the kind you'd expect to spend twenty dollars or more for at a fine-dining restaurant! I believe the author intended this book for the enormous army of professional chefs and pastry chefs that are out there these days, and not solely for the home cook.

However, do not let this disuade you from trying this book! Many of the recipes in here oculd be simplified by removing a few non-essential components to a dish, while some of them could be made partially in advance and then completed at the last moment before serving!

Bon Appetit!

I got this book because I was planning a dinner party, and I really wanted to impress my guests. I'd highly recommend the book to those who want to take their dessert repertoire beyond the "ordinary" cookbook fare and into top, restaurant-quality excitement.

While there's no getting around the sophistication of the recipes (the author is an award-winning pastry chef, praised by Alfred Portale, Tony Bourdain, Ruth Reichl, etc.), the fact that the author breaks the recipes into "components" makes them less daunting than than when you see the completed (beautiful!) results. The pastry chef's tips and tricks for presentation, make a WOW impression.

The beautiful pictures illustrate the recipes and key steps, and the many recipes and variations allow you to "mix and match" the cakes, souffles, sauces, cookies, ice creams, petit fours, and garnishes. The recipes are broken down by season, as well, so you can choose the recipe to go with the rest of your menu and be sure that you're using the ingredients at the peak of their quality and availability.

The book is full-color and beautiful, as well as great to use and follow.

This book is a joke if you are interested in baking --even sophisticated bakers and pastry/cake decorators such as myself would be hard-pressed to find the ingredients (pistachio paste?) or the time to attempt any of these. Also it should be noted that while the concentration of this book is on presentation, NOT ALL OF THE RECIPES INCLUDE PHOTOS. So much for re-creating the recipe in your home kitchen. It is very entertaining, however, if you want to sit and page through it, at the library, as each page is more spectacular -- and astounding -- than the prior.

BEAUTIFUL presentations of Amazing desserts! I am a pastry chef for a resturant and I use this book ALL the time to start the new ideas flowing. This book may be useless for the home baker, I usually simplify Leach's ideas when making one of the desserts because of time restraints. All desserts have MULTIPLE aspects/items and steps.... I wish I could find more books like this one!!! (I heard about the book from a CIA chef, best advice he ever gave me....)

These made according to Leach's specifications are of the utmost in time, skill and technique. However, as with most sophisticated chefs, the author here encourages us to only take what we want to bite off. Serve only a portion, use a presentation method with a totally different dessert, etc., etc.

These function around carefully worked out organization, with numerous steps and components to architecturally outstanding multi-layered spectaculars! The collection is based seasonally around the very best of that time's ingredients.

Such artistic mastery as" Walnut Tartlet with Chilled Spiced Cream and Golden Raisins; Pear And Pistachio Torte with Pear Fritters and Roasted Pear Puree; Glazed Ricotta Cheese Tart with Fresh Cherries; Chocolate-Espresso Cube with Chocolate Sorbet; Caramelized Banana-Mango Disks with Tamarind Sauce.

Comparable to Charlie Trotters in complexity, however, not the demands on ingredients, as most of these are readily available to the interested home gourmet. Presentation is somewhat formidable, but instructive and gets one thinking about what elements to incorporate in one's own creations.

Not for the weak of pastry accumen.

this book is everything the 5 star reviews state.

Leach has taken his fantastic desserts and broken them down into each individual component with its own recipe. The recipes are grouped all together so you don't have to flip from section to section which is really nice. There is actually not a lot of repetition here considering the number a desserts in this book. Although the recipes are written in a concise manner, they are very understandable. He does not expect you to know what a professional has learned and even shares a few pointers for success.

Most (although not all) have pictures to showcase the finished dessert. Whether you have the ambition do recreate Leach's dessert or decide not to do a few of the garnishes, it will be a dessert that will be remembered. I really like that he has shared the entire dessert and not just the "easy" stuff. I can't stand it when an author has a picture of this cool dessert and then only gives you the recipe for the cake and not all the bells and whistles that attracted you to it to begin with.

Every recipe that I have used in this book has been successful, tasty and I did not need to "fix" anything to make it work.

A lovely book jam packed with recipes and advise. If you are into desserts or are a professional, this book will be one you treasure and reach for time and again for inspiration or that never fail recipe.

Great cookbook, with great ideas. I work in a professional pastry kitchen, and this book gave me alot of great ideas - not just for the cakes, ice creams, tortes, etc - but also for the plating and garnishing ideas. This cookbook will really inspire you!

OH MY GOSH what a beautiful book. I haven't actually tried a recipe yet but just the photography alone made me drool. When a cookbook makes me WANT to invite friends over so I can produce something from the book, I consider that a successful cookbook. The recipes (not necessarily all) appear to be very doable and I look forward to experimenting with this.