I received this cookbook as an anniversary present this year and, I must say, it is a great resource for learning to bake. Not only does it give you recipes and step-by-step instructions (many with pictures), but it gives you the reasons behind why you do what you do. Why you use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. Why you need to have butter and eggs room temperature. Why you need a certain type of pan for a certain project. Why you need to invest in an oven thermometer.
This book covers all the different aspects of baking; from breads, to cakes, to cookies, to souffles, to cheesecakes, to custards, and beyond. I really like the section towards the end about the finishing touches; chocolate curls, spun sugar, and some frostings.
This book was published by one of my favorite stores, Sur la Table. Like all of their cookbooks, the photos in this book are beautiful. It has definitely given me inspiration to try a few things later this year, both photographically as well as things to bake.
I have tried a few things from it so far, and all of them turned out pretty well (The Cooking Celtic Wife: Raspberry Souffles with Chocolate Truffles). The only one that didn't work was an error on my part; I didn't heed the book's warning about checking your oven's temperature so the cake that I baked just didn't rise. Everything else tasted good, the cake was just a funny texture.
This book would be a great gift for someone who is interested in baking, or someone who is interested in chemistry since baking is a yummy chemistry experiment. I love my copy; it has taught me so much that it is a permanent addition to our cookbook collection.
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