I Love Desserts: The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts

the appetizer:

The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts by The French Culinary Institute with Judith Choate, includes recipes like Chocolate Macaroons (Macarons au Chocolat); Almond Sponge Cake (Biscuit Joconde); Orange-Cinnamon Swirl Breads and Pecan Sticky Buns; and The Basic Steps to the Proper Execution of Great Yeast-Leavened Bread Doughs.

The Fundamental Techniques of
Classic Pastry Arts

by The French Culinary Institute with Judith Choate

Click to Buy The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts

An indispensible addition to any serious home baker's library, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts covers the many skills an aspiring pastry chef must master.

Based on the internationally lauded curriculum developed by master patissier Jacques Torres for New York's French Culinary Institute, the book presents chapters on every classic category of confection: tarts, cream puffs, puff pastry, creams and custards, breads and pastries, cakes, and petits fours.

Each chapter begins with an overview of the required techniques, followed by dozens of recipes—many the original creations of distinguished FCI graduates. Each recipe even includes a checklist to help you evaluate your success as measured against professional standards. Distilling ten years of trial and error in teaching students, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts is a comprehensive reference with hundreds of color photographs, a wealth of insider tips, and highly detailed information on tools and ingredients—quite simply the most valuable baking book you can own.

About the Author

For more than 20 years, The French Culinary Institute in Manhattan has been teaching the fundamentals of Western cuisine through its "Total Immersion" curriculum. With a world-class faculty, including deans Jacques Pepin, Alain Sailhac, Andre Soltner, and Jacques Torres, the FCI is among the leading schools of its kind anywhere.