The Art and Soul of Baking

2009 IACP Cookbook Awards Winner!

Nominated for a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award.

Sur La Table teamed with pastry chef and baking teacher Cindy Mushet to bring you the ultimate guide to baking. Beautiful photographs and more than 250 easy-to-follow recipes lead you into a world of alluring aromas and light, flaky pastries. Illustrated asides take you step by step through important techniques, from carmelizing sugar to working with croissant dough. Plus, you'll find invaluable information on over 100 ingredients and 50 baker's tools. A true pleasure for anyone who loves to bake.

Each selection of the Gourmet Cookbook Club is handpicked and road-tested by the editors of Gourmet magazine, so readers can cook with confidence, knowing the recipes really do deliver. Online at Gourmet Book Club you can find videos of the authors demonstrating recipes, share your thoughts on the cookbooks in the forums, and learn more about each book's topic.

BENEFITS:

* The ultimate book for bakers.

* Professional tips and tricks are made easy for the home baker.

* Step-by-step techniques of baking.

* 100 photographs, 250 foolproof recipes and variations, and information on over 100 popular baking ingredients and over 50 pieces of baking equipment.

Praise for The Art and Soul of Baking

"...when a baking book in which the recipes perform as flawlessly as they do in The Art and Soul of Baking comes out, we're particularly impressed." --Gourmet magazine, October 2008, Cookbook Club selection

"If you buy just one new baking book this season, make it this one. ...covers everything from essential equipment...and pantry staples to chapters on savory breads, quick breads, tarts, pies, cookies and cakes.... The recipes are exceedingly detailed and include do-ahead tips, notes on equipment needed, advice on storing the finished treats and suggestions for variations." --Associated Press, September 2008

"Mushet's invaluable lessons in ensuring oven accuracy, incorporating butter into dough for layered pastries...and the causes of falling souffles will get novices up to speed.... Those already comfortable with baking will get the most out of the book's 250 recipes, but there are plenty of dishes well within the reach of those new to creme brulee and lemon bar construction, making this a great volume to learn and grow with." --Publishers Weekly, August 2008

"Many elements combine to make a great cookbook, all of which are in The Art and Soul of Baking. ...the book possesses the singular quality that lifts a cookbook above the rest, and that is the ability to inspire. The Art and Soul of Baking inspires." —inmamaskitchen.com

The Art of French Baking

From éclairs to soufflés and macaroons to madeleines, when it comes to desserts, no one does it better than the French. Beautiful, elegant and delicious, French desserts are easy to create at home as only a few basic recipes are needed to make some of the world's most renowned cakes and tarts. The Art of French Baking is the definitive collection of authentic French pastry and dessert recipes. From Tarte Tatin and Hazelnut Petit Fours to Cherry Tartlets and Choux Buns, it contains more than 350 simple recipes that anyone can follow at home.

The book also includes details of basic equipment and techniques and information on how to troubleshoot common baking problems. Along with beautiful photographs and illustrations throughout, The Art of French Baking is an inspiring collection to celebrate the sweet tastes of France.

The book was translated and edited by Parisian home cook, Clotilde Dusoulier, of the famed food blog chocolateandzucchini.com.

Baking Style: Art, Craft, Recipes

A dazzling celebration of the art and craft of baking

In Baking Style, the award-winning author of Baking by Flavor and ChocolateChocolate, presents what has fascinated her during a lifetime of baking. In 100 essays and more than 200 recipes, along with 166 full-color images, Baking Style is infused with discoveries, inspirations, and exacting but simple recipes for capturing the art and craft of baking at home.

• Lisa Yockelson is the award-winning author of Baking by Flavor and ChocolateChocolate. Her articles, essays, and recipes have appeared in national publications such as the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, and Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. At her interactive website and blog, bakingstylediary.com, she continues her art of essay-writing and recipe development for a welcoming community of bakers.
• Features 100 essays, more than 200 recipes, and 166 full-color images that invite discovery and inspire the home baker
• Explores bar, hand-formed, and drop cookies; casual tarts; yeast-raised breads; puffs, muffins, and scones; waffles and crepes; tea cakes, breakfast slices, and buttery squares; cakes and cupcakes

Baking Style combines the genre of the culinary essay with recipes, their corresponding methods, and illustrative images, revealing Yockelson's uniquely intimate expression of the baking process.