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`Tartine', a high end American Patisserie cookbook by husband and wife master bakers, Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson is a fine exemplar of a particular kind of baking book, where the emphasis is simply on communicating excellent recipes from professional bakers which are, with proper patience and technique, quite doable by the home baking hobbyist.
This book can be distinguished from several other fine baking books. The most outstanding variety genus is the restaurant baker / baking instructor book. Two of the finest examples are `The Secrets of Baking' by Spago superbaker, Sherry Yard and `The Sweet Live, Desserts from Chanterelle' by Kate Zuckerman. Another major genus is the professional baking teacher / encyclopedic book, such as the several `bibles' from Rose Levy Beranbaum and `How to Bake' and `Perfect Pastry' from Nick Malgieri. Still another genus is the `I love to bake, and here are my favorite recipes' books such as `Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters' and `Baking From My Home to Yours' by Dorie Greenspan. Two other small but important categories are the basic baking manual, such as the excellent `Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook' and Alton Brown's nerdy `I'm Just Here for More Food' and the omnibus sampler of baking techniques such as `Baking With Julia (Child)' written by Dorie Greenspan. Note that Alton Brown's book could also be lumped together with Sherry Yard's book, as both are excellent at illuminating the whys of great baking. In addition to all of these, there is the whole family of bread baking books, which is outside this discussion. I also have to give special mention to all books by Flo Brakker and the great Maida Heatter as great sources of instruction and encyclopedic range.
So where does that leave us with `Tartine'. My first impression is that it could have been given the same name as culinary journalist Jeremy Jackson's `desserts that have killed better men than me', since these recipes are uniformly outstanding in standing out from the crowd. It should be no surprise that recipes from a high-end bakery fit within the range of skills of the hobbyist baker, since the difference between home and professional technique is much closer than it is for the savory kitchen. In fact, if anything, the home baker needs more patience, space and time to match professional results rather than more speed and hotter ranges needed by the professional line cooks.
A perfect example of the need for lots of time is the recipe for brioche, which can often be seen more as a cake than as a bread (but it commonly appears in both pastry and bread books). My paradigm for brioche up to now has been Nancy Silverton's `Breads from the La Brea Bakery' recipe, but I think `Tartine' will replace it, not because it's easier, but because it requires even more steps and care, giving an even richer result.
Books of this genus are great for entertaining recipes, as one challenge of the high end professional bakery is not only to produce great results, but to easily stand apart from the average stuff you may find on the supermarket cookie shelf or bakery counter. For example, the eight cookie recipes all seem vaguely familiar on first glance, but they all stand out in some way when you look at the recipes. The shortbread recipe is a fine example of how the authors have taken the pedestrian cookie found in a `Lorna Doone' Nabisco box and turned it into a rare treat. Another lesson from the shortbread recipe is the fact that the authors go to great lengths to be sure that no detail of their technique is left out. This is not to say this is a good teaching book. You will still do much better with these recipes if you have mastered the basics than if you are starting with no baking knowledge. But, with experience, you will be able to appreciate the wisdom of the authors' technique.
While almost all recipes in this book are outstanding, there are three chapters that are more valuable than others. The first is the `Pasteries & Confections' which covers some of the wilder marches of the baking landscape, such as Eclairs, Friands, Toffee, Truffles, and Peanut Brittle. This is not your garden-variety peanut brittle! The second is in the `With a Glass of Wine' chapter covering gougeres, cheddar cheese crackers, wild mushroom tart, and pissaladiere on brioche. These are for entertaining with a flair. The last is the `Basic Baking Recipes' chapter that is notable for its recipes for chiffon cakes. The authors explain that unlike angelfood cake, chiffon cakes have gone out of fashion for their relative richness. So, if you are in need of something which is `decadent', traditional, and unusual all in one, try one of these four (lemon, orange, coconut, or chocolate) chiffon cakes. Even Alton Brown hasn't done a `Good Eats' show on chiffon yet.
Given the authors' connection with Alice Waters, who supplies the introduction, it is not surprising that the only recipe in the book for which I could identify a superior replacement was the blueberry lemon tart, which seemed not quite as interesting as my favorite from Chez Panisse (in their `Chez Panisse Fruits' book). The only non-culinary caveat I have is that the spine of the book was just a bit stiff, so it will not easily lie flat on your kitchen table without some hefty weighting.
All in all, a really great book on professional baking products and techniques.
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From the Publisher
Bring the Magic of Tartine Home
With irresistible croissants, fruit tarts, and tender cakes.
Chocolate Pudding
When cold, this pudding has a thick texture, much like a pot de crème, and is firm enough to hold a spoon upright. It is not the result of being especially rich with cream or stiff from eggs, but because chocolate is melted into the pudding at the end, firming up the custard as it cools. There is cocoa powder in the mix as well, giving it an even more intense chocolate flavor. Eat the pudding with unsweetened softly whipped cream-without question.
Kitchen notes: What you are making here is essentially pastry cream. Any time that you add a hot liquid to eggs, it is called tempering or a lie, meaning that you must add the hot liquid very slowly so that the eggs don't cook.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Have ready a fine-mesh sieve placed over a large heat-proof container. Combine the milk and cream in a heavy, medium saucepan and heat to just under a boil. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch and sugar, and sift in the cocoa powder. Whisk until blended. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt until blended, then add to the sugar mixture and whisk until well combined.
Slowly add half of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan with the rest of the milk mixture and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture has visibly thickened and registers 208 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermometer. This should take 5 to 7 minutes, depending on how cold your eggs are.
Immediately pour the contents of the pan through the sieve. Add the chocolate and let the heat of the milk-egg mixture melt it. When the chocolate has melted, blend with an immersion blender for a full 5 minutes until no lumps are visible. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides of the container with a rubber spatula as needed. Alternatively, you may use a blender and work in small batches, or use a whisk to blend by hand, being extremely careful with the hot mixture. Portion the pudding right away, let cool, and serve at room temperature. The pudding will keep, well covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Scenes from Tartine
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Preparing croissants in the morning. |
A selection of delicious pastries await. |
Lemon bars, sweet and tart. |
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Top reviews from other countries
Yumarama
Well prepared, great recipes, thrilled they give gram measures too!
Reviewed in Canada on July 8, 2014
Dimitra C
Good book, few pictures
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2012
